Death Rode The Rails: American Railroad Accidents and Safety, 1828--1965

For most of the 19th and much of the 20th centuries, railroads dominated American transportation transforming life and capturing the imagination. Yet by 1907 railroads had also become the largest cause of violent death in the country - spectacular train wrecks, devastating accidents in shops and yards and the deaths of thousands of women and children killed while walking on or crossing the street—grade tracks.  Over time the trade—off between safety and output motivated carriers to develop technological improvements that enhanced both productivity and safety. by Mark Aldrich, hardcover, 480 pages