Jim Lehrer, the PBS news guy, is a pretty good mystery novelist, and his new one, coming in April, is set aboard the Super Chief in the 1950s and involves Harry Truman and others. I've already reserved a copy.
Frank in sunny and clear SBA
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Thanks for the tip, Mr Kisor!
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
I decided to reserve a copy at the library so I put a hold on it.I just moved from a 10 room house to a one bedroom, den apt so I don't have room for new additions now. I already gave the library over 300 books. I am # 5 on the hold list so It may be Thanksgiving before I get the book. But so be it!! Please those of you who red it send along a review
Posted by sfthunderchief (Member # 7204) on :
quote:Originally posted by train lady: I decided to reserve a copy at the library so I put a hold on it.I just moved from a 10 room house to a one bedroom, den apt so I don't have room for new additions now. I already gave the library over 300 books. I am # 5 on the hold list so It may be Thanksgiving before I get the book. But so be it!! Please those of you who red it send along a review
I got tickets to get a signed copy and hear his upcoming presentation at meeting at Kansas City Union Station.
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
/what was the presntation like? Did it perk your interest? Which reminds me how is your book coming along, Henry?
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
The book came through much more quickly than I expected and I got it today. I just finished it and I must say I was disappointed. I thought it moved very slowly, too many characters and almost disjointed. About 1/3 through I figured out the plot and endings (which I won't go into for the sake of those who want to read it ) and it was all down hill from there. I have enjoyed other boks of his much more. I would be interested in the opinions of others.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I haven't yet read the book but found this Booklist review:
"Many of Lehrer’s 19 previous novels showcased his abiding love for simpler times: mid-twentieth-century America, the small-town Midwest, and the intercity bus lines of that time and region. This time out, he focuses his attention on the Super Chief, the luxurious Sante Fe Railroad train that carried the rich and famous from Chicago to Los Angeles in just over 39 hours. Set in 1956, the tale involves three mysterious deaths, former president Harry Truman, actor Clark Gable, a movie producer whose last picture flopped, and a callow, movie-loving Sante Fe passenger agent. It’s Lehrer in typically fine form: wonderful detail about railroad operations and life on the Super; small prairie towns that owed their existence to the Sante Fe; Hollywood’s worries about television; rail’s apparent lack of worry about airlines; gossip about Gable’s prodigious womanizing; and concerns about radiation from nuclear tests in Nevada. Remarkably, however, the book’s central events are true, as Lehrer testifies in an epilogue. Lehrer is a national treasure, and Super is, well . . . super." --Thomas Gaughan
I'm a mystery novelist myself, and know that different readers will have different experiences with the same book. Some people love the "furniture" with which a novelist dresses a book, and some people think that just throws molasses into the gears of the plot.
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
I have the distinct feeling that Mr. Gaughan and I have read different books.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I'm back in the barn.
I can only hope that Mr. Lehrer researches material more throughly than did David Baldacci when he wrote Christmas Train.
Something tells me with that one, either he or more likely a Research Assistant rode the Capitol Limited from Wash to Chicago, but when it came to continuing the journey aboard the Southwest Chief, imaginations ran wild.
Posted by Dakguy201 (Member # 10360) on :
I'm not all the way through the book, but I think I can guess the rest of the plot. To my taste there is much too much of the "furniture" regarding the Santa Fe and the Super Chief, while the characters are cardboard cutouts. I'd advise Mr. Lehrer to keep his daytime job.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
I think this could be classified as a book for the beach (or airplane). Not much to it but mildly amusing, especially for those of us who are into trains. While Lehrer gets many of the train details right there are some glaring goofs - don't think I've ever seen a bathroom in a roomette.
Maybe Mr. Buffet will read it. Wouldn't you love to see the BNSF take over passenger operations on their railroad. In the very unlikely event that happened I am sure we would see a return of the Super Chief name - and the service to match.
Posted by sfthunderchief (Member # 7204) on :
I saw Mr. Lehrer tonight at KC Union Station. It was a nice event, especially for him being entertained aboard Kansas City Southern's business train for dinner. Anyone could have gotten tickets to have dinner with him ($250 a person).
The KCS business train was beautiful in the late afternoon sun illuminating the red, yello and almost black locomotives and rail cars.
It leaves tomorrow morning (probably with Lehrer aboard as guest for Stillwater, from what was being rumored tonight.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Palmland, didn't the old single-passenger roomettes have toilets?
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
Yes they did. They were miserable at night because the bed came down over the toilet.Therefore one had the option of lifting the bed up or going down the hall to use the "public" one.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Henry, as Trainlady notes, they did have a toilet and a sink, but in the same room with the seat/bed. However, in the book the stowaway was instructed to hide in the bathroom of the roomette if anyone knocked.
I liked the layout of the old roomette. Since it was designed for only one person, the facilities in the room were very convenient. Now it is true that it did require raising the bed at night to use the toilet. But somehow I don't remember that as a problem. Probably because my plumbing was more efficient in those days.
The newer roomettes had a cutaway bed so you could lift the bed without having to back out into the hall (with the curtain to give you some privacy).
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
I just got this book from the library and hope to have time to read it too.
Posted by HillsideStation (Member # 6386) on :
I never would have made it through an Evelyn Wood course. That being said; it seems the conductor on The Super is "nearly" in charge the whole long way. Didn't they have time limits in the "good" old days? Enjoyed the book, but not nearly as much as the Phoney Marine. Best regards, Rodger
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Absolutely Rodger, Hours of Service has been law of the land for as long as I have followed railroad industry affairs.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I suspect that Lehrer did not have a couple of railroad industry experts read his manuscript before it was sent to the publisher. But perhaps that was not a fatal oversight if his errors remain small ones.
(I have just downloaded the e-book to my iPod Touch and will be reading it over the next week.)
Posted by sfthunderchief (Member # 7204) on :
A link related to the Jim Lehrer author lecture tour. The videos are embedded in the first image.
April 30th.
1: KCS business train preparing to depart Union Station Kansas City: 6:15 am 2: KCS business train departing Union Station. On the back platform are two men. Mike Haverty KCS president and CEO in black suit. Jim Lehrer in light blue sport coat. 3: KCS business train at speed (about 50MPH) running south over 150 highway just north of Richards-Gebaur AFB and multi-modal terminal.
The night before Lehrer said of his visit to Kansas City Union Station "It doesn't get better than this." That's certainly true when given the royal treatment with dinner aboard this train and a private excursion hosted by the president of the railroad.
sfthunderchief, those are great videos. RGAFB was my first duty assignment in the Air Force back in 1965-1966, and I met by bride of 44 years in Kansas City while stationed there. I thought the "base" closed a long time ago; does it still retain its name, and what is its use today?
We lived off-base in Grandview, not far from the KCS tracks, and can remember seeing the Southern Belle go through back in the day.
Your videos took us back!
Posted by sfthunderchief (Member # 7204) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ocala Mike: sfthunderchief, those are great videos. RGAFB was my first duty assignment in the Air Force back in 1965-1966, and I met by bride of 44 years in Kansas City while stationed there. I thought the "base" closed a long time ago; does it still retain its name, and what is its use today?
We lived off-base in Grandview, not far from the KCS tracks, and can remember seeing the Southern Belle go through back in the day.
Your videos took us back!
Posted by sfthunderchief (Member # 7204) on :
Ocala Mike: Richards Gebaurer will probably always be known by that name, it's after sort of a district. KSC developed a major inter-modal terminal there (a great money make and employer). The spot I chose for that shot was recommended by one of the KCS Railroad detectives with the clear shot of the train approaching at speed. The weather was rainy and dreary and if it had been sunny the train would have been very bright in the morning sun. But the approach shot was still ok, and I didn't have much time to be choosy.
Posted by sfthunderchief (Member # 7204) on :
quote:Originally posted by sfthunderchief: Ocala Mike: Richards Gebaur will probably always be known by that name, it's after sort of a district. KSC developed a major inter-modal terminal there (a great money make and employer). The spot I chose for that shot was recommended by one of the KCS Railroad detectives with the clear shot of the train approaching at speed. The weather was rainy and dreary and if it had been sunny the train would have been very bright in the morning sun. But the approach shot was still ok, and I didn't have much time to be choosy.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
I was able to read the book. I liked it all right but like a lot of books nowadays I found it very skimpy--glad I got it from the library and didn't shell out big bucks for it! Nothing much really happened in it; it was mostly "furniture," I think. I don't mind the lack of characterization but would have liked more of a plot, since it is supposed to be a novel with a mystery or such. In that regard it seemed like the outline of a book than an actual book. It didn't go anywhere, didn't make any point, but it did capture the local color and "wallpaper" of the times pretty nicely, more like a travel memoir than a novel. It did get me interested in the Super Chief, though, and even in the Randallites. Why doesn't the SW Chief take the same route?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Finally read the book. I basically agree with Sojourner that the "furniture" was interesting but the actual mystery went nowhere. Not one of Lehrer's better novels, I'm afraid.
I am not that much of an operations expert, but I did spot the two mistakes others have referred to -- hiding in the bathroom in a roomette and a conductor on duty the whole way, ignoring the hours of service law. Neither was a huge mistake, in my opinion. The character of the conductor was very minor and it would have been easy for Lehrer to fix that in manuscript if somebody had suggested it.
I did enjoy all the nostalgia for the Super Chief -- and the thread about the amorous character of Clark Gable. There were many good set-piece scenes.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Kisor, if you have read (even if I think it is a waste of time) "The Christmas Train' by David Baldachhi, do you think those flagrant technical errors can be discounted?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I'm afraid I've never read anything by Baldacci. Not my cup of tea.
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
I think the thing that bothered me most was it was a nice little story but not the "spine tingling" mystery I expected.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
This Chicago Sun-Times review pretty much sums up this thread:
Amen!!!
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr Kisor, your successor colleague makes Mr. Lehrer's novel sound a bit like "Ship of Fools". Maybe when I get done with this (300 pages down 300 to go), I'll try some fiction.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
GBN, you are so right. Nearly all travel narratives, both fiction and nonfiction, follow the themes and structure of the Katherine Anne Porter classic. Fools and knaves are much more interesting to read about than saints and sissies.
The trick, however, is to develop the characters. Lehrer has done this much better in other novels.
By the way, the writer of the Sun-Times piece is a freelancer, not one of my successors.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: Mr Kisor, your successor colleague makes Mr. Lehrer's novel sound a bit like "Ship of Fools". Maybe when I get done with this (300 pages down 300 to go), I'll try some fiction.
Mr. Kisor, have things gone SO downhill at BOTH Chicago papers that yours (and likely the other guys as well) no longer has a staff reviewer?
Wonder why I read The Times.
As for my current missive, it is now 360 down 240 to go. I'm almost afraid to take it on my trip to New York (flying) tomorrow; seems as if the events chronicled within the work (the 9/15/08 financial markets near-collapse), were actually unfolding while I was out there (well, Greenwich) during Sep 2008 for my Nephew's wedding. As likely many here know, the Markets have been "acting up' again of late - and here comes this 'bad penny" again out to 'ground zero'.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
I, too, was underwhelmed by this book. Too much of the story was telegraphed to the reader too early.
I do have a question, however, about the location of the Turquoise Room. I was always under the impression that it was located beneath the dome lounge. Was this car directly behind or in front of the diner? If not, where was the food prepared?
Frank in gorgeous SBA
Posted by ehbowen (Member # 4317) on :
Frank: Yes, the Turquoise Room was on the lower level of the dome lounge which was always operated adjacent to the diner and served from the diner's kitchen. The UP Gold Room had a slightly different setup--I'm not sure whether it was in the short main-floor end of the dome diner with the kitchen under the dome or vice versa. GBN was fortunate enough to have experienced the UP dome diners; perhaps he can elaborate.
Posted by ehbowen (Member # 4317) on :
Having looked through my copy of Dubin's Some Classic Trains I see that the UP's dome diners seated 18 in the dome (3 2-top tables, 3 4-top tables), 18 on the main floor at round tables (unusual) for 2 and 4, and 10 in the Gold Room under the dome (not pictured). The kitchen, by process of elimination, must have been in the short end of the main floor.
Must...get...time...machine...working!
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
I do recall riding on UP's City of Denver/Portland in 1966 and '68. On both trips, my most vivid memory was how much I liked the dome lounge car. For some reason it reminded me of an old style wood paneled private clubroom, quite the opposite of the Superliner Lounge. Maybe because there were so few people in it. My impression of the dome diner was how smooth and quiet it was as it seemed to float on the bridge across the Mississippi.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Meant to mention: I notice Super Chief left from Dearborn Station, which I saw while in Chicago, though it's just mainly offices and a restaurant now. Still, interesting building to see. . .
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
Just read Baldacci's Christmas Train. Stupid book. My husband got it at the library thinking it was another of his crime books which he likes.
The level of writing was about sixth grade. Don't know if his others are that level but I think I will stick to my British police procedurals. Or maybe I will order a Henry Kisor book.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Thank you, Vicki, but there are no passenger trains in my novels -- they are set in the wilderness of Upper Michigan.
There *are* two railroads in the area, the Escanaba & Lake Superior and the White Pine sub of the CN (ex Wisconsin Central). Both are in deep trouble. The E&LS (ex MILW) wants to tear up its tracks from Sidnaw to Ontonagon because its only customer in Ontonagon, the Smurfit-Stone paper mill, has closed permanently. When the White Pine Copper Refinery closes in July, it is expected that CN will close the subdivision from Marengo Junction, Wis., to White Pine, Mich.
Probably won't be writing them into the novel-in-progress, except to mention them as victims of Hard Times in the U.P.
Last week I photographed the cute little EMD SW1 (ex PRR, ex PC, ex Amtrak) that works the White Pine yard. It had only six boxcars of refined copper to ship south:
I agree Vicki. After reading a few pages and thinking ugh. I put the book in the return to library pile. BTW as aformer 6th grade teacher of gifted kids let me say that any of my kids could and some did write circles around that book. One of them wrote a novel about the War of Roses and each week we were "mesmerized" listening to the new chapter. unfortunatly the mode of transportation was horse not train
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Well, train lady, it's not much of a stretch from horses to ponies, then...who knows? Bagpipes? Trains?
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Oh, I should have told you--I tried The Christmas Train a while ago from the library and dumped it after a few pages. I had tried another of Baldacci's books earlier and gotten further but still didn't finish and wasn't very impressed with that one either (though the writing was somewhat better than The Christmas Tree).
I read a mystery I liked pretty well while in Colorado, though--Colorado set (I like reading mysteries set where I'm traveling, as long as they are reasonably well written), author a John Dunning, detective a book vendor. It was called Sign of the Book. I don't think it was first in the series but it was the one I was able to buy (possibly used). It petered out a bit at the end, plotwise, but it held my interest, and thought it was decently written. Unfortunately, however, no trains were featured!
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Well, Ms. Sojourner, if you "dumped' Christmas Train 'after a few pages', then you missed the absurdity of that work.
Actually I found that the description of the ride Wash-Chi on the Capitol Limited to be reasonably factual. The author may actually have dispatched a Research Assistant to ride it.
However apparently you did not hang around for the absurdities portrayed aboard the Southwest Chief.
As likely surmised, I don't think you missed too much.
Posted by The Chief (Member # 2172) on :
Just checked out Lehrer's book from the library and will read it next week aboard Texas Eagle to Chicago in a Roomette. Also have a Stephen Coonts Deep Black series action/suspense novel as a backup. Super does have nice cover art, but you know what they say,,,