The Streamline Era

Golden West Books, hardcover with jacket, 298 pages, 500 illustrations, some color pages, a complete list of streamliners, bibliography and index.

The streamline style, which began by rounding corners of immobile objects, ushered in the Moderne era across America in the 1930s. Railroads decided to streamline with the coming of the diesel locomotive.

Featured is the influence of designers such as Cret, Dreyfus, Bel Geddes, Kuhler, and Lowey. The evolution of semi-streamlining took place as depression-poor railroads attempted to modernize. The coming of Burlington's Zephyr and Union Pacifics M-1000, started a mad dash by Americas railroads to streamline passenger trains.

There is also a chapter on streamlining of trains around-the-world. Some aircraft and automobiles of the era are also presented.

Contents:

• The Streamline Style, pp. 9–20
• Early Experiments Toward Streamlining, pp. 21–34
• The Evolution of Semi-Streamlining, pp. 35–46
• The Streamline Era: The Pioneers 1933-1935, pp. 47–88
• Streamlining: The Middle Years 1936-1937, pp. 89–140
• The Peak Years: Zenith and Decline, pp. 141–154
• Diesel Invasion: Uniformity-Conformity, pp. 155–168
• Streamliner Conversions, pp. 169–190
• Baroque Steam Power, pp. 191–202
• Streamlining Abroad, pp. 203–218
• Streamliners in the Sky, pp. 219–230
• The Airflow Automotive Age, pp. 231–240
• Streamlining After the War: End of an Era, pp. 241–264
• The Airplane Comes of Age, pp. 265–274
• Postwar Automotive Streamlining, pp. 275–282
• Appendix, pp. 283–284
• Bibliography, pp. 285–288
• Index, pp. 289–292
• List of Streamliners of North America: 1933-1942, pp. 293–298.