Rx for the homebound: a new Fred Frailey book

The following portion from the article, Rx for the homebound: a new Fred Frailey book, by Kevin Keefe was originally published by Classic Trains Magazine on Thursday, May 7, 2020. Featuring our title, Last Train to Texas by Fred W. Frailey an imprint of Indiana University Press.  Available now wherever books are sold.


“[…] when I settled in to read Fred’s latest book, Last Train to Texas, an anthology of some of his columns and blogs and other ephemera from Trains, published by Indiana University Press. It’s a terrific read, a collection of short, snappy essays that mirror Fred’s ceaseless curiosity about not only the business of railroading, but more importantly its people.

Regular readers of Trains might be tempted to conclude they’ve already read Fred’s book, made up as it is mostly of his columns. But they’d be wrong. Curated by Fred and his editors to cover as much ground as possible, the stories emerge fresh in the new context, a bit like how remastered Beatles or Miles Davis collections sound even after countless listenings.

And don’t let the title fool you. Fred touches on his beloved home state from time to time, like when he writes about his adventures with photographer Bob Eisthen along the old Kansas City, Mexico & Orient, or of his memory of a grievous Louisiana & Arkansas wreck near his home town of Sulphur Springs. But in this book, Texas the place has more to do with Frailey’s state of mind: endlessly expansive.”

Read the whole article Rx for the homebound: a new Fred Frailey book at Classic Trains Magazine