The Impossible Switchback Railroad: The Saga of the Engineering Marvel Bradshaw Mountain Railroad and the Men Who Dared to Dream, Build, and Operate it Paperback – June 20, 2025

The Impossible Switchback Railroad tells the thrilling true story of the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad—one of the most audacious and spectacular mountain railways ever built in the United States. When proposed in 1900 by the Arizona Territory's leading industrialist Frank Murphy, the railroad was thought “impossible” to build! Yet when his engineering teams completed it in 1904, this “impossible” railroad defied gravity and public doubt to reach the gold-rich summit of Arizona's Bradshaw Mountains.Featuring 10 switchbacks, 31 trestle bridges, and a 142-foot tunnel, the railroad was a marvel of ingenuity and engineering. Through vivid visuals and compelling storytelling this book captures the grit, drama, and triumph of a forgotten era when steam engines, passenger trains and telegraphs ruled the day.Personal narratives from railroaders, including 35-year Santa Fe Railway veteran Charles Titchenal, recounts surviving a train wreck, the 1918 flu epidemic, living in a boxcar home, and being station agents at small Arizona railroad towns like Crown King, Drake, Hot Springs Junction, Mayer and Parker.Includes 169 pages - 138 color and 69 B&W photos - 35 maps - 26 original Santa Fe Railway documents - 15 technical illustrations. Hardcover printed in premium color for stunning image reproduction compared to the paperback edition. Also, more detailed previews of this book are available at titchenal.com. Read more