Route 66 Railway explores the relationship between Route 66 and the Santa Fe/BNSF Railway in words and pictures. For 80 years and over 800 miles, they are constant companions through New Mexico, Arizona and California. This hardcover book will be a visual roadtrip, touring these iconic routes and the land they traverse.

One is built of steel and the other asphalt, but together they share decades of history -- each has experienced life, decline and rebirth. U.S. Highway 66 was decommissioned in 1985, not long after the final stretch in Williams, Arizona was bypassed by Interstate 40. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, which built into California during the 1880s, passed into history in 1995 when it merged with Burlington Northern Railroad to become today's BNSF Railway.

Yet both legends thrive with newfound popularity. Route 66 has undergone a renaissance among American and overseas travelers who want to experience the American adventure, far from the bland Interstates. BNSF has become one of America's busiest railroads -- over 100 trains a day parallel the old highway through deserts, mountains, canyons and dusty towns filled with warm souls and a determination to endure.

That's the story of this book. Along the way we'll visit towns and touchstones where the worlds of railroad and highway meet, the people who keep the "Mother Road" alive, and railroaders who recall the days when crossing the Southwest was an adventure. Dramatic photography will transport you to the red mesas of New Mexico, across the Arizona Divide, over the mighty Colorado River and the desolate Mojave, and down California's Cajon Pass to Los Angeles. We'll visit colorful cafes, tourist traps, motor courts, train depots and more . . . amid the thunder of passing trains dressed in a rainbow of colors. 

Be sure to register here, and we'll send you book news and updates as we travel to a Summer 2008 release. See you on the road!