Overhaul - by Richard Flint & Shirley Cushing Flint (Paperback)

About the Book

In Overhaul, historians Richard Flint and Shirley Cushing Flint present the largely forgotten story of Albuquerque's locomotive repair shops, which were the driving force behind the city's economy for more than seventy years.

Book Synopsis

Winner of the 2021 Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association

In Overhaul, historians Richard Flint and Shirley Cushing Flint present the largely forgotten story of Albuquerque's locomotive repair shops, which were the driving force behind the city's economy for more than seventy years. In the course of their study they also document the thousands of skilled workers who kept the locomotives in operation, many of whom were part of the growing Hispano and Native American middle class. Their critical work kept the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe's steam trains running and established and maintained Albuquerque's unique character in the region.

Including a generous selection of historic photographs, Overhaul provides a glimpse into the people, places, culture, and special history found in Albuquerque's locomotive shops during the boom of steam railroading. The Flints provide an engaging and informative account of how these shops and workers played a crucial role in the formation and development of the Duke City.

Review Quotes

"Overhaul: A Social History of the Albuquerque Locomotive Repair Shops, by noted historians Richard Flint and Shirley Cushing Flint, engages readers in more than a local history of trains and tracks. In these pages, a story emerges about Albuquerque's multicultural growth spurt during the twentieth century. May it deepen people's respect for these buildings and spur our resolve to save them."--Kate Nelson, New Mexico Magazine

"A comprehensive history of the shops."--David Steinberg, Albuquerque Journal

"A welcome addition to railroading lore."--Denver Westerners Roundup

"The importance of the Albuquerque shops to the evolution of the city has long been known, and many authors have mentioned it in passing. However, in this dedicated history, the Flints have taken the story from beginning to end in a carefully researched yet highly readable book. This is a must-have for Albuquerqueans, historians, and railroad buffs."--John Taylor, author of Bloody Valverde: A Civil War Battle on the Rio Grande, February 21, 1862

"This impressive work by two of New Mexico's outstanding scholars is thoroughly researched and elegantly written. Overhaul addresses a long-neglected and crucial piece of Albuquerque industrial and cultural history."--Rick Hendricks, coauthor of Four Square Leagues: Pueblo Indian Land in New Mexico