Re: Beebe, Clegg and History ???

Gregg and Charlie are right--- in the 1950's almost nobody was writing train books of handsome photos on gloss paper--- except Beebe and Clegg.
To railfans of the time, it was only Beebe and Clegg that spotlighted the very category of Mixed Trains (Daily) as an area of railfan and modeler interest.
And, save for an odd photo in a magazine, most of the country had no idea of where to see Colorado NG photos, maps and chronlogies in context with each other.
I recall how surprised I was on seeing Neebe's Narrow Gauge in the Rockies at first sight---- a railroad comprised of scores of diamondstacked 2-8-0's? Amazing.
In case we forget, those photos by Jukes, Best, Steinheimer and others ARE history.
As to his " windy overblown" writing style, his purple prose served two purposes-- it fit in with his ownership of The Territorial Enterprise, and also, it was a wry form of humor enjoyed by a lot of us. Some of his phrases have since become commonplace. (Not to mention that his skill in this area leaves many contemporary writers in the dust.)
My two cents
Tom