The Boomer
A Story of the Rails by Harry Bedwell
A boomer's capacity to roam and to find work made him the perfect character to carry a work of railroad fiction. Of boomers, Bedwell, in an essay published in 1937, wrote, "They were a restless breed with tingling feet, and their lives were high adventure. Arrogant and belligerently proud of their craft, generous and cheerful under stress and strain, dubious and pugnacious when all things seemed serene, they were nonchalant of hardships, virtues, and veracity. They were the glamour and the glory of railroading."
Eddie Sand is the vehicle Bedwell chose to portray these qualities. In The Boomer, Sand participates in a series of exciting episodes across America that require him to interact with brakemen, conductors, engineers, train dispatchers, superintendents, and others in the railroad community, as well as with townspeople, including women. The book, massaged from seven Eddie Sand stories published between 1936 1941, reveals all of the tricks trainmen used to, as one reviewer noted, "see to it that the trains do not bump into one another, suffer derailment as a result of a storm, or encounter any one of a dozen accidents that trains are heir to." In that it is as current as today's headlines. The book also illustrates the boomer's struggles with restlessness and offers insight into its origins and effects. The continuing dramatic situation centers on whether or not he is about to settle down, to undertake, as he says, "the upkeep of a blonde."
"...a pleasant, readable story, dealing knowledgeably with a world one knows little about, and not without thrill and adventure."
A "welcomed" book "written with understanding."
"...an exciting yarn in sinewy prose . . . Eddie Sand is a genuine and winning character . . . It has almost everything except sound effects."
"...pleasureable reading. . . .this Bedwell novel holds significant historical value. . . .the reader can sense the rhythm of the daily lives of railroaders a century ago."
"...a light, entertaining saga that any fan of 'traditional' railroading will enjoy."
"Rich in railroad slang and imagery...an entertaining read."