Steam Locomotives

There is certainly no doubt as to what this exceptional three-dimensional work is all about: on the first spread, the reader encounters the word ``locomotive'' emerging in bold red letters, and, facing it, railroad pioneer George Stephenson's aptly named Locomotion of 1825 is depicted, smokestack billowing, gears and pistons ready to pull away its 28-wagon load. Seven magnificently detailed pop-ups follow on subsequent pages, along with illustrations and a wealth of fascinating information on railroad history. The paper engineering here is intricate indeed; on the French Le Continent (1852), the giant wheel revolves as the page is turned, while the Mallard seems to speed out of the book--appropriate, since this 1938 British marvel set a world record that has never been beaten. A favorite is the 1867 American Seminole , with its lavish, eye-catching paint and giant smokestack. Though diesel engines took over in the 1950s, these beautiful behemoths--and a rare part of history--are lovingly and painstakingly preserved through Moseley's heroic efforts. All ages. (Sept.)