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Tom Swift Sr. #25
Tom Swift and his Electric Locomotive
This edition of Tom Swift and his Electric Locomotive or. Two Miles a Minute on the Rails by Victor Appleton is given by Ashed Phoenix - Million Book Edition
98 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1922
About the author
Victor Appleton
497 books48 followersVictor Appleton was a house pseudonym used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate and its successors, most famous for being associated with the Tom Swift series of books.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_...
The character of Tom Swift was conceived in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging company. Stratemeyer invented the series to capitalize on the market for children's science adventure. The Syndicate's authors created the Tom Swift books by first preparing an outline with all the plot elements, followed by drafting and editing the detailed manuscript. The books were published under the house name of Victor Appleton. Edward Stratemeyer and Howard Garis wrote most of the volumes in the original series; Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, wrote the last three volumes. The first Tom Swift series ended in 1941.
In 1954, Harriet Adams created the Tom Swift, Jr., series, which was published under the name "Victor Appleton II". Most titles were outlined and plotted by Adams. The texts were written by various writers, among them William Dougherty, John Almquist, Richard Sklar, James Duncan Lawrence, Tom Mulvey and Richard McKenna. The Tom Swift, Jr., series ended in 1971.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_...
The character of Tom Swift was conceived in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging company. Stratemeyer invented the series to capitalize on the market for children's science adventure. The Syndicate's authors created the Tom Swift books by first preparing an outline with all the plot elements, followed by drafting and editing the detailed manuscript. The books were published under the house name of Victor Appleton. Edward Stratemeyer and Howard Garis wrote most of the volumes in the original series; Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, wrote the last three volumes. The first Tom Swift series ended in 1941.
In 1954, Harriet Adams created the Tom Swift, Jr., series, which was published under the name "Victor Appleton II". Most titles were outlined and plotted by Adams. The texts were written by various writers, among them William Dougherty, John Almquist, Richard Sklar, James Duncan Lawrence, Tom Mulvey and Richard McKenna. The Tom Swift, Jr., series ended in 1971.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 11, 2018
Another story that stretches the bounds of believability (even by Tom Swift standards.)
Not much happens, enemies are not interesting, and the entire plot seemed more forced than other installments. As the last public domain book in the series, I've no real interest in finishing the last few books still in copyright. There's nothing left for our titular hero to do until space or nuclear energy is discovered.
Not much happens, enemies are not interesting, and the entire plot seemed more forced than other installments. As the last public domain book in the series, I've no real interest in finishing the last few books still in copyright. There's nothing left for our titular hero to do until space or nuclear energy is discovered.
April 6, 2022
The success of the Swift Construction Company was becoming well known over the time of the Tom Swift books. It caused Mr. Richard Bartholomew to ask the father-son team, Barton Swift and Tom Swift, to invent a new electric locomotive to improve the speed and efficiency of the trains of his Hendrickton and Pas Alos Railroad company. The objective was to have a train go as fast as two miles per minute on the level and nearly as fast when going up a steep grade, all the while with enough power to pull a number of heavily loaded cars.
Bartholomew’s arch-rival was Montagne Lewis of the Hendrickton and Western Railroad company. Montagne and his henchmen attempted to sabotage Tom’s efforts both in the electric locomotive’s development in Shopton, New York and its final testing in the West. They resorted to violence at both ends of the country. Tom’s defense was primarily that of brain and brawn — Tom’s brain and his giant servant Koku’s brawn.
It is true that, throughout the Tom Swift books, people have managed to enter the Swift property to perform sabotage. Someone managed to plant a bomb wrapped in work clothes in the electric locomotive during its development at the Swift labs. However, it was discovered, thrown into a water barrel, and rendered harmless. From this incident, Tom learned a valuable lesson. He electrified the barbed wire on the fence around the Swift property. When one of Montagne Lewis’s henchmen, Joe Myrick, tried to climb over the fence, he suffered an electric shock forcing him to hold onto the wire. When the power was cut, he fell to the ground, was tied up, and turned over to the police. In another incident, the main henchman, Andy O’Malley, jumped onto the running board on the passenger side of Mr. Damon’s car. As he tried to hit Tom with a club, Tom fired a pistol at O’Malley who was hit with ammonia from the gun, not a bullet. Still, O’Malley fell to the ground. Tom Swift is very capable of protecting himself and his property.
I don’t have the knowledge to review the railroad technology presented in this book. I will just say that I enjoyed reading both the invention and the adventure sides of the story. I was surprised by the size and weight of the locomotive. I suppose that is required for it to pull a train, whether it is a passenger train or a freight train. On the adventure side of the story, the bad guys were relentless but Tom was up to the task of defeating them. Of course, he was encouraged by his inventive father, Mr. Swift, and supported by his faithful friend (and company business manager) Ned Newton. The ever-present Mr. Wakefield Damon helped both in Shopton and out West. Mary Nestor provided the unconditional love that sustained Tom in his life.
During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, trains were vital for cross-country and regional travel. Later in the 20th century, air travel became the preferred way to go for any distance considered too long for an automobile trip. Railroads became less important. Passenger train travel diminished although freight trains were still used. As fossil fuels become less available in the future, I think that airplanes with synthetic fuel will handle long distance travel, electric cars will be used for local travel, and railroads will be used for regional travel. Whether the trains run on rails as they have for many years or use maglev technology, I believe that passenger train travel will become more prevalent as time goes on.
For now, consider taking a train for your next trip and read Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive.
Bartholomew’s arch-rival was Montagne Lewis of the Hendrickton and Western Railroad company. Montagne and his henchmen attempted to sabotage Tom’s efforts both in the electric locomotive’s development in Shopton, New York and its final testing in the West. They resorted to violence at both ends of the country. Tom’s defense was primarily that of brain and brawn — Tom’s brain and his giant servant Koku’s brawn.
It is true that, throughout the Tom Swift books, people have managed to enter the Swift property to perform sabotage. Someone managed to plant a bomb wrapped in work clothes in the electric locomotive during its development at the Swift labs. However, it was discovered, thrown into a water barrel, and rendered harmless. From this incident, Tom learned a valuable lesson. He electrified the barbed wire on the fence around the Swift property. When one of Montagne Lewis’s henchmen, Joe Myrick, tried to climb over the fence, he suffered an electric shock forcing him to hold onto the wire. When the power was cut, he fell to the ground, was tied up, and turned over to the police. In another incident, the main henchman, Andy O’Malley, jumped onto the running board on the passenger side of Mr. Damon’s car. As he tried to hit Tom with a club, Tom fired a pistol at O’Malley who was hit with ammonia from the gun, not a bullet. Still, O’Malley fell to the ground. Tom Swift is very capable of protecting himself and his property.
I don’t have the knowledge to review the railroad technology presented in this book. I will just say that I enjoyed reading both the invention and the adventure sides of the story. I was surprised by the size and weight of the locomotive. I suppose that is required for it to pull a train, whether it is a passenger train or a freight train. On the adventure side of the story, the bad guys were relentless but Tom was up to the task of defeating them. Of course, he was encouraged by his inventive father, Mr. Swift, and supported by his faithful friend (and company business manager) Ned Newton. The ever-present Mr. Wakefield Damon helped both in Shopton and out West. Mary Nestor provided the unconditional love that sustained Tom in his life.
During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, trains were vital for cross-country and regional travel. Later in the 20th century, air travel became the preferred way to go for any distance considered too long for an automobile trip. Railroads became less important. Passenger train travel diminished although freight trains were still used. As fossil fuels become less available in the future, I think that airplanes with synthetic fuel will handle long distance travel, electric cars will be used for local travel, and railroads will be used for regional travel. Whether the trains run on rails as they have for many years or use maglev technology, I believe that passenger train travel will become more prevalent as time goes on.
For now, consider taking a train for your next trip and read Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive.
November 28, 2019
I initially limited myself to the collection of vintage books I had read as a child or those for girls. Limited space, limited money. But after being exposed to several series books on a vintage collection site, I decided to download this adventure series about a boy inventor, Tom Swift, from 1922.
Tom Swift Sr. owns a construction company. His son, Tom Swift Jr. is a genius inventor, equated with the likes of Thomas Edison. "It is the impossible that inventors have to overcome.”
In this book, the two Swifts are propositioned with great financial gain to improve upon electrical locomotives so that they can travel two miles in a minute. Such a development of speed and power would decrease the cost of shipping by rail. Hendrickton & Pas Alos Railroad owned by Mr. Bartholomew has much to lose if his proposal is not met and his rival company will stop at nothing to ensure that Tom fails.
I found the electrical terminology somewhat daunting but was able to quickly link to Wikipedia to better understand and such talk was not too lengthy or deep. This series, besides educating to a degree, was also credited for inspiring young men to become inventors.
A fault with this book was the derogatory depiction of the negroes, especially Tom’s servant Koku who is shown to be stupid, savage, and blindly obedient. The fact that American youth were exposed to these bigoted and arrogant beliefs would have certainly contributed to the racism that continued (and perhaps to a degree still exists) in the States.
Still, this book and others of this era are an important snapshot of society at this time.
Tom Swift Sr. owns a construction company. His son, Tom Swift Jr. is a genius inventor, equated with the likes of Thomas Edison. "It is the impossible that inventors have to overcome.”
In this book, the two Swifts are propositioned with great financial gain to improve upon electrical locomotives so that they can travel two miles in a minute. Such a development of speed and power would decrease the cost of shipping by rail. Hendrickton & Pas Alos Railroad owned by Mr. Bartholomew has much to lose if his proposal is not met and his rival company will stop at nothing to ensure that Tom fails.
I found the electrical terminology somewhat daunting but was able to quickly link to Wikipedia to better understand and such talk was not too lengthy or deep. This series, besides educating to a degree, was also credited for inspiring young men to become inventors.
A fault with this book was the derogatory depiction of the negroes, especially Tom’s servant Koku who is shown to be stupid, savage, and blindly obedient. The fact that American youth were exposed to these bigoted and arrogant beliefs would have certainly contributed to the racism that continued (and perhaps to a degree still exists) in the States.
Still, this book and others of this era are an important snapshot of society at this time.
August 23, 2023
A lot of fun and adventure, with a few unfortunate racial caricatures.
April 5, 2014
In this installment our hero designs a new electric locomotive for a railroad out west. Competitors of that road pull the usual hijinx to stop Tom and ruin the railroad of the good guys.
The book is actually well informed about electrification of railroads. Of course in the story the road is well situated to take advantage of electrification, but suffers none of the disadvantages that in reality prevented large scale electrification
The book is actually well informed about electrification of railroads. Of course in the story the road is well situated to take advantage of electrification, but suffers none of the disadvantages that in reality prevented large scale electrification
May 5, 2014
Things I learned from this book:
1. It's good to help someone maintain a price-gouging freight monopoly if their competitor isn't a nice guy.
2. Only disloyal employees would go on strike or cause labor problems.
3. Detectives with Semitic sounding names can't be trusted.
4. White inventors should be paid a $125,000 bonus for good work. Their non-white servants should be given garish clothing as a reward.
1. It's good to help someone maintain a price-gouging freight monopoly if their competitor isn't a nice guy.
2. Only disloyal employees would go on strike or cause labor problems.
3. Detectives with Semitic sounding names can't be trusted.
4. White inventors should be paid a $125,000 bonus for good work. Their non-white servants should be given garish clothing as a reward.
June 9, 2012
I read the Tom Swift Sr. books as a child and again when I got my Kindle in 2010. They are an easy read and enjoyable. It is interesting to see how writing has changed since these books were written.
January 2, 2016
Really good old classic young readers book about a young inventor that invents this awesome inventions and then goes on these wild and crazy adventures, sometimes getting into trouble in the process.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews