The steam railroads of the storied South were, like the land, in variance. Bridging great distance were carriers such as the Southern Railway itself. Those of scant mileage were typified by North Carolina's three-mile Cliffside Railroad. Both painted some of their locomotives green. There were some Dixie railroads whose motive power wasn't painted at all. Inventiveness came second-nature to the men who operated neglected locomotives. They worked hard and frequently long days, keeping good spirit and steady devotion to the railroad. Many of them worked unheralded, yet were local heroes as big (if not bigger) than Casey Jones himself. Yes, steam railroading in the South meant different things to different people, form the bayous of Louisiana to the mountains of Virginia.

Extra South features the black and white photography of H. Reid, including the Atlantic & Western, Carolina Southern, Nelson & Albemarle, Norfolk Southern, East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad ("Tweetsie"), Sumter & Chocktaw, Norfolk & Western, Southern Railway, Chesapeake & Ohio, Clinchfield, and many more.