There has long been a need for a good history of the Texas & New Orleans Railroad, SP's subsidiary in Texas and Louisiana. The railroad is described from early days until the merger into parent SP in 1961. Individual chapters describe the components of the system, from El Paso, through San Antonio and Houston, to New Orleans, plus the Victoria Division reaching to Brownsville, and the East Texas lines. The Houston and New Orleans terminals receive separate chapters, as do steam and diesel power. A concluding chapter covers the 1961 merger.

The author, A.D. McLennan, has authored magazine articles on several parts of the Southern Pacific system for the SP Historical & Technical Society magazine Trainline. Publication date May 1, 2008.