Valuable as these volumes are in relation to railroad operations in Nevada and California, their usefulness as authoritative reference sources embraces a much broader scope. Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California is as much a history of the region as it is a study of the railroads. The principal mines and mills and their production are scrupulously detailed, together with the personalities who created them.

A map has been provided in Volume I to orient the reader to the locales described. It is an accurate and reliable travel aid for readers who choose to wander the region's historic railroad routes.

In this volume, Myrick begins his history with coverage of the sprawling network of the northern railroads, including the Austin City Railway, Mid-Pacific Railroad, Nevada-California-Oregon Railway, and Sierra Nevada Wood and Lumber Company.