Each volume detailed the history, ownership, equipment, and finances of
railroads in the United States, including maps of the largest railroad systems at that point in time. Later editions would limit the scope to
steam-powered railroads while expanding the coverage to include
Canada and the principal railroads of
Mexico,
Cuba, and
Central America. In addition to the 57 annual volumes that were published, supplements were occasionally produced under the title
Intermediate Manual of Railroads, and a companion
Directory of Railway Officials was also introduced. In 1922, a collaboration with
Moody's resulted in a collection of the Manual with other financial documents under the title
Moodys Manual of Railroads and Corporation Securities. Henry Varnum Poor initially published the books with his son,
Henry William Poor, as a follow-up to his 1860 book
History of Railroads and Canals in the United States. The Manual's success led to annual updates funded by advertisements inside the book from manufacturers, banks, and insurance companies that did business in the railroad industry. After the author's death in 1905, the works would continue to be released by Poor's Publishing Company, a predecessor of
Standard & Poor's. ==References==