Karl Zimmermann

Biography

Born in 1943 in Chicago (thus becoming a “player with railroads,” in poet Carl Sandburg’s words), Karl Zimmermann is a graduate of Princeton University with an M.A. in English from New York University. He has been married to Laurel Ann Chenet, very often his traveling and photographic companion, since 1966, and they have two grown daughters, Jenn and Emily. Zimmermann worked for 25 years as teacher and administrator in three independent schools, then part time as consultant to such schools—an arrangement allowing even more latitude for photography, writing, and travel. He has served frequently as host or lecturer on the Sierra Madre Express, American Orient Express and later GrandLuxe Express, and as study leader for Smithsonian’s Canada rail trips.

The anchor of Zimmermann’s archive currently at the Center is black-and-white negatives made between 1957 and 1991, when he shifted entirely to color transparencies. Virtually all of the black and whites are 120 2 ¼ by 2 ¼, covering North American railroading from coast-to-coast. Highlights include Canadian Pacific and Canadian National steam operations 1958-1960, Southern short lines in steam (Buffalo Creek & Gauley, Ely Thomas Lumber, East Tennessee & Western North Carolina, Graham County, Mississippian, and Mobile & Gulf), pre Amtrak passenger trains (including extensive coverage of the California Zephyr) as well as early Amtrak, Wellsville, Addison & Galeton, Yakima Valley Transportation, Milwaukee Road electrics, Kennecott Copper in Utah (line haul and pit), late steam lumbering (MacMillian Bloedel, Elk Falls) on Vancouver Island, Utah Railway RSD4’s, extensive Western Maryland (particularly first-generation power in coal country), extensive GG1’s (including unique coverage 4935’s repainting into Raymond Loewy pinstrips), Burlington Northern’s F-unit pushers over Maria’s Pass, the railroad car ferries operating on Lake Michigan, extensive Erie Lackawanna and Lehigh Valley, Bangor & Aroostock BL2’s and F-units, Southern’s F-units and passenger trains, and much else.

In addition there are six significant international components: the last of steam in Western Europe in 1970, focusing particularly on Germany and Portugal but including France and Spain as well; electric operations, including narrow-gauge, in Switzerland in 1977; steam throughout South Africa, also in 1977; and, later, these steam railroads: Brazil’s coal-hauling Dona Teresa Cristina and Argentina’s Rio Turbio, also a coal-hauler, and the Esquel Branch of the Ferrocarril General Roca.

In summary, Zimmermann photographed and chronicled trains
on six continents over a nearly fifty-year career. For more
information, see www.karlzimmermann.com.