Winter 2025: Western Maryland, Chicago’s Field Museum, John Signor, and more

The Winter 2025 issue of Railroad Heritage, our quarterly magazine, is filled with plenty of gifts just in time for the holidays. Inside you’ll find inspiring photography, art, and stories:

A stunning photo essay by Roger Cook and Karl Zimmermann about their 1970s Western Maryland experiences in Williamsport, Maryland;
The surprising connections between railroads and Chicago’s Field Museum, examined by Fred Ash, illustrated by historic photography and beautiful color Illinois Central posters;
Archivist Heather Sonntag interviews John Signor, artist, railroader, and author of western railroading books such as Tehachapi, Donner Pass, and more, and we include eight of his great oil paintings;
The winning images of the 2024 John E. Gruber Creative Photography Awards;
Learn about requesting images from the Center in the “Out of the Archives” column by director of archives & collections Adrienne Evans and reference & processing archivist Gil Taylor;
The 60th anniversary of Japan’s bullet trains, with photos by Victor Hand;
News of exhibitions and events – we’ve already planned several Zoom topics for 2025!

Member-exclusive program: CRP&A Collections Update

Join us Tuesday, December 17, for this members-only presentation! Executive director Scott Lothes will provide an update on the changes we’re making to the Center’s photography collections policy, which will shape future accessions. He’ll share results and takeaways from the recent members survey about our collections work, as well as next steps for 2025.

And of course, we’ll illustrate the program with favorite images from several collections, as well as a few newly processed images.

Registration is CLOSED. If you’re a Center member, email info(a)railphoto-art.org to receive a recorded copy of the presentation later this month.

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

7:00 PM (U.S. Central Time), on Zoom; 5 pm PT / 6 pm MT / 8 pm ET

If you’re not a member, please join today to support our preservation work and receive our quarterly magazine Railroad Heritage, plus access to our members-only Zoom programs.

Western Maryland F7 64 leads an eastbound at Helmstetter’s Curve in Cumberland, Md., on March 23, 1975. Photo by John F. Bjorklund, Bjorklund-92-07-04.

Pennsylvania Railroad 4-6-2 5497 leads an eastbound out of Chicago at 21st Street Tower in October 1950. Photograph by Wallace W. Abbey, Abbey-01-130-05.

Zoom program: Catching up with emerging rail photographers

Join us Tuesday evening, November 12 for “Rails of Inspiration: Past Scholarship Winners and their Railroad Photographer Heroes.” In this Zoom program, you’ll meet three talented young photographers – Eric Hudson, Samuel Phillips, and John Riley – who offer fresh perspectives on railroad photography. All received scholarships several years ago to attend the Center’s annual “Conversations” conference and showcase their work.

This program was recorded and will be posted soon to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@railphotoart

We’re excited to catch up with them on Tuesday, November 12, at 7:00 pm Central Time (8 pm Eastern, 6 pm Mountain, and 5 pm Pacific). Eric, Sam, and John will present their railroad photography from recent years, talk about their heroes, share how the conference inspired them and their hopes for the future. Join our free program at the link below and expect a night of exciting contemporary photography!

Tuesday, November 12, at 7:00 pm Central Time (8 pm Eastern, 6 pm Mountain, and 5 pm Pacific)

Photos (top to bottom): Norfolk Southern’s Virginian heritage unit at Fostoria, OH, by Eric Hudson; CSX in Clinchco, Virginia, by Samuel Phillips; Reading & Northern 2102 at Peacock’s Lock Viaduct outside Reading, PA, by John Riley.

Zoom event: Burlington’s Spectacular Steam Program

Join Norman Carlson and Scott Lothes for a look at the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy’s mid-century steam excursions and a preview of the Center’s upcoming book, Burlington’s Spectacular Steam Program, featuring the photography of John Gruber.

Carlson, railroad historian and CRP&A board member, and Lothes, CRP&A executive director, will host the public Zoom program on Monday, October 7, at 7:00 pm Central Time (8 pm Eastern, 6 pm Mountain, and 5 pm Pacific). The softcover book, scheduled for a November 1 release, is authored by Carlson and Justin Franz, rail journalist and CRP&A board member, with design and editing by Lothes.

View the program now on YouTube.

For steam programs in the 1950s and 1960s, no railroad could compare to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. Lovingly known as the “Q,” the road operated an incredible number of steam-powered fan trips after the rise of diesel locomotives. From July 3, 1955, to July 17, 1966, the Q ran more than 260 steam-powered excursion trains! Heavyweight coaches, stainless steel Vista Dome cars from the California Zephyr pool, suburban bi-level cars, open gondolas, and more could be found on the wildly popular trains.

Among the numerous steam locomotives called upon to power the excursions, CB&Q’s Northern 4-8-4 5632 and Mikado 2-8-2 4960 became beloved celebrities. For many young people, a Q fan trip was their first experience of seeing a steam locomotive in action or riding behind one of them, and it was an eye-opening experience … and also for everyday Americans, who gazed in wonder.

John Gruber, the Center’s principal founder and one of railroading’s great journalists, was there to capture the story on film. Where most fans focused on images that recreated classic steam scenes, Gruber photographed the steam runs as modern cultural events, making the people as much the story as the trains. Join us for a night of spectacular railroad photography and a trip back in time!

Hudson locomotive 3003 performs a photo runby at Barstow, Illinois, during an Illini Railroad Club trip on September 1, 1957. Photo by John Gruber, Gruber-01-71-010.

A boxcar sitting on a siding in Rochelle, Illinois, offered a prime vantage point for photographers of 4960’s trip from Chicago to Rockford, Illinois, for the Illini Railroad Club on August 20, 1961. Photograph by John Gruber, Gruber-03-034-032.

Fall 2024: Railroads & Public Art, Portland’s Switchers, Big Boy, and more

The Fall 2024 issue of Railroad Heritage, our quarterly journal, focuses on the “Art” in the Center’s name. But that’s not all … highlights of this beautiful magazine include:

Railroads and Public Art: From Montana to Texas to New York, Justin Franz looks at creative public art installations that pay tribute to railroads, their people, and their history;
Portland’s Switchers – Railroads and the Art of Place: Kyle Weismann-Yee explores BNSF and Union Pacific urban switch jobs with fifteen years of photographing the back streets and forgotten sidings of Portland, Oregon;
Painting for a Cause: Elrond Lawrence interviews artist Jim Potterton of Santa Cruz, California, whose dynamic artwork celebrates railroads while helping efforts to save a former Southern Pacific line;
A special edition of “Out of the Archives” goes underground with Adrienne Evans and Inga Velten, who show us many of the MTA Arts & Design program installations across New York’s subway system and commuter lines;
Steaming West with the Big Boy: The Center followed UP 4014 across Nevada to California, hosting a special member event in Roseville; Elrond Lawrence takes you along for the fun.

Also: The Art of Trains exhibition in New York City, our fantastic “Conversations” conference in June, the arrival of the Kalmbach Art Collection, Center news, and more!