Burlington’s Spectacular Steam Program

Pre-order now for free shipping! Release expected in November 2024

In the 1950s and 1960s, no railroad could top the steam program of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. The “Q”—as its many admirers affectionately knew it—operated more than 260 steam trips that carried more than 100,000 riders and left impressions on countless more trackside admirers. With well-honed photojournalistic sensibilities, John E. Gruber covered at least twenty-seven of these trips, portraying them as the events they were while capturing the power of their locomotives, the pride of their railroaders, and the wonder they inspired.

This softcover book presents nearly 100 of Gruber’s best black-and-white Burlington steam photographs, drawing from the 3,000 negatives he exposed while riding and chasing them. The lead essay by Norm Carlson draws on his first-hand experience with Burlington steam trips and his wide network of fellow enthusiasts who shared their memories. Additional text by Justin Franz provides background about the two principal locomotives, 4960 and 5632, and the poignant last run from Chicago to Denrock, Illinois, on July 17, 1966. Scott Lothes served as editor, selecting the photographs and writing captions.

$30 with free domestic shipping through November 30, 2024
Softcover, 8.5×11 inches, 80 pages, 98 photographs and two essays
International shipping is available; please inquire by email at info [at] railphoto-art.org

See a YouTube preview of the book with Scott Lothes and Norm Carlson.

Cover photo: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy locomotive 5632 draws a crowd of admirers in West Burlington, Iowa, during a trip sponsored by the Illini Railroad Club on September 29, 1963. Photograph by John E. Gruber

Coloring the NYC Subway Map

Tuesday, January 9, 2024
12:00 p.m. (U.S. Central Time), on Zoom
Please note the time change from our usual programming hours

This program will be posted to our YouTube page in late January.

Peter Lloyd will explore the coloring of subway lines within New York City’s subway system, reaching as far back as 1904. His exploration will uncover the historical color choices made by key mapmakers and shed light on some of the innovative color schemes that never officially graced the map.

With a longstanding dedication to researching the history and design of NYC subway maps, Lloyd published the book Vignelli: Transit Map in 2012, drawing insights from interviews with figures like Massimo Vignelli and Joan Charysyn. Future volumes are in the works to comprehensively document the evolution of the NYC subway map since its inception. In his professional life, Lloyd serves as a software developer and is based in Inverness, Scotland.

This event is free.
This presentation will be recorded and be made available on our YouTube page, www.youtube.com/railphotoart

“New York City Subway.” MTA, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Dec. 2023, new.mta.info/node/5256.

CRP&A Member Exclusive: Inside the Jim Shaughnessy Collection

Tuesday, December 12, 2023
7:00 p.m. (U.S. Central Time), on Zoom
Registration closes at 4 pm CT on Monday, December 11

Registration Closed
CRP&A members can request the recording link at info@railphoto-art.org

Join us for an end-of-year special! The Center caps off 2023 with a long-awaited dive into the Jim Shaughnessy collection. Acquired in late 2019, the Center, led by processing archivist Natalie Krecek, has been diligently digitizing the 90,000-image collection. This December, we will sit down with Natalie and CRP&A board members Jeff Brouws and Kevin Keefe to discuss themes from Jim’s collection and the larger legacy of his career. Don’t miss it!

Join us on Tuesday, December 12, at 7 pm Central (5 pm PT / 6 pm MT / 8 pm ET) for this exciting program! The event will be recorded and made available to members upon request.

Help us celebrate the end of the year by supporting our mission. Your generosity makes programs like this possible, and we can’t wait to share this unforgettable event with you!

This event is open to members of the CRP&A

Join Today! Become a member here

Jim Shaughnessy with Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad steam locomotive no. 494, in Chama, New Mexico, August 24, 1957. Photograph by Jim Shaughnessy, collection of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, Shaughnessy-N-DRGW-0465

A snowy evening view of a worker swinging a lantern beside a “Boston & Maine E7 #3801 and passenger train, Troy, New York, 1958.” Photograph by Jim Shaughnessy, collection of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, Shaughnessy-N-BM-0239

Expand your creativity: Apply for a scholarship at Conversations 2024!

Conversations, the Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s annual conference, is coming back to Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois, on the weekend of June 14-16, 2024. Explore past conferences here.

Conference scholarships are available to younger and/or emerging photographers and visual artists. They are available to individuals creating photography or other visual art focusing on rail-related subjects, who meet at least one of the following requirements:

Under the age of 30 at the time of application
Enrolled in an institution of higher learning, in a program relating to fine arts
Have less than five years of experience in the field of visual arts

The conference scholarship is designed to support artists who would otherwise be unable to attend. Even better, you’ll have the opportunity to show your work to fellow photographers, artists, editors, and rail community leaders … and get inspired yourself! Details below.

Scholarship recipient Steven Chen presents his photography at Conversations 2023. Photograph by Elrond Lawrence

An ideal applicant will demonstrate:

Thoughtful, creative work in photography or other visual arts with rail-related subject matter
How attending the conference will support their development as a visual artist
Financial need
Volunteer experience

Successful applicants will receive:

Up to $400 in travel reimbursements
Free admission to the conference
Meals provided at the conference venue
Two nights of lodging at the conference hotel
A platform to present your work in a short presentation
The opportunity to meet and learn from industry greats

Application process

Applications will only be accepted electronically.

Please submit the following to info@railphoto-art.org

A short (500 words max) introductory statement that describes:
- The artist’s medium (i.e. photography, oil painting, etc.)
- Any training, experience, or influences that have contributed to the applicant’s development
- A description of the applicant’s past projects and/or special achievements
- How the applicant feels they would benefit from attendance
- Contact information including, name, phone number, and email address

Up to 10 sample images
- In an email attachment, or
- In a linked social media account where the applicant’s work can be viewed

Conference attendees at the Friday reception at Conversations 2023. Photograph by Elrond Lawrence

About the Center:

The Center for Railroad Photography & Art (www.railphoto-art.org | @railphotoart) is America’s foremost organization for interpreting the intersection of railroad art and culture with America’s history and culture. The Center has achieved that status through successful publications (especially its quarterly journal, Railroad Heritage), exhibitions, conferences, and an awards program, all of which showcase the best of railroad photography and art in ways that enhance understanding of railroad history, technology, and artistry.

Founded in 1997, the Center works with photographers, artists, writers, and historians across the country, although its home is in Madison, Wisconsin. The Center does not maintain its museum or archive space, but instead collaborates with other institutions.

About the Conference:

The conference is the nation’s premier venue for presentations on railroad art and photography. The three-day event is held on the picturesque campus of Lake Forest College, just thirty miles north of Chicago. Attendees include active railroad photographers and artists, magazine editors, industry leaders, and scholars from wide backgrounds. Past presenters include photographers David Plowden and Lina Bertucci, railroad executive Henry Posner III, writers such as novelist Linda Niemann and Washington Post transportation columnist Don Phillips, and curators Ian Kennedy of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Anne M. Lyden of the J. Paul Getty Museum, and Ashlee Whitaker of the Brigham Young University Museum of Art.

Parallel Tracks: Steinheimer, Silicon Valley, and Steel Rails

Tuesday, November 14, 2023
7:00 p.m. (U.S. Central Time), on Zoom

View this presentation on our YouTube page.

Join Ken Rehor and Elrond Lawrence for a special program that examines the untold story of Richard Steinheimer and his professional photography. While his groundbreaking approach to railroad photography influenced generations of railfans and artists, what is less well-known is Steinheimer’s prolific professional career.

His railfan and professional photographic experiences heavily influenced one another throughout his life. As a teenager, Steinheimer’s train-watching led him to train photography, which in turn led him to photojournalism school. Stein’s initial career as a newspaper photojournalist inspired him to capture the human side of railroading. His transition into the nascent world of high-tech corporate photography opened a new universe of creativity. He not only photographed the emerging science of semiconductors but also invented many new photographic techniques and equipment. While he was documenting the formation of Silicon Valley and the birth of microprocessors, he was also capturing the end of a railroad era with articles in Trains magazine and his seminal book, “Backwoods Railroads of the West.”

In the third phase of his career, Stein merged his lifelong experiences in photography and trains to focus on the commercial side of railroading, fully embracing color slide film and an adventurous new style that nonetheless remained inherently Steinheimer. Lifelong devotees Rehor and Lawrence will explore Stein’s parallel tracks of his passions for railroads and creative photography.

This free presentation was recorded and can be viewed on our YouTube page, www.youtube.com/railphotoart.

Early Gallium Arsenide LED, April 1969

Stein on assignment for Southern Pacific, Donner Pass 1990