Summer 2025: Canadian streamliners, Chicago Union Station at 100, and more

Canadian streamliners, Chicago Union Station’s 100th anniversary, and Amtrak trains skirting Long Island Sound headline the latest issue of Railroad Heritage, the Center’s quarterly member magazine. Inside you’ll find:

Trans-Canadian Classics: Seventy years after their debut, Justin Franz spotlights two of North America’s most famous passenger trains, Canadian Pacific’s Canadian and Canadian National’s Super Continental, accompanied by spectacular photographs from the Center’s archive—including gems by Ronald C. Hill, Victor Hand, Jim Shaughnessy, J. Parker Lamb, Henry Posner III, and John Bjorklund.
A City of a Station: A striking black-and-white photographic essay celebrating Chicago Union Station’s centennial year featuring images from the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Thrill to classic scenes in and around the station, with trains from the Pennsylvania Railroad, Burlington, Milwaukee Road, Amtrak, and more. It’s headlined by in-depth portrayals by John Gruber and Wallace Abbey, with additional images by Jim Shaughnessy and Victor Hand, plus an essay by Scott Lothes.
Railroads and the Art of Place: Al Crossley takes us to southeastern Connecticut’s Rocky Neck State Park along Long Island Sound, where the trains of Amtrak and Connecticut DOT pass through a beautiful, tranquil shoreline beloved by beachgoers, joggers, wildlife—and railfans.
In her “Out of the Archives” column, Adrienne Evans dives into the latest addition to the John Gruber Collection: 228 19th century photographs made by traveling railcar studios that brought photography to the masses along the nascent U.S. rail network between 1858 through 1920.
Conversations 2025: Coverage of this year’s annual conference and its amazing presentations, with plenty of photos from the May 16-18 weekend.
The Extra Ingredient—People: Inga Velten interviews rail preservationist, art collector, and Center supporter John Atherton.
The Kalmbach Art Collection exhibition in Milwaukee, a tribute to the late J. Parker Lamb, and new staff member Shelby Shull … plus more news.

Become a Center member today to get four issues a year!

Zoom program: Railroad promotional filmmaking with Nick Ozorak

Save the date to join us Tuesday, June 17, 2025, for Nick Ozorak’s presentation, “The Art of Railroad Promotional Filmmaking,” a free public Zoom program.

As with other forms of railroad advertising media, filmmaking is its own art. Nick Ozorak has been creating videos for nearly 20 years. His projects include creating the relaunch trailer for the East Broad Top Railroad in Pennsylvania, developing a business showcase for the Iowa Interstate Railroad, and promoting various track rehabilitation programs. He has documented parts of railroading that often go overlooked, such as maintenance of way crews and machinery, and obscure short lines in remote locations. Nick will share samples of his work and discuss his approach to visual storytelling as a means of helping railroads establish their narrative and accomplish their goals.

Tuesday, June 17, at 7:00 P.M. (U.S. Central Time); 8 pm Eastern / 6 pm Mountain / 5 pm Pacific

Register Here

Pictured (from top):

Two eastbound Iowa Interstate trains await their turn on the main line at South Amana, IA on September 10, 2021. The railroad constructed a yard and locomotive facility at this location for servicing its fleet of GEVO locomotives. Note the Rock Island heritage unit on the left train.

A conductor walks to line the switches for a Panhandle Northern Railway freight train at Panhandle, TX on October 13, 2021. The PNR hauls commodities for gasoline, fertilizer, and carbon industries in Borger, Texas, and interchanges with BNSF in Panhandle.

A scene from the video “trailer” announcing the East Broad Top’s Foundation launch and the rebirth of the historic steam railroad. See the video here.

Zoom program: Tracking the Long Island Rail Road with Joe Stroppel

Long Island photographer Joe Stroppel will share spectacular scenes from his adventures growing up along the tracks of the Long Island Rail Road, the busiest commuter railroad in North America.

Joe’s photography will include captures of a variety of equipment — from fast, new M7 & M9 electric trains to 1970s-delivered MP15AC-hauled work trains plodding along the rails. You’ll also enjoy dramatic weather conditions, historic LIRR landmarks, and some of the most beautiful scenery the Island has to offer. Branch lines prominently featured will be the Main Line, Oyster Bay Branch (where Joe grew up), and the Montauk Branch, though there will be various other selections of interesting LIRR locations taken from Joe’s portfolio.

“The Route of the Dashing Commuter” is a fascinating operation in a hard-to-access location for many railroad photographers … the traffic over NYC’s bridges is absolutely devastating at rush hour, which is unfortunately when the LIRR puts on its most exciting show! Joe hopes to share some of the railroad’s most interesting characteristics for those who haven’t yet experienced it.

Tuesday, April 8, at 7:00 P.M. (U.S. Central Time); 5 pm PT / 6 pm MT / 8 pm ET

This program was recorded and will be posted soon on our YouTube page at @railphotoart

Pictured:

“Colorful Wilds”: During peak leaf peeping season on Long Island’s East End, a train bracketed by EMD DM30ACs rockets through the gorgeous Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley, NY. The two dual mode engines are flying eastward with 8710, an express service to Montauk.

“Twilight at Jay”: Fresh snow has just fallen on the morning of January 7, 2022. During the evening rush hour, in gorgeous twilight, a train of Bombardier M7s snakes past JAY tower and over the flyover in Jamaica, Queens. The flaming switch heaters below the train and the mountain-like purple clouds above greatly enhance the beauty of the scene.

Member-exclusive program: John Gruber’s rolling studios collection

Join us for our next members-only webinar, focused on the latest addition to the John Gruber Collection: portraits and stereographs produced in specially equipped rail photo cars that traveled the burgeoning U.S. railroad system during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Fascinated for decades by what he called “rolling studios,” CRP&A founder John Gruber researched and published multiple times about the topic, and amassed more than 200 period examples of rail photo car photography during his life. After processing Gruber’s collected images, and researching the photo cars as well as their operators, collections team members Adrienne Evans and Jordan Craig are ready to share insights into these nomadic photographers of the railroad and the mediums with which they worked. You won’t want to miss this webinar – register today!

Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 7:00 pm Central Time (8pm Eastern, 6pm Mountain, and 5pm Pacific)

This program was recorded and will be made available to CRP&A members. Please email info(a)railphoto-art.org.

Not a Center member, or haven’t yet renewed? Visit our website at this link. Your support makes our work possible!

Group portrait featuring a horse-drawn sleigh loaded with several men standing on the platform, bundled in winter coats and hats, in front of a railway car marked “J. A. Ennors [Palace Car]” and advertising “Photos and Views” on its side. From the John Gruber Collection, Gruber-SC-02-42-01.

A portrait of three young children standing against a plain backdrop on a patterned carpet. Mount text transcription: “Hutchins, Railroad Photo. Car.” From the John Gruber Collection, Gruber-SC-02-36-02.

Zoom program: Chip and Leslie Savoye’s 50-year love for trains

Join the Center on Tuesday, February 25, for “I Love Trains: Our Journey Over 50 Years,” an evening webinar with Chip and Leslie Savoye, accomplished railroaders and photographers, as they share their lifelong love of trains and their wonderful photography.

Leslie holds groundbreaking achievements in the railroad industry: she was the first female locomotive engineer for the Chicago and North Western (C&NW) and later became the first female road foreman for Amtrak. Over her distinguished career, Leslie worked for nine different railroads. Chip began as a locomotive engineer for Penn Central and Conrail, and advanced through various leadership roles including road foreman, trainmaster, superintendent, director, and vice president of operations. Today they are principles at Iron Horse Consulting, LLC, where they provide professional transportation services to the railroad industry.

View the program at our YouTube page (@railphotoart): https://youtu.be/AYhrNTS1mm4

Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 7:00 pm Central Time (8 pm Eastern, 6 pm Mountain, and 5 pm Pacific)

Chip and Leslie are also breeders of dual champion wirehair Dachshunds (both in the field and ring). They love travel, sports, tennis, biking, and of course railroad photography. Viewers will be given a front row seat to Chip & Leslie’s favorite images from their adventures together. You don’t want to miss this presentation!

This free program will be recorded and posted on the Center’s YouTube page at @railphotoart

Pictured: Images by Chip and Leslie Savoye from their presentation.