From spectacular Rio Grande photography in Colorado to the 24-mile Mississippian Railway and much more, Railroad Heritage has something for everyone! The Winter 2026 issue of our quarterly member magazine is arriving in mailboxes the first week of December. Highlights include:
- Railroads and the Art of Place: Dale Sanders explores a spectacular piece of railroad in northwestern Colorado as only he can: the Denver & Rio Grande Western’s looping and rugged climb out of the Colorado River Valley to Toponas, where during the 1980s and 1990s he photographed heavy coal trains navigating impressive engineering and evocative terrain.
- Mississippian Railway: An anonymous story submission joins with a selection of J. Parker Lamb photographs to create a fond look back at a 24-mile, family-run short line in the South.
- Because of Trains: Justin Franz profiles railroad artist Nathaniel Emerson, whose exciting paintings keep the age of steam alive in vibrant color; his story is accompanied by a selection of Nathaniel’s works in all their glory.
- Railfans, and Everyone Else: Oren Helbok shares some of his most memorable encounters—and how they’ve helped him expand his thinking about railroad photography—in his story about the people he’s met while chasing trains.
- Out of the Archives: Adrienne Evans recaps her late-summer trip to southern California for the annual Society of American Archivists conference. She shares her takeaways about AI as well as her experience attending the Center’s latest “Chat” meetup in Fullerton.
- Dispatches: Elrond Lawrence shares a story and pictures from the Fullerton “Chat” event with members and supporters, while Lisa Hardy writes about the Center’s first-ever dinner train event hosted by the Illinois Railway Museum in conjunction with two of our traveling exhibitions.
Plus news, a book review, memorials, book sale, and more! If you’re not a member, join today and get four issues a year.
