Tag Archives: John Gruber

Burlington’s Spectacular Steam Program

Now shipping!

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 plus $5 for domestic shipping
  • 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

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 2023: Iconic railroad portraits, Gruber gallery, San Joaquin Valley, and more

The Fall issue of Railroad Heritage, our quarterly magazine for members, is highlighted by great feature articles, news, exhibition and collection updates, and more. Our top stories include:

  • An interview with artist Santiago Michalek, who paints striking portraits of “well used” iconic locomotives;
  • Adrienne Evans’ tips and tricks for using Odyssey, our online collection archive that debuted in June;
  • A gallery of classic John Gruber photos showcases the West Rail Corridor of Madison, Wis.;
  • See the winning images of the John Gruber Creative Photography Awards (plus images liked by the judges);
  • Tom Taylor’s photographic essay covers five decades of railfanning in California’s San Joaquin Valley;
  • Betsy Fahlman’s profile of the haunting 1977 lithograph “Subway Tunnel” by August Mosca;
  • Inga Velten’s interview of Sharon Hill, retired CRP&A bookkeeper, about her ongoing support of the Center and train adventures.

Above, Aboard, and Beyond: Unique Perspectives by Rail

Saturday, November 13, 2021, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm (U.S. Central Time)

Join the CRP&A for an upcoming weekend event on Zoom featuring three fantastic photographers exploring unique perspectives by rail.

Download the program HERE

Jennifer Al-Beik

Finding My Track: Rail Photography as a Creative Outlet

Jennifer Al-Beik shares perspectives as a newcomer to the hobby of railroad photography.

Jennifer Al-Beik is a veterinarian by trade and took up a passion for railroad photography after her son became interested in railroads. As a newcomer to the hobby, Jen now enjoys rail photography as a creative outlet and takes images from both the ground and from the air by drone.

Stacey Evans

Passengers
Glimpse the American landscape from the seat of Amtrak passenger Stacey Evans. Using the train as a moving studio tethered to the earth gliding on a predetermined path, Stacey makes photographs focused on regional similarities and differences while composing how we occupy, shape, and transform the land. Her archive has over 29 train trips in America, plus a few in Scandinavia and France. Over the years, she’s collected various themes ranging from swimming pools, to power supplies, agriculture, intersections, and fading light, to name a few. She will share her unique perspective not accessible by foot, plane, or car.

Stacey Evans grew up in Waynesboro, Virginia, a small town made diverse by its variety and combination of different landscapes – rural, urban, industrial and suburban. Over the years, she has worked to translate her formative visual experiences and demonstrate the role landscapes play within culture. She studied photography at Virginia Commonwealth University and received a BFA in photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She works as an artist, educator, and photographer. She is the Imaging Specialist and Project Coordinator at the University of Virginia Library, a Statewide Educator at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and a resident artist at the McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville. Her artwork is exhibited regionally and nationally.

Scott Lothes

John Gruber: B&W Photography, 1960-1964
Scott Lothes, the executive director and president of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, will share selections and highlights from the illustrious collection of our co-founder John Gruber (1936-2018). John was not only a great rail photographer, but also an author, scholar, grandfather, and staunch champion of other artists as well as the field of railroad photography itself. We have the privileged opportunity to preserve and provide access to his legacy. John’s collection contains over 108,000 images as well as boxes of manuscript materials related to his publishing projects and the founding of the Center. Digitization of John’s collection began in 2020.

 
This event is free.

 

The WJNP (White River Junction to Newport, Vermont) on the Vermont Rail Systems at Norwich, Vermont seen by drone in April 2021. Photograph by Jennifer Al-Beik.

 

Schedule, U.S. Central Time