Center for Railroad Photography & Art

Home
United States
Madison, WI
Center for Railroad Photography & Art

Directions Website Contact the organization

A member-supported nonprofit that preserves and presents significant railroad photography & art.

10/20/2026

A reproduction exhibit of the Kalmbach Art Collection is now at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, beginning today. Thirty-four images from the 56-image collection were digitally reproduced for the Depot Museum exhibition, which will continue through August 31, 2027.

10/15/2026

The crew of National Railways of Mexico locomotive 2209, a former Nickel Plate Road 2-8-2, poses with their engine at Zacatecas, Mexico, on August 17, 1961. They were working in helper service for southward freight trains climbing the grade. Photo by Ted Rose (Rose-01-092-01)

Mexican railway photography will be the subject of Scott Lothes’s upcoming Zoom presentation in November. Watch for more details soon!

10/12/2026

Welcome to Stefan Loeb, the newest member of the Center's board of directors! To celebrate, here’s a photo by his favorite railroad photographer, Richard Steinheimer, of Southern Pacific SD9E 4319 on Donner Pass, in tunnel 7 east of Norden, Cal., one of his favorite places. We're excited to work with you!
(Steinheimer-Burman-M-106)

10/09/2026

Milwaukee-area fans of railroad photography: save the date for a gallery night event at the Grohmann Museum in downtown Milwaukee, on Friday, October 16 from 5-9pm. A gallery talk will begin at 6:30 p.m. with Lina Bertucci and Cindy Angelos, the first women to work in the Milwaukee Road yards.

Lina Bertucci was hired by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1974 as a brakeman (brakewoman). She was only the second woman to work in the Milwaukee Road yards, following her aunt, Cindy Angelos. Both entered training on the same day; through ambition and optimism, they settled in by demonstrating full competence in their many challenges.

Bertucci arrived armed with her camera in her bag, at first hoping to simply fit in, to be respected as more than just the “girl with the camera.” Before long, she was accepted by most of her colleagues and set about chronicling her experience and daily toil, and did so for three years, until the Milwaukee filed for bankruptcy in 1977.

Bertucci’s work resurfaces for this special display of an important part of Milwaukee’s industrial history and a woman’s impact on art and industry. See info in comments.

10/07/2026

Join the Center for a spooky October 13th program ... as we enjoy author Odds Bodkin's 1995 children's book "The Banshee Train" with a reading by new Editorial Associate Justin Franz. Bodkin's supernatural railroad story was illustrated by artist Ted Rose, whose beautiful work will be highlighted during the show.
In this one-time-only event, Franz will begin with a brief look at the lore of ghost trains before reading this beloved story. He will conclude with a look at some of our favorite ghostly railroad images from the CRP&A archive! Register in comments.

Note: This event will NOT be posted on the Center's YouTube channel.

10/05/2026

Like a scene out of Lawrence of Arabia, a Santa Fe freight marches across the Mojave Desert in the mid-1970s, photographed by Richard Steinheimer. The September Zoom presentation on "Stein's" Needles District and Cajon Pass photography is now available to view at the Center's YouTube page at . Link in comments.

10/02/2026

Here It Is! After several delays by the post office, the Fall issue of Railroad Heritage is arriving in members' mailboxes. The cover story examines Route 66 and railroad photography across all eight states, especially the southwest, authored by Elrond Lawrence for the Mother Road's centennial in November. Let us know when you get your copy!

Also: stories on painting Cass Scenic Railroad Shays, the winners of the "Water" photo awards, Seattle's monorail murals, news, and an update on the Center's work to accept born-digital photography collections. See comments.

09/29/2026

Then and now scenes from the Center's latest online article, "Northwest Synchronicity." Scott Lothes shares photographs from his trip through the Northwest in June 2026 ... standing in the footsteps of great railroad photographers who had visited many of the same places. Enjoy images from the CRP&A's John Bjorklund, Victor Hand, and John Illman collections.
Link in comments!

09/27/2026

Thirty-two years ago on Raton Pass: A Santa Fe Railway intermodal train, led by B40-8W 556, rounds a bend near Gallinas, New Mexico, on September 27, 1994. Sister warbonnet 537 has been restored by the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America shops in Silvis, Illinois; it powered a RRHMA "Liberty Rocket" excursion train today in Illinois. Photo by Stan Kistler (Kistler-05-19-10).

09/22/2026

For the first time, a photograph from the Center's archive is featured on the cover of Trains Magazine: Karl Zimmermann's striking image of the 20th Century Limited. Inside the October 2026 issue are twelve pages of classic trains in New York State, drawn from CRP&A collections. Link in comments.

Address

1930 Monroe Street, Suite 301
Madison, WI
53711

Website

https://railphoto-art.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Center for Railroad Photography & Art posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Center for Railroad Photography & Art:

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Madison?