egyptian_t his treasured collection features rosters shots, location scenes, and collected materials from PRESERVATION efforts around the country, especially railroad museums and operating tourist-hauling railroads. Museums large and small are featured, and the list of operating tourist railroads is always growing. Also expanding is our collection of scale-riding railroads and rail parks or trails. We appreciate so very much all the foresight and hard work so many have contributed to preserve so many specimens of equipment and treasured locations and structures. We hope to do our small part by documenting more and more of these efforts every year. Regardless of the mode of transportation — but especially trains and trolleys — the Hawkins clan never passes up a great museum or a ride!

paritius_w henever a photographer takes a railroad picture — no matter what the subject — that photographer becomes a railroad preservationist. And, whenever a train enthusiast reflects on a railroad picture, "reading" it for information and insights, that enthusiast becomes a railroad preservationist. Whenever a member of the general public sees a railroad image in print or on a big or little screen and makes a memory of it, that memory makes John Q. and Jane Q. Public railroad preservationists. The word "preservation" generates responses from rail enthusiasts that range from "hip, hip, hooray" to "well, okay" to "why bother" — enthusiasm to indifference to animosity. But like it or not, if you like railroads and images of them, then you are behaving like a railroad preservationist. You believe that railroad equipment, infrastructure, physical and work environments, and the impact of all of these on American society are valuable. You believe railroads merit creation of a visual record of their existence over time. And you believe that pictures can help — indeed, may be an essential ingredient — in their preservation.

Center for Railroad Photography & Art

Featured


Museums


Southern Preservation

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egyptian ook Ahead Look South. has been a fan of the mighty Southern Railway system since the 1940s, when as a kid John would watch the streamlined Southerner come and go from his native New Orleans. Much later, Ralph came of age on high-hood road switchers in Southern tuxedo stripes. As such, we've assembled a large Southern fallen flag scrapbook over in our Mainlines pages and a Southern Shortlines collection as well. Here in this Preservation section, we've gathered together all our scrapbooks for museums and tourist haulers with significant connections to the Southern. Some preserve Southern equipment; others inhabit former Southern facilities or operate on Southern lines. Whatever the connection, enjoy these Preservation links. And remember: "Southern Serves the South."

Tourist Lines


Rebel Routes

Preservation
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Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Illinois Central Illinois Central Gulf

egyptianur roots are firmly planted in the Deep South — especially in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. As such, we've always had a keen interest in the southern ends of the Gulf Mobile & Ohio and Illinois Central north-south mainlines. This interest includes rails-to-trails projects that preserve their right-of-ways and museums or tourist operations with significant pieces of preserved equipment. That's why we've gathered here all our preservation materials related to our Rebel Routes family tree collection in Mainlines. Welcome aboard!


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See also our Rebel Routes featured Mainlines and Shortlines collections


Scale Riding

Parks and Trails


Rocky Mountain Preservation

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egyptian here's nothing else quite like railroading in the breathtaking Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Pikes Peak cogs. Vista Dome views. Narrow gauge steam. Rails through valleys and tunnels, following flowing rivers and climbing steep summits. Team has enjoyed two major forays into the Centenital state: The first was the summer of 1959, when John and Lucile celebrated a year of marriage by driving from NOLA to the Rockies, seeing all the sights, and riding the slim steel in the waning days of scheduled steam. In May of 2023, Ralph and Ella celebrated her high school graduation with 3 wonderful weeks of train riding, museum visiting, and 2700 miles of campervan traveling through the territories of the Denver Rio Grande & Western, the Rio Grande Southern, and many other mountain roads. Gathered below are all our Preservation scrapbooks featuring photos and materials from tourist haulers and railroad collections around the Colorado Rockies. To borrow a line from Mr. Denver, "We climbed cathedral mountains, we saw silver clouds below. We saw everything as far as you can see." Enjoy our Rocky Mountain ties!

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Model Railroads

Events

Links