Find us on Facebook Hal Carstens
Railfan for Life
Enjoy a rich journey across the American railroading landscape through the lens of Hal Carstens!
NEWS AND OTHER STUFF WE THOUGHT OF Conversations 2015
Western Pacifi c’s fi nal quartet of F-units was known as the “Fab Four,” but a new WP Fab Four was present at the “Conversations” conference hosted by the Center For Railroad Photography & Art on April 11, 2015. Dale Sanders, Dick Dorn, Ted Benson, and Dave Stanley presented black & white imagery from their new book 72-82: Western Pacifi c’s Final Decade as part of the program. The book is published by White River Productions. STEVE BARRY PHOTOS
In this all-new collection, you’ll enjoy more than 100 pages of color photos selected by our editors spanning Hal’s trackside adventures from the last sixty years. From coast to coast, from steam to diesel (and trolleys, too), from main lines to short lines and everything in between!
HARDCOVER Item CRS-RFLH SOFTCOVER $34.95 $ 19.95 Item CRS-RFLS
Plus shipping & handling. Call or email for rates.
You won’t want to miss this special collection, order your copy today!
877-787-2467 TOLL-FREE 816-285-6560 NON-US
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EACH SPRING I LOOK FORWARD to the annual Center for Railroad Photography & Art con- ference at Lake Forest College in north Chi- cagoland (this year held April 10-12). If you create or enjoy fine railroad photography and art, it is, as Alex Craghead once explained, a wonderful gathering of mentors and col- leagues. Some have cast this event as an ex- cuse for academics to pat themselves on their tweed-jacketed backs and use a lot of elegant language to impress each other. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Aside from the beautiful college campus setting, CRPA’s annual “Conversations” puts creativity first and foremost, while opening up new horizons to veterans and newcomers alike. This year would mark my seventh confer-
ence visit, and my sixth as a show volunteer. My trip began with an around-midnight de- parture from Rochester, N.Y., aboard Am- trak’s Lake Shore Limited. I made my way to the dining car for Railroad French Toast served aboard Heritage Diner No. 8528 (ex-Southern Pacific No. 10213, built by Budd in 1950). Arrival in Chicago was about an hour off the advertised. I gathered up past presenter Frank Barry, conference scholar- ship attendee Brandon Townley, and pre- senter Justin Franz at the rental car counter. After a brief stop at Des Plaines Hobbies and lunch at Culver’s, we headed for Lake Forest. We arrived early to help with set up for the
evening dinner reception. Once again I was greeted by old friends and quickly made new ones as we all caught up with one another. Following dinner, presenter Axel Zwingen- berger took the stage to present “Boogie-Woo- gie Piano Music and its Railroad Influences.” Aside from being an active railway preserva- tionist and creative photographer, Zwingen-
berger is also considered to be one of the fin- est blues and boogie-woogie musicians in the world. Born in Hamburg, Germany, he has been touring internationally and recording since 1975. Zwingenberger explained the con- nection between railroads and boogie-woogie, how the time signature and notes match the cadence of a steam-powered train. We were then treated to several performances of old classics and original compositions, including several encores that brought the house down. Still wound up from the evening perfor-
mance, several of us made our way to join Axel at the local watering hole to continue the conversation about his work. I was fascinat- ed to learn how he was able to help preserve not only German steam locomotives, but also many pieces of vintage passenger equipment. Like all projects, it takes a little time, a little money, and a lot of luck. The next morning, Jeff Mast and Mike Valentine presented “A Journey into Photo Charters,” detailing their experiences photo- graphing the preserved narrow gauge lines of the west. Enjoying opportunities staged and spontaneous, the primary draw is also the camaraderie. Next, Diane Bacha, publisher of Trains and Classic Trains magazines, intro- duced their latest project titled Great Ameri- can Railroad Stories. The book is a collection gathered from the pages of Trains magazine from the last 75 years of publication. Ron Fla- nary, Don Hofsommer, Don Phillips, Trains magazine editor Jim Wrinn, and Joel Jensen all read passages from their stories. Collector and art historian Peter Mosse
brought us into “The World of Railroad Paint- ings: 175 Years, 25 Countries.” Illustrated by colorful examples from his personal collec- tion, Mosse explained changes in style and
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