Railfan & Railroad
This magazine, which celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2006, serves the interests of people in the railroad community, whether as an employee, a fan, or a traveler. It offers opinion pieces, news, features, and reviews on all aspects of railroading past and present. My contributions include:
On the Menu: A regular column that reports on the nearly 100 dinner trains operating in North America, depicts rail dining experiences from the past - everything from the Harvey Girls to feeding troops on trains in World War II, profiles the many interesting railroad chefs who produce culinary magic while working in a small kitchen and on a tight schedule - and who are moving at the same time, and describes contemporary rail dining experiences. For each June's issue the column is expanded into a center pull-out travel-planner that lists all the dinner trains operating in North America.
Site Guide to American Railroad History: An annual feature that visits a location where American railroad history took place, that, as a result, had an impact on the course of American history, and is extant. Such sites include Honesdale, Pennsylvania, where the first steam locomotive in North America went into operation (1829), Branchville, South Carolina, where the first interchange between two railroads occurred (1840), and North Adams, Massachusetts, at the west end of the 5-mile long Hoosac Tunnel, 25 years in the building, where trains still pass through the Berkshire Mountains (1876).
Portraits of Railroading: This is a celebration of the work of artists who portray railroading, from motive power to trains in operation, infrastructure that includes bridges, stations, and yards, and the people who keep the trains moving. Each feature offers twelve works of art on a selected theme, each by a different artist, with brief commentary on both the art and the artist.