Burlington’s Spectacular Steam Program

In the 1950s and 1960s, no railroad could top the steam program of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. The railroad 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 portrayed these trips as the events they were, capturing the power of their locomotives, the pride of their railroaders, and the wonder they inspired. This book presents nearly 100 of his best black-and-white photographs from the collection of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, along with essays and interviews by Norman Carlson and Justin Franz.