About the Collection
Richard Steinheimer (1929-2011) was a pioneer in railroad photography. He documented the U.S. railroad’s heyday and the transition from steam locomotives to diesel. The Richard Steinheimer Photograph Collection, held by DeGolyer Library, spans the period from his early work in 1946 to 1970, and includes many photographic prints and approximately 14,000 negatives.
Steinheimer’s work did not just consist of common locomotive mug shots. His photography was highly artistic and creative, still records of time and place. Called the "Ansel Adams of railroad photography" he was known for taking pictures at night, in bad weather, and from the top of moving trains. He had a particular fondness for the U.S. West, and many of his images place trains in that untamed landscape. Steinheimer’s work has been published in "Trains Magazine," "Railfan," "Locomotive and Railway Preservation," and "Vintage Rail," and in more than 70 books. From 1948 through 2001, "Trains Magazine" published more than 400 of Steinheimer’s photographs.