A comprehensive survey of master railroad photographer Jim Shaughnessy’s images of the railroad in North America in the transitional era from steam locomotives to diesel- powered engines
Jim Shaughnessy is an essential witness to six decades of change in North American railroading, from the late 1940s into the twenty-first century. His photographic achievement is one of the pinnacles of railroad photography as a genre, which he, along with others of his generation, raised to the level of art, worthy of consideration beyond the world of trains and the interest of rail fans.The early years of his career coincided with the dramatic shift in the railroad industry from the steam locomotive to the diesel engine. During those transition years of the 1940s and 1950s, Shaughnessy was there to record every nuance and every detail with uncommon insight and unrelenting dedication. Shaughnessy loved steam, but he also embraced diesel. It was a period of transition, and it would only happen once, and he made the most of it, for he understood that he was a witness to history.
Born and raised in Troy, New York, a city with a deep industrial heritage rooted in iron and steel, Shaughnessy began by documenting the railroad scene in the Northeastern United States. His interests and travels also took him to other areas of the country to document the Rio Grande narrow gauge in Colorado and the Union Pacific Big Boys in Wyoming, and into Canada and Mexico as well.
Shaughnessy distinguished himself from the previous generation of railroad photographers by thinking more photographically and exploring the creative potential of the medium, challenging the conservative vision that had dominated railroad photography through to mid-century. This led him to see beyond the trains themselves to visually interpret the industrial and cultural landscape through which they moved. And so he documented the railroad environment, set within village, town, and city as well as rural and wilderness landscapes. He not only photographed the trains and locomotives, but contextualized the railroad by depicting the personnel, the infrastructure, and architecture, documenting for posterity the workers behind the machines that operated in the depots, roundhouses, and back shops. He captured a sense of place and time in astutely observed moments during both day and night in all seasons. Particularly striking are his images of trains at night―as author and historian Lucius Beebe once described Shaughnessy’s work, “He was master in the massive effects of black and white.”
Drawn from a lifetime’s work and an archive of some 60,000 images, the principal focus of this revealing new book is on the decades of the 1950s and 1960s, perhaps the most dynamic era of North American railroading. 150 duotone illustrations
Reviews (48)
My dad LOVES this book
I bought this for my dad for Father's Day. He's been a model train enthusiast for decades. He's also a photographer, so purchasing this book was a no-brainer. Though I haven't seen him in months due to COVID, he told me he really enjoys it.
Great for a Train Lover
Every year I panic deciding what to get my dad for his birthday and christmas. I bought this on a whim and hopped for the best. GUESS WHAT, it was his favorite gift! He sat in his chair all night and read it. My dad is a huge on trains, by the way. He has multiple HQ model train rooms. So him liking the book I take a s a serious win! Plus, it looks beautiful on the coffee table.
Beautiful Pictures
We got this book for our grandson because he loves the railroads. He was so excited to have this book. The pics are wonderfully taken and displayed. He sat for hours with the book and my daughter said he even took it to bed with him.. Guess he liked the gift, LOL! Great Job!
Five Stars
Large format book with impressive photo reproduction.
Nice gift
Gift for my dad who loves trains He was very thrilled to receive the book which is hardcover Great gift for a train lover
Great pix of the good ol' days of railroading...
Nancy's husband (Al, the train nut) is writing this review. Jim Shaughnessy and Phil Hastings were the best of the rail photographers when it comes to capturing New England railroading. This book is a rich testament to the ability of Jim to reveal all the glory of railroads both in New England and elsewhere.
Five Stars
The photography and the subjects are superb. Lots of historical locations and trains are shown.
Great Read
Great information and pictures
Five Stars
Great book by a great author.
Many editorial errors in captions accompanying photos.
Very disappointed in this book. Great Railroad photographer reduced to have name associated with the poorly captioned (and many editorial errors) book. Seems to me to be published just for the money! Do not buy this book.
My dad LOVES this book
I bought this for my dad for Father's Day. He's been a model train enthusiast for decades. He's also a photographer, so purchasing this book was a no-brainer. Though I haven't seen him in months due to COVID, he told me he really enjoys it.
Great for a Train Lover
Every year I panic deciding what to get my dad for his birthday and christmas. I bought this on a whim and hopped for the best. GUESS WHAT, it was his favorite gift! He sat in his chair all night and read it. My dad is a huge on trains, by the way. He has multiple HQ model train rooms. So him liking the book I take a s a serious win! Plus, it looks beautiful on the coffee table.
Beautiful Pictures
We got this book for our grandson because he loves the railroads. He was so excited to have this book. The pics are wonderfully taken and displayed. He sat for hours with the book and my daughter said he even took it to bed with him.. Guess he liked the gift, LOL! Great Job!
Five Stars
Large format book with impressive photo reproduction.
Nice gift
Gift for my dad who loves trains He was very thrilled to receive the book which is hardcover Great gift for a train lover
Great pix of the good ol' days of railroading...
Nancy's husband (Al, the train nut) is writing this review. Jim Shaughnessy and Phil Hastings were the best of the rail photographers when it comes to capturing New England railroading. This book is a rich testament to the ability of Jim to reveal all the glory of railroads both in New England and elsewhere.
Five Stars
The photography and the subjects are superb. Lots of historical locations and trains are shown.
Great Read
Great information and pictures
Five Stars
Great book by a great author.
Many editorial errors in captions accompanying photos.
Very disappointed in this book. Great Railroad photographer reduced to have name associated with the poorly captioned (and many editorial errors) book. Seems to me to be published just for the money! Do not buy this book.
Great for Northeasterners
Some great photography, but most was the East & Northeastern U.S. I prefer equal geograghic weighting.
Essential addition to any railfan's library
Jim Shaughnessy's prolific photography from the waning days of steam and the early efforts at dieselization, are a wonderful collection of this time period. Highly recommend and a good value for the money.
Great Book
Great book. His photos really capture the real life of the train world. Should have bought it sooner
As per Jim's early books, this one is better which is hard to top his early book. they were 10's also
As with Jim's previous books This one makes it hard to decide which is the best all are 10 out of 10
Great book
I gifted this book to my father for Christmas. He loves it. Very lovely photography
shaughnessy
great photographs
Excellent Photography!
I am really enjoying this book of Shaughnessy's work over many years. Beautiful photos and great captions!
superb photography
He is a master of the lens and highly respected in the railroad community.
Four Stars
Nicely printed on good stock paper.
Buy This!
If you are looking for some great steam locos in action and not sitting stagnant at a station, this book will amaze you!
Buy this only if you like locomotives.
Very beautiful book.
this book chronicles mr. shaughnessy's work.
jim shaughnessy is one of the singular greats in the world of train photography.
Five Stars
Great Photos
Great railroad photographer
wonderful pictures by a wonderful man.
Great Photos of now defuct trains
For your true railroad historian and retired railroaders from the last centuary
Great book
A very fine book by one of the greatest railroad photographers in history
History and pictures of great trains.
Great gift
Dope
Stunning train photography
Great
Fantastic
Five Stars
Nice clean copy.
I bought this for my...
I bought this for my ex-father in-law who is a Steam Train aficionado, he loved it. Not just that but his neighbor who is big on Steam Locomotives as well is a former train engineer. I was told when he stopped by and saw the book he recognized the author as one of the best authorities and photographers of locomotives around! He insists I purchased the most appropriate gift, everybody wins!
Valuable
Train enthusiasts will need no encouragement to lay hold of this book by one of the great railroad photographers. But Shaughnessy's work, as presented beautifully here, goes well beyond genre. There's something quite profound in these images. It's tempting to call them art, but deep documentary images can be just as meaningful and rewarding as those of more expressive intent. The man was in love with the iron road, and the iron road had largely vanished.
Birthday gift.
Got this for my Dad on his 85th birthday. He loves the old photos and the info that is included.
Made a great gift
Train enthusiast gift recipient was very happy with this book.
Great book!
Pictures are AWESOME! Good read too! My dad loved it!!!
Great Coffee table book!
Great selection of pictures from a by-gone era of stram and rail travel. Bought it for my grandson to peruse, he is very much into trains.
Excellent book
A fine selection of photographs covering the transition form steam to diesel.
Superb photography; surprising editorial errors
Anyone familiar with the late Jim Shaughnessey's astonishing catalogue of railroad photography will be pleased with this volume. The reproduction of his artfully composed images is superb. That said, I was surprised to spot several apparent editorial inaccuracies. For example, a photo of New York Central's Empire State Express is dated in 1969, two years after the train ceased operation under that name and a year after the NYC was folded into Penn Central. I identified at least three other photos dated years earlier than the rolling stock pictured could have operated. Given the quality of the images, the editorial lapses are surprising and disappointing.
