Fred M. Springer Collection Finding Aid to the Collection at the Center for Railroad Photography & Art Prepared by Jordan Radke Last updated: 10/07/15 Collection Summary Title: Fred M. Springer Collection Span Dates: 1950 – 2006 Bulk Dates: 1985 – 2004 Creator: Springer, Fred M., 1928 – 2012 Extent: 15 archival boxes (Approximately 50,000 color slides); 15 linear feet Language: English Repository: Center for Railroad Photography & Art, Madison, WI Abstract: Color slides by Fred M. Springer, from his collection of approximately 50,000 photographs, which he and his wife, Dale, donated to the Center in 2012. The collection spans more than fifty years, six continents, thirty countries, and forty states. Major areas of focus include steam in both regular service and on tourist and scenic railroads, structures including depots and engine terminals, and railroads in the landscape. Selected Search Terms Country: Argentina Mexico Australia Netherlands Austria New Zealand Belgium Norway Bolivia Paraguay Brazil Poland Canada South Africa Chile Spain Czech Republic Sweden Denmark Switzerland Ecuador Syria France United Kingdom Germany United States Guatemala Zambia Italy Zimbabwe Jordan State: Alabama California Alaska Colorado Arizona Delaware Arkansas Florida Fred M. Springer Collection 2 Georgia New Mexico Illinois New York Indiana North Carolina Iowa North Dakota Kansas Ohio Kentucky Oklahoma Louisiana Pennsylvania Maine Tennessee Massachusetts Texas Michigan Utah Minnesota Vermont Mississippi Virginia Missouri Washington Montana West Virginia Nevada Wisconsin New Hampshire Wyoming New Jersey Railroad Name: Achensee Railway Brunig Panoramic Express Agawa Canyon Tour Train Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Alfred County Railway Bush Mill Railway American Orient Express Canadian National Railway Amtrak Canadian Pacific Railway Angelina & Neches River Railroad Carroll Park & Western Railroad Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Cass Scenic Railroad Associacao Brasileira de Preservacao Ferroviaria Ceske Drahy Railway Austrian Federal Railways Chestnut Ridge Railway Avontuur Railway Chicago & North Western Railway Ballenberg-Dampfbahn Railway Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad Bay Express Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway Bernese Oberland Railway Circus Train Bernina Express Railway Coastal Pacific KiwiRail Bex-Villars-Bretaye Railway Conrail Black River & Western Railroad CSX Transportation Bluebell Railway Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad Blue Train Railway Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Brienz-Rothorn Railway Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad British Columbia Railway Deutsche Bahn British Railways Don River Railway Fred M. Springer Collection 3 Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Midland Railway East Broad Top Railroad Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Empresa de Los Ferrocarriles Del Estado Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Empressa Ferrocarril Nacional de Bolivia Morris County Central Erie Railroad Morristown & Erie Railway Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Moscow, Camden & San Augustine Railroad Estrada de Ferro Campos do Jordao National Railways of Zimbabwe Ferrocarril Chihuahua Al Pacifico New Hope & Ivyland Railroad Ferrocarril del Pacifico New Jersey West Line Railroad Ferrocarril Presidente Carlos Antonio Lopez New Zealand Railways Ferrocarriles del Ecuador Empresa Norfolk & Western Railway Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico Norfolk Southern Railway Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Northern Explorer Train Service Ffestiniog Railway Paul Mash Railway General Establishment of Syrian Railways Pine Creek Railroad Glenbrook Vintage Railway Prescott & Northwestern Railroad Gornergrat Railway Puffing Billy Railway Great Central Railway Radebeul-Radeburg Railway Great Southern Rail Ramal Ferro Industrial de Rio Turbio Green Mountain Railroad Rhaetian Railway Harz Railway Rhodesia Railways Hedjaz Jordan Railway Rio Grande Southern Railroad Ida Bay Railway Riverside & Great Northern Railroad Illinois Central Railroad Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway Indian Pacific Australia Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific Railway Intercity Express Saint-Bernard Express Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad San Diego & Arizona Eastern Transportation Jungfrau Railway Schynige Platte Railway Kansas City Southern Railway Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway Kiamichi Railroad Soo Line Railroad Kuranda Scenic Railway South African Railway La Trochita South Orient Railroad Laona and Northern Railway Southern Pacific Transportation Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher Railway Stephenville North and South Texas Railway Mana Ariki Railway Susquehanna & Western Railway Manitou & Pike’s Peak Railroad Swiss Federal Railways Matternhorn Gotthard Bahn Taieri Gorge Railway Mid-Continent Railway Telford Steam Railway Middletown & New Jersey Railway Tennessee Central Railway Fred M. Springer Collection 4 Texas & Pacific Railway Virginia & Truckee Railroad Texas State Railroad Wanamaker Kempton & Southern Train a Grande Vitesse Weka Pass Railway Trans Alpine West Coast Wilderness Railway Union Pacific Railroad Wyntental and Suhrental Railway Upper Rhine Railway Company Ybbs Valley Railway Venice Simplon Orient Express Zambia Railways Vereinigte Huttwil-Bahnen Zig Zag Railway Vermont Railway Zillertal Railway Administrative Information Provenance Fred Springer donated his photographs to the Center along with a substantial donation to catalog and preserve in 2012. Processing History The collection was donated in 2012. Processing began in January 2014 and completed in October 2014. The finding aid was completed in December 2014. Additional Notes Selected photographs are publically available on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. Copyright Status © 2014, Center for Railroad Photography & Art. Access and Restrictions For educational use only, please contact the Center for other usage requests. Biographical Note Fred Springer (1928-2012) started making railroad photographs in the 1940s in Colorado and New Mexico. Springer was a native of Washington, D.C., who grew up in Houston, Texas. He graduated in 1949 in engineering from Missouri School of Mines in Rolla, Missouri, and worked for Mobil Oil Corporation and subsidiary companies. “As a result my rail photography from the early 1940s until 1963 was largely Texas, the Southwest U.S. including New Mexico, and Colorado. I had three tours of duty in the New York headquarters 1963-67, 1968-1976, and 1983-85 at which time I retired and moved back to Texas.” – Fred Springer Fred M. Springer Collection 5 After retirement he and Dale traveled the world by train, visiting almost every country in South America and Europe plus South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Jordan, Syria, Australia, and New Zealand. When they lived in Texas he made many trips to Mexico when steam was still alive in the 1960s and ‘70s. Scope and Content Note The Fred M. Springer Collection includes approximately 47,000 35 mm Kodak color slides organized in 58 plastic cartons (each with up to 24 magazine slots) stored in 14 archival boxes. The photographs range from 1950 – 2006 covering more than 30 countries in 6 continents along with more than 40 states in the USA. The collection has a strong focus domestically in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia with the BNSF, Cass Scenic Railroad, Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, and Rio Grande Southern Railroad. The collection also focuses abroad in Central Europe, Mexico, Middle East, South America, and southern Africa with the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico, Hedjaz Jordan Railway, La Trochita, South African Railways, and Swiss Federal Railway. The photographs draw emphasis on steam locomotives, narrow and standard gauges, scenic railroad companies, and railroad-related buildings such as stations, depots, engine houses, and museums. Correspondents include Ed Fulcomer and George Werner. Arrangement of the Collection This collection is arranged by Fred Springer’s original order. Container List Box Carton Contents Box 1 Springer Slides-Australia-NZ Carton 1 Springer-Australia-1998 Australia 1998, 27 March – 1998, 21 April Great Southern Rail, Indian Pacific Australia, Kuranda Scenic Railway, Zig Zag Railway Fred M. Springer Collection 6 Box Carton Contents Carton 2 Springer-Australia-2003-NZ(2)-2004 Australia, New Zealand 2003, 12 April – 2004, 26 January Mana Ariki Railway, Raurimu Spiral Railway Carton 3 Springer-Australia-UK-1997 Australia, United Kingdom 1997, 4 February – 1997, 9 April Puffing Billy Railway, Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Carton 4 Springer-NZ(1)-1994 New Zealand 1994, 5 January – 1994, 29 January Coastal Pacific KiwiRail, Glenbrook Vintage Railway, Mana Ariki Railway, Northern Explorer Train Service, Taieri Gorge Railway, Trans Alpine, Weka Pass Railway Box 2 Springer Slides-Austria-Swiss Carton 1 Springer-Austria-Swiss1-1984 Austria, Switzerland 1984, 14 September – 1984, 28 September Rhaetian Railway, Schynige Platte Railway Carton 2 Springer-Austria-Swiss2-1986-87 Austria, Switzerland 1986, 28 September – 1987, 26 September Austrian Federal Railways, Bex-Villars-Bretaye Railway, Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher Railway, Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway, Rigi Railways Carton 3 Springer-Austria-Swiss3-1987-89 Austria, Switzerland 1987, 27 September – 1989, March Bex-Villars-Bretaye Railway, Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Carton 4 Springer-Austria-Swiss4-1986-Germany-1985 Austria, Germany, Switzerland 1985, July – 1986, September Bernese Oberland Railway, Rhaetian Railway, Schynige Platte Railway, Vereinigte