Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Robert P. Olmsted papers, 1948-2020
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Olmsted, Robert P.
- Title
- Robert P. Olmsted papers
- Dates
- 1948-2020 (inclusive)Date of CollectionDate of Collection
- Quantity
- 41.39 cubic ft. (58 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 12513
- Summary
- Photographic images and publications of railroads in the United States.
- Repository
-
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu - Access Restrictions
-
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Robert P. Olmsted (1930- ) was a photographer and author who specialized in railroad scenes. With his wife, Carol, he authored many books featuring railroads throughout the United States.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Robert P. Olmsted collection contains publications, prints, negatives, and slides showing railroad scenes in the United States. It also contains photoshoot journals and train timetables. Many of the views are of Union Pacific Railroad scenes. Images relate to both steam and diesel eras and to freight and passenger trains. The main geographic areas represented are Wyoming, including the Laramie rail yard, the Chicago area, and Kansas. Both black/white and color images are included.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright InformationThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Restrictions on Use
Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in CollectionsThe American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.
Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event. Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form. For more information, read our full statement.
Preferred Citation
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Alternative Forms Available
Existence and Location of CopiesDigital reproductions of select material from this collection are available at https://digitalcollections.uwyo.edu/luna/servlet/uwydbuwy~99~99.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Related Materials
There are no known other archival collections created by Robert P. Olmsted at the date of processing.
Acquisition Information
This material was received from Robert P. Olmsted from 2012-2021.
Processing Note
The collection was processed by D. Claudia Thompson, May 2013, Krist Jessup in May 2017, and updated by Jamie J. Greene in July 2019 and June 2022.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I. Color Slides Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
1 | AMTRAK Box 1-2 |
1984 |
58 | AMTRAK (NM/AZ) |
1984-1995 |
1,4-5,7 | Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (AT&SF) 1-2 |
1960s-2005 |
58 | Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (AT&SF) - Ill,MO, KANS, OKLA, TEX, NM, AZ |
1967-1996 |
1 | Bevier and Southern (B&S) |
1957-1958 |
1 | Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) 1-2 |
1950s |
4,7, and 58 | Burlington Northern (BN)/Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) |
1970-2008 |
1 | Canadian National Railway (CNR) 1-5 |
1958-1959 |
1 | Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) |
1958 |
1,4 | 1957-1960s | |
1 | Chicago Great Western (CGW) 1-3 |
Undated |
1,4 | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (MILW) 1-2 |
1955-1973 |
7 | Chicago and North Western (C&NW) |
Undated |
58 | Chicago and North Western (C&NW) - ILL, IND |
1984-1996 |
7 and 58 | Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend (CSS&SB) 1-6 |
1963-1971 |
1 | Colorado Railroad Museum |
1961 |
1,5 | Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) 1-11 |
1958-1965 |
1 | Duluth Missabi and Iron Range (DM&IR) Steam Trip |
1958 |
1 | Eastern Railroad (B&O, C&O, GTW, WABASH) |
1960s |
4 | East and New York Central (NYC)/PRR in Chicago |
Undated |
1 | Grand Trunk Western (GTW) 1-5 |
1960s |
1 | Mexico City |
1960s |
1 | Midland Coal Company Steam |
1962 |
1 | Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie (SOO) 1-6 |
1960s |
1,4 | Miscellaneous |
1958-2005 |
58 | Miscellaneous - Chicago |
1960-1992 |
58 | Miscellaneous - photos by Carol D. Olmsted |
1960-1979 |
58 | Miscellaneous - U.S.A |
1958-2005 |
7 and 58 | Miscellaneous Diesels, 1-3 |
1971-2003 |
58 | Miscellaneous Electric |
1961-1966 |
7 | Miscellaneous Steam, 1-2 |
Undated |
58 | Miscellaneous Steam (Canada) |
1958-1963 |
58 | Miscellaneous Steam (U.S.) |
1956-1958 |
1 | Mississipian Railway |
1963-1965 |
1 | Monon 1-2 |
1960-1971 |
1 | New Mexico |
1992 |
1 | Nickel Plate (NKP) Steam 1-4 |
Undated |
58 | Northeast, Massachusetts |
1950-1959 |
1 | Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) |
1955-1956 |
2,5,7 | Southern Pacific (SP) 1-145 |
1990-1998 |
58 | Southern Pacific (SP) - AZ, 1-7 |
1991-1998 |
2-7 | Union Pacific (UP) 1-183: |
1984-2005 |
58 | Union Pacific (UP), 1-4 - Steam, Big Boy-Laramie-box 1A, and turbines |
1950-2008 |
Series II. NegativesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
8 | AMTRAK (Mostly Chicago and Texas) |
1971-1984 |
8 | ALCO |
1967 |
8 | Ann Arbor |
1964 |
8 | AT&SF |
1949-1989 |
9 | Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) (IHB, CWI, L&N) |
1962-1966 |
9 | B&O |
1962-1976 |
Book Projects: |
||
Box | ||
9 | The 5:10 to Suburbia: Chicago's Suburban Railroads, 1960-1975 |
1960-1975 |
9 | An Acquaintance with ALCO |
1968 |
9 | Chicago's Passenger Trains: A Gallery of Portraits, 1956-1981 |
1956-1981 |
9 | The Diesel Years |
1973-1974 |
9 | The Green Machines: Burlington Northern |
1986 |
9 | Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio, (GM&O North) |
1976 and 1984 |
9 | Interurbans to the Loop: North Shore Line - South Shore Line |
1969 |
9 | Kansas Curve |
2007 |
9 | Locomotives, Limiteds and Locals |
1977 |
9 | Milwaukee Rails |
1979-1980 |
9 | Miscellaneous |
Undated |
9 | More Green Machines: Burlington Northern |
1990 |
10 | No More Mountains to Cross: The Milwaukee Road |
1985 |
10 | Prairie Rails: Chicago & North Western Railway |
1979 |
10 | The Prairie Trains |
1989 |
10 | Railroading in Downtown Chicago, 1958-1969 |
1958-1969 |
10 | Remembering Midwestern ALCOs |
2000 |
10 | Rock Island Recollections |
1973-1982 |
10 | Santa Fe Trails Volumes 1&2 |
1987-1988 |
10 | Scenes from the Shore Lines: North Shore Line - South Shore Line |
1964 |
10 | Six Units to Sycamore: Chicago and Great Western in Illinois |
1982 |
10 | Trail of the Zeyphrs: the Burlington Route in Northern Illinois |
1969-1970 |
10 | Union Pacific Books |
1953-2011 |
10 | West End Rails: New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central, Erie Lackawanna, Conrail |
1962-1992 |
10 | Of Zephyrs and Communters |
1950-1984 |
Box | ||
10-11 | Burlington Northern (BN) |
1970-1986 |
11 | Canadian National Railway (CNR) (Mostly Steam) |
1950s |
11 | Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) |
1950s |
11 | Central Vermont Railway (CV) |
1950s |
11 | Chessie |
1980-1984 |
11-12 | Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy (CB&Q) |
1958-1970 |
Box | ||
12 | Burlington Route |
1969-1970 |
12 | Q 4960/5632 Steam Excursions |
1958-1966 |
12 | Chicago and Eastern Illinois (C&EI)/Chicago and Illinois Midland (C&IM) |
1962-1968 |
12 | Chicago & Great Western (CGW) |
1957-1968 |
Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee (CNS&M) |
1961-1963 | |
Box | ||
13 | Stored Cars North Shore |
1963-1964 |
13 | Last Full Day of North Shore Operations |
January 20, 1963 |
Box | ||
13-14 | Chicago & North Western (CNW) |
1961-1985 |
14 | Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend (CSS&SB) |
1963-1981 |
14-15 | Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) (Diesel and Narrow Gauge) |
1958-1972 |
15 | Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern (EJ&E) |
1967-1981 |
15 | Grand Trunk Western (GTW) |
1960-1983 |
15-16 | Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio (GM&O) |
1959-1973 |
16 | Illinois Central (IC) |
1950s-1984 |
24-26 | Kansas |
1996-2010 |
27 | Kansas with Corresponding Notebooks |
1998-2007 |
16 | Long Island Railroad (LI) |
Undated |
16 | Mexico |
1962-1963 |
16-17 | Milwaukee Road (MILW) |
1965-1986 |
17 | Minneapolis, Northfield, and Southern (MNS) |
1972-1986 |
17 | Miscellaneous |
1965-1984 |
17 | Miscellaneous Steam |
1950s |
18 | Missouri, Kansas, Texas (MKT)/Missouri Pacific (MP/MoPac) |
1972-1983 |
18 | Monon (MON) and some Illinois Lines |
1961-1970 |
18 | New England and Northeastern U.S.: |
|
Box | ||
18 | Belt Railway Company of Chicago (BRC) |
1964-1973 |
18 | Boston and Maine (B&O) |
1954-1983 |
18 | Conrail (CR) |
1976-1984 |
18 | Erie Lackawana (EL) |
1962-1977 |
18 | Miscellaneous |
1950s-1960s |
18 | New Haven (NYNH&H) (NH) |
1953-1964 |
18-19 | New York Central (NYC) |
1950s-1968 |
19 | Penn Central (PC) |
1969-1980 |
19 | Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) |
1950s-1967 |
19 | Nickel Plate (NKP) |
1950s |
19 | Norfolk and Western (N&W) |
1974-1982 |
19 | Regional Transportation Authority |
1977-1984 |
19-20 | Rock Island (RI)/Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific (CRI&P) |
1964-1983 |
Wisconsin Rails: |
1961-1982 | |
Box | ||
20 | Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie (SOO) |
|
20 | Duluth, Winnipeg, and Pacific (DWP), Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range (DMIR), Green Bay and Western (GBW) |
1967-1981 |
Box | ||
21 | Southern Pacific (SP) |
1970-1984 |
21 | Southern Short Lines |
1962-1966 |
21 | Steam Excursions US and Canada |
1960s-1970s |
22 | Toledo, Peoria, and Western (TP&W) |
1972-1983 |
22-23 | Union Pacific (UP) (Mostly Steam) |
1950s-1984 |
57 | Union Pacific - Arizona (35mm black and white negatives) |
2014-2016 |
22 | Virginian Electric |
1959 |
22 | Wabash (WAB) |
1963-1966 |
22 | Western Pacific (WP) |
1960 |
27-29 | Negatives with Corresponding Notebooks |
1986-2011 |
Series III. Contact Prints (3x5 and smaller) Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
Book Prints: |
||
Box | ||
30 | The 5:10 to Suburbia: Chicago's Suburban Railroads, 1960-1975 |
1975 |
30 | An Acquaintance with ALCO |
1968 |
30 | The Big Guys: Union Pacific's Largest Locomotives, 1949-1977 |
1998 |
30 | Chicago's Passenger Trains: A Gallery of Portraits, 1956-1981 |
1984 |
30 | Corsicana and the Ennis Sub, SP/SSW in Texas |
1983 |
30 | The Diesel Years |
1980 |
30 | Four to Remember |
1993 |
30 | The Green Machines: Burlington Northern |
1986 |
30 | Gulf, Mobile & Ohio (GM&O) North |
1996 |
30 | Interurbans to the Loop: North Shore Line - South Shore Line |
1969 |
30 | Kansas Curve |
2007 |
30 | Locomotives, Local, and Limited |
1977 |
30 | Milwaukee Rails |
1980 |
30 | More Green Machinces: Burlington Northern |
1990 |
30 | The Peoria Way: Toledo, Peoria, and Western Railroad, 1968-1983 |
1984 |
30 | Prairie Rails: Chicago North Western Railway |
1979 |
30 | The Prairie Trains |
1989 |
30 | Railroading in Downtown Chicago, 1958-1969 |
2006 |
30 | Remembering Santa Fe |
1999 |
30 | Rock Island Rails: Images of Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, 1948-1990 |
1991 |
30 | Rock Island Recollections |
1982 |
30 | Santa Fe Trails Volumes 1&2 |
1987-1988 |
30 | Six Units to Sycamore: Chicago and Great Western in Illinois |
1982 |
30 | The Streator Connection, Where Conrail Meets the Santa Fe |
1981 |
30 | Trail of the Zeyphrs: the Burlington Route in Northern Illinois |
1970 |
30 | The Union Pacific Drama |
2003 |
30 | West End Rails: New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central, Erie Lackawanna, Conrail |
1992 |
30 | Of Zephyrs and Communters |
1984 |
Box | ||
34 | Amtrak |
1971-1984 |
34 | Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (AT&SF) |
1961-1983 |
43-44 and 55 | Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) |
1953-1958 |
40 | Bevier and Southern (B&S) |
1960 |
38 | Boston and Maine (B&O) |
1954-1983 |
39 | Burlington Northern (BN) |
1971-1984 |
44 and 55 | Canadian National |
1954-1960 |
44 | Canadain Pacific |
1953-1959 |
44 | Central Vermont Railway (CV) |
1954-1955 |
44 | Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) |
1964-1980 |
32 and 55 | 1956-1970 | |
36 | Chicago and Eastern Illinois (C&EI) |
1962-1969 |
36 | Chicago and Illinois Midland (C&IM) |
1963-1965 |
39 | Chicago Great Western (CGW) |
1956-1969 |
33 | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (MILW) (Milwaukee Road) |
1965-2010 |
41 and 55 | Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee (CNS&M) |
1960-1969 |
37 | Chicago and North Western (C&NW) |
1961-1979 |
41 and 55 | Chicago, South Shore and South Bend (CSS&SB) |
1960-1981 |
40 | Colorado and Southern (C&S) |
1960 |
38 | Conrail (CR) |
1964-1984 |
31 | Dakota Rail F's |
1986 |
44 | Demonstrators (EMD/Alco) |
1965-1967 |
35 | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) |
1965-1972 |
31 | Duluth Missabi and Iron Range (DM&IR) |
1967-1974 |
40 | Duluth and North Eastern (D&NE) |
1962 |
41 | Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern (EJ&E) |
1967-1975 |
40 | "Flying Scotsman" |
1971 |
40,43-44, and 55 | Grand Trunk Western (GTW) |
1956-1974 |
39 | Great Northern (GN)/Northern Pacific (NP) |
1964-1974 |
44 | Great Western (GW) |
1960-1961 |
31 | Green Bay and Western (GB&W) |
1981-1982 |
36 | Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio (GM&O) |
1963-1973 |
36,41,43 | Illionois Central (IC) |
1960-1975 |
Box | ||
37 | C&NW Alcos |
1975-1981 |
41 | Kansas City, Kaw Valley and Western Railway |
1959-1961 |
31 | Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) |
1983 |
40 | Mexico |
1962-1963 |
40 | Mexico Narrow Gauge |
1962 |
31 | Middleburgh and Schoharie Railraod (MN&S) |
1965-1974 |
40 | Midland Coal Company |
1966-1968 |
31 | Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie (SOO) |
1963-1976 |
44 and 55 | Miscellaneous |
1954-1969 |
41 | Miscellaneous Electric |
1965-1970 |
31 | Miscellaneous Southern |
1968-1982 |
44 | Miscellaneous Southern States |
1962-1970 |
40 | Mississipian Railway |
1962-1965 |
31 | Missouri, Kansas, Texas (MKT) |
1970-1983 |
44 | Missouri-Kansas-Texas RR/MoPac/Frisco |
1952-1983 |
31 | Missouri Pacific (MP) (MoPac) |
1951-1984 |
31 | Monon Railroad |
1966-1971 |
38,43 | New York Central (NYC) |
1963-1983 |
Box | ||
38 | Central of New Jersey (CNJ) |
1953-1964 |
38 | Delaware and Hudson |
1968 |
38 | Erie/Delaware, Lackwanna, and Western Railroad (DL&W) |
1955 |
38 | Lehigh Valley (LV) |
1955-1956 |
38 | Southern Railway (SOU)/Atlantic Coast Line (ACL)/RDG |
1953-1955 |
38 | Virginian Railway (VGN) |
1959 |
55 | Nacionalies de Mexico - Mexico City (NM) |
1962-1963 |
44 | Norfolk and Western (N&W) |
1967-1978 |
40 | Northwestern Steel and Wire Co. (NWS&W) |
1963 |
43 | Nickel Plate |
1953-1958 |
38 | Penn Central (PC) |
1969-1974 |
38,43, and 55 | Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) |
1950-1962 |
44 | Regional Transportation Authority/Metra |
1977-1983 |
40 | Reading Railroad (RDG) |
1963-1969 |
40 | Rio Grande |
1958-1965 |
35,42-43, and 55 | Rock Island (CRI&P RR) |
1948-1973 |
31 | St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (SLSF) (Frisco) |
1964-1970 |
42-43 and 55 | Santa Fe |
1949-1953 |
35 | Southern Pacific (SP) |
1965-1984 |
40 | Southern Railway (SOU) |
1967-1973 |
40 | Southern Short Lines |
1962 |
34 | Toldedo, Peoria, and Western (TP&W) |
1971-1983 |
35,42-43, and 55 | Union Pacific |
1948-1973 |
44 | Wabash (WAB) |
1952-1977 |
35 | Western Pacific (WP) and Miscellaneous West |
1965-1972 |
44 | Western Rails |
1965-1972 |
Series IV. 8X10 PrintsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
Book Prints: |
||
Box | ||
45 | An Acquaintance with ALCO |
1968 |
45 | Arizona Crossing prints and books |
2015 |
56 | Arizona Crossing 2 prints and books |
2014-2016 |
45 | The Big Guys: Union Pacific's Largest Locomotives, 1949-1977 |
1998 |
56 | Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) 2020 book |
1996-2014 |
54 | Grains and Trains |
2010-2012 |
54 | Kansas Winters |
1997-2010 |
54 | Prairie Country |
1969-2010 |
Box | ||
45 and 53 | Atchison, Topeka, and Sante Fe (AT&SF) |
1948-2011 |
47 and 53 | Burlington Northern 1-5 |
1970-1999 |
53 | Burlington Northern Santa Fe, early (BNSF) |
1948-1970 |
53 | Chicago |
1950-1987 |
47 and 53 | Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy (CB&Q) |
1953-1970 |
46 and 56 | Chicago Great Western (CGW) |
1956-1968 |
47-48, 53 and 56 | Chicago and North Western (CNW) |
1956-2014 |
45 | Chicago and North Western Postscript |
1995-2005 |
45-46 | Chicago's Passenger Trains: A Gallery of Portraits, 1956-1981 1-4 |
1960-1988 |
53 | Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee (CNS&M) |
1962-1967 |
53 | Chicago South Shore & South Bend (CSS&SB) |
1962-1967 |
45 | Corsicana and the Ennis Sub, SP/SSW in Texas |
1981-1990s |
48 | Eastern Railroads 1-2 |
1958-1988 |
46 | Echoes of Alco |
1965-1976 |
45 | Fast Running |
1952-2006 |
48 | Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio (GM&O) 1-3 |
1960-1983 |
46 | Kansas City |
1960-1998 |
45 | Kansas Curve |
1948-2007 |
45 | Kansas Harvests |
2000-2009 |
48 | Milwaukee Road (MILW) |
1980-1986 |
49 and 53 | Miscellaneous |
1935-2007 |
48 | Missouri, Kansas, Texas (KATY) - Missouri Pacific (MoPac) |
1982-1983 |
46 | Power for the Streamliners: Unions Pacific's E8A/E9A Fleet |
2008 |
46 | Railoading in Downtown Chicago, 1958-1969 |
2006 |
46 | Remembering Santa Fe |
1999 |
49 and 56 | Rock Island, 1-5 |
1952-2009 |
46 and 53 | Santa Fe |
1948-2005 |
53 | Santa Fe steam - Kansas |
1948-1953 |
46 | Slides Used in Books |
Undated |
46 | Small Towns, Big Trains, Prints and Books (Unpublished) |
2014 |
49 and 56 | Southern Pacific |
1963-1983 |
49 and 53 | Steam |
1948-2012 |
47 | Trail of the Zeyphrs: the Burlington Route in Northern Illinois |
1970 |
49-50 | Union Pacific: |
2000-2013 |
47 | The Union Pacific Drama |
2003 |
53 and 56 | Union Pacific - Kansas |
1963-2015 |
53 | Union Pacific steam and diesels - mostly Kansas |
1949-2013 |
47 | Union Pacific's Topeka Rails |
2012 |
47 and 53 | Western Railroads "Mountain Machines" |
1960-1990 |
50 | 1951-2010 | |
47 | Winter Warriors |
1967-1984 |
Wyoming Photographs: |
||
Box | ||
50 | 1951-1979 | |
53 | 1951-2012 | |
53 | Union Pacific - Nebraska/Wyo, "High Plains Runners" Dale Jct. East into Nebraska |
1951-2012 |
Series V. Time Tables Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
51 | Train Time Tables |
1953-1996 |
Series VI. Publications Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
58 | Artifact: Name plate, "Robert P. Olmsted, Meteorologist-Publisher" |
undated |
Books: |
||
Box | ||
52 | "High Iron: A Book of Trains" by Lucius Beebe |
1938 |
52 | "Highball: A Pageant of Trains" by Lucius Beebe |
1945 |
52 | "Motive Power of the Union Pacific" by William Kratville and Harold E. Ranks - includes outline of book |
1958 |
52 | Publications by Robert P. Olmsted: |
|
Box | ||
52 | "Grains and Trains," (unpublished) |
2013 |
52 | "Kansas Winters" |
2010 |
52 | "Prairie Country, Then and Now" by Robert P. and Carol D. Olmsted |
2011 |
52 | "Reflecting on Rain" |
2012 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Photography of railroads -- United States
- Railroads -- United States