Robert P. Olmsted papers, 1948-2020

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Olmsted, Robert P.
Title
Robert P. Olmsted papers
Dates
1948-2020 (inclusive)
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 Information

The 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 Collections

The 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 Copies

Digital 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