North American Rails: Volume 1

North American Rails is a guide to show other railroad photographers where to go to get fantastic railroad photos at a specific railroad location. Through text and diagrams North American Rails demonstrates photographic locations for a great photo. North American Rails further describes what time of day would yield the best sun angle as well as the best season to be at a particular railroad location.

North American Rails is a guide to show other railroad photographers where to go to get fantastic railroad photos at a specific railroad location. Through text and diagrams North American Rails demonstrates photographic locations for a great photo. North American Rails further describes what time of day would yield the best sun angle as well as the best season to be at a particular railroad location. My book then includes a photo that I took to demonstrate what to expect ounce the reader has arrived at that location and prove that I really was at that location. (I will not describe an area that I personally haven't been to. I will not take anyone else's word for information.) North American Rails also describes nearby cities and towns and what amenities are in each. Other information includes a brief history of the area, weather to expect, railroad schedule's, elevation drawings and safety precautions that might be needed to be taken by the photographer while in that particular location. Above all, North American Rails promotes safe and responsible railroad photography while the photographer is near railroad property or uses railroad property to get to some of the specific railroad photograph locations.

Ralph "Randy" Murphy has loved trains ever since he can remember. Born in March of 1957, early memories of trains included being driven to watch "ennies" around his home town of Pekin, Illinois, or Peoria, Illinois by his grandmother when he was five.Randy started to build models when he got about 12, and proceeded to try his hand at railroad photography a little later in life at around 20 years old. Even though an occupation as a recording artist playing drums with several notable bands took him all around the United States, Randy did not have very much time to really pursue his love of railroad photography. Having moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1985 and no longer touring, Randy was now provided with much more available time to develop his talent as a railroad photographer. Friends showed Randy many of the famous railroad locations around the southwest United States, and he ventured off on his own, to find many more locations that were shown in the many books that are in his collection. Randy's talent as a photographer grew as well as his knowledge of the many areas in the southwest. Several of Randy's photos are hanging in the offices of a couple of Union Pacific's management personnel. Like most avid railroad photographers, Randy continues to add more fantastic images to his collection of almost thirty thousand photos by traveling across the USA with every opportunity he gets. A Canon 50D is his camera of choice along with the usual compliment of EF telephoto lenses and other related equipment.