Nostalgia & History > Railroad Sketches

I have always been fascinated by people who could draw and their drawings. Perhaps if the railfan photographers of trains and depots of today were born 150 years or so ago they would be sketching trains and depots.

I did a Keyword search of the Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/pictures , for Railroad Sketches and got 109 items. Below are 11 of these items.

Picture 1, Search Number 4, “Title: Two sketches of a depot on the Charleston & Savannah Railroad. Creator(s): Alfred Rudolph Waud 1828-1891. Date: Created/Published: [1864 ca. December. Medium: 1 drawing on cream paper: pencil; 21.1 x 26 cm. (sheet).

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Picture 2, SN 19, “Title: Troop train. Creator(s): Victor Alfred Lundy 1923-. Date Created/Published: August 25, 1944. Medium: 1 drawing. Summary: Sketch showing soldiers seated on train bound for New York Harbor.”

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Picture 3, SN 28, “Arrival of the first train at Cripple Creek over the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad, July 1, 1894. Accident to the train on its return trip. The Great railway strikes--the first meat train leaving the Chicago [stoc]k-yards under escort of United States Cavalry, July 10, 1894 drawn by G.W. Peters from a sketch by G.A. Coffin. Date Created/Published: (July 1894). Medium: 3 photomechanical prints.”

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Picture 4, SN 31, “The campaign in Kentucky--The national troops under General Johnston advancing on the Louisville and Nashville Turnpike, overtaken by the equipage and baggage train on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad from a sketch by our special artist with General Buell's command. The campaign on the Potomac--Unsuccessful attempt of the Rebels to destroy dam no. 5, on the upper Potomac, near Williamsport, Maryland, December 1861 from a sketch by Capt. Henry Bacon of the 13th Massachusetts volunteers. Date Created/Published: published 1862. Medium: 2 prints (1 page): wood engraving.”

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Picture 5, SN 32, “Work on the last mile of the Pacific Railroad--Mingling of European with Asiatic laborers sketched by A. R. Waud. Creator(s): Alfred Rudolph Waud 1828-1891. Date Created/Published: 1869. Medium: 1 print: wood engraving. Summary: Men removing large rocks from hill for completion of the Pacific Railroad.”

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Picture 6, SN 41, “Title: Grant's campaign south of the James--reinforcements to Gen. Warren arriving at the terminus of Grant's railroad near the Weldon Road, two miles and a half from the recently captured works from a sketch by our special artist, Joseph Becker. Date Created/Published: 1864. Medium: 1 print : wood engraving.”

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Picture 7, SN 42, “Title: Workmen laying the new railroad track on the night of September 5th, from sketches by a staff artist. Date Created/Published: Sept 1881. Medium: 1 print: wood engraving.” Illus. in: Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, Sept 23, 1881 p. 56.”

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Picture 8, SN 43, “Title: The invasion of Maryland--capture of a train on the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad at Magnolia, near Gunpowder Ridge, July 11 / from a sketch by our special artist. Date Created/Published: 1864. Medium: 1 print: wood engraving. Illus. in: Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, July 30, 1864, p. 289.”

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Picture 9, SN44, “Title: Pickets of the First Louisiana ‘Native Guard’ guarding the New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad, from a sketch by our special artist. Date Created/Published: March 7, 1863. Medium: 1 print: wood engraving. Illus. in: Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, March 7, 1863, p. 369.”

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Picture 10, SN61, “Title: The seventh regiment New York State militia in the cars en route for Washington, from a sketch by our own artist. Date Created/Published: March 3, 1860. Summary: Print shows men of the 7th Regiment of New York militia inside a railroad car. Illus. in: Harper's weekly, v. 4, no. 166, March 3, 1860, p. 136 (top).

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Picture 11, SN 76, “Title: The War in Virginia - rebuilding railway bridge over Goose Creek, near Manassas Gap, by Col. Geary, 28th Pennsylvania Regiment, sketched by Edwin Forbes. Edwin Forbes. Date Created/Published: published May 10, 1862. Medium: 1 print: wood engraving. Illus. in: Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, May 19, 1862, p. 41.”

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The following video from the China Daily, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn , is titled “Old Beijing in pencil painting.” by Cong Fangjun (chinadaily.com.cn).

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/video/2011-01/24/content_11912900.htm