Nostalgia & History > Final Highball - Stan Kistler

It is with great regret to inform the community that Stan Kistler, a beloved pioneer of railroad photography, a consummate historian of Western Railroading, and a close personal friend to me passed away on September 29. Stan had suffered from heart disease and had lost his wife Brenda three months prior to his passing. He was completely dedicated to his wife and was certainly heartbroken by her passing.

Born on November 26, 1930, Stan's legacy of contributions to the community of railroad enthusiasts began at a young age of 12, when in 1943 he took his first black and white photos of Santa Fe steam and early diesel locomotives. In nearly 80 years that followed, Stan documented railroading in the Western United States to a level that few could compare against, both then and today. His sound recordings of "Whistles in the Woods" and "Night Freight" among others, were pioneering for the time and have been loved by fans of steam locomotives for several generations.

When formal associations and groups began saving equipment for future generations, Stan was also very involved in the preservation of steam locomotives, rolling stock, and artifacts. He was a charter member and founder of the Southern California Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, and following his move to Grass Valley, California, he was a director of the Pacific Coast Chapter for several decades.

Stan's incredible photograph legacy has been preserved by the Center for Railroad Photography and Art, the Southern Pacific Railroad History Center, and the Pacific Coast Chapter, R&LHS.

On a personal note, Stan and I became close friends later in his life and we made a point to keep in contact with one another, have lunch when we were passing by each other's homes, or when we visited at meetings of the Pacific Coast Chapter. Stan leaves us with major shoes to fill, as he was one of the last living photographers of the "golden age" of railroading. You will be missed my friend!

1) Santa Fe Railway Alco PA no. 56 at LA Union Station, with City Hall looming in the distance. - Stan Kistler Photo
2) On May 20, 2017, the Pacific Coast Chapter, Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, celebrated its 80th anniversary of the first mainline chartered railfan excursion in the west, which operated in 1937 between Oakland and Nevada City, California. Stan Kistler hosted a bus tour of chapter members for the anniversary excursion, which included a tour of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Museum. - Scott Inman Photo
3) Stan was a close personal friend, and could always be counted on for his excellent recollections of events, dates, and details. I'll miss him greatly.

Scott Inman
Sacramento, CA

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I'm sorry to hear that.  Stan was a legend in many areas and was also a link back to when the railroads were much more interesting.  His recordings and photos are all first rate.
I can sympathize with him over the loss of his wife.  It is something that isn't repairable when you have been a couple for decades.
Godspeed Mr. Kistler



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/22 19:20 by Frisco1522.

I'm very sad to hear the news of the passing of Stan Kistler. I enjoyed his work for many decades. He is a great loss to the railfan community, RIP

Larry 

One of the all time greats....he was an inspriation to be sure

Brian E

Really sorry to hear that news. Stan was special.

Sad news indeed. He was truly a legend in this hobby...

Stan was my favorite photographer and a really neat man and acquaintance.

Chris

I remember fondly paging through the book Santa Fe Steel Rails Through California, in the 1960s. I knew railroaders who admired his work.  I think he and Donald Duke captured the reality and mystic of railroading almost better than any other.  He had a large body of work which thankfully will be preserved.

Sorry to hear of Stan's passing.  He was indeed a fine photographer and a great guy all around.  If you don't have it, Stan Kistler's Santa Fe in Black & White is an even better compilation of his Santa Fe work - large photos well reproduced. 

https://sfrhms.org/product/stan-kistler-s-santa-fe-in-black-white/

He shot color slides in later years and talked about doing a volume on that work as well, but sadly it never came to pass. 

It's been quite a few years since I've seen Stan but I used to buy photos from him off and on. He was a fixture at the SFMO meets we used to have in Orange County back in the day. Stan was always a true gentleman, kind, and always wore a beaming smile. He was an amazing photogrpaher. I'm sorry to hear of his passing, he will be missed. Highball Stan!

Wow, tough news.  Stan was a true gentlemen, the very definition of selfless.  He contributed photos for my artices, no questions asked, when he was already a legend and I was just a kid.  Stan would always greet me warmly at Winterail and other events, remembering my name even though we saw each other infrequently.  He will be greatly missed.

Stan was truly the last of the legends! He was always a treat to chat with at Winterail and will be missed greatly. Thanks for all the wonderful images Stan!

Dave 

This is sad, but Stan left us all very rich in our appreciation of railroading and of what a gentleman is.
A couple of years ago Stan was on a Zoom meeting of the Santa Fe Historical Society, his topic was a photographic assignment for the Santa Fe in the early 1950s of the Wheelman's Club trip to San Diego from Los Angeles where they met their compatriots for a tour of Balboa Park and other sights.
If you think that sounds boring, you need to know two things:
First, the Wheelmen included many ladies, wearing athletic gear, so there was lots of eye candy.  Stan really grinned when sharing that detail with us.
Second, as the club officials were loading up for the return trip it was apparent that they did not want a photographer wandering around disturbing the rest of their club members so they made arrangements for Stan to ride the head end with Engine 2936 (?).  They were cleared as the second section of one of the regular San Diegans, and were about 60 minutes behind that schedule, meaning as a first class train in the superior direction they had right over everybody  and were free to run a full track speed until they caught up with the schedule.  A fast running engineer's dream set-up.  Stan's description of the wordless teamwork of that senior engine crew as they extracted all the performance possible out of one of most modern 4-8-4s in the land was thrilling.
He expressed the faint hope that there could be a repeat, as the 2936 (or at least one of her class) is nearing completion in Albuquerque and that they may have access to some 90 MPH territory.
May he get that chance on his new territory, rest in peace.

I just got the word of Stan's passing.  I was glad to have known Stan and was honored to be able to acquire a few of his negatives over the years.  Stan was an artist with a camera.
We cannot forget his wonderful sound recordings "Whistles In The Woods".  That record (and later CD) made a lasting impression on many of us.

Thanks for the memories Stan.

Martin

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It was a sad morning when word was received of Stans passing.

We go back to my being 15 and he 18 on excursions of the Old Railway Club of Southern California.
I am behind him at 89.

Mundo.

I am really sorry to hear this sad news.A very fine gntleman was Stan. Always fun to be around.Bill Webb

So sorry to hear, RIP Stan.  He provided much of the 1940s and 50s photo documentation of the Santa Fe's Los Angeles Second District around Pasadena in the 1940s and 50s.  A true legend.

Rich



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/22 07:03 by PasadenaSub.

Stan was to help me research the Santa Fe RDCs.  With his help and photos he helped me tall the story of these two Santa Fe cars.  The book would not have been possible without his help.  Thank You Stan.  I will miss you!

Sad news indeed- one of the greats!   In the early days of the Capitol Corridor service he used to ride fairly often.  If I wasn't too busy (I was an LSA) he'd linger for a bit and visit over a cup of coffee, always an interesting guy to talk to.  It's been years since I last ran into him- in the produce section at a local grocery store, I think it was...
Stan, it was an honor to know you.
God's Speed
SR

Sad day for all of us. Stan was a legend. He joins Stein and bet that the two of them are discussing lighting and f stops.

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