Wallace W. Abbey

With over 175 images, this volume profiles the life and work of the legendary railroad photographer and the transformation of transportation after WWII.

From the late 1940s onward, Wallace W. Abbey masterfully combined journalistic and artistic vision to transform everyday transportation moments into magical photographs. Through these images, Abbey helped people understand and appreciate what was often taken for granted: a world of locomotives, passenger trains, big-city terminals, small-town depots, and railroaders.


A photographer, journalist, historian, and railroad industry executive, Abbey witnessed and photographed sweeping changes in the railroading industry from the steam era to the era of diesel locomotives and electronic communication. Featuring more than 175 exquisite photographs, Wallace W. Abbey is an outstanding tribute to a gifted artist and the railroads he loved.