retrorailfan

Welcome to Retro-Rails.com! We hope you take some time to browse our picture galleries. Open the station door and step back in time to view vintage rail fan pictures through the eyes of our family. We’ve captured images for over half a century. Most of the photography you’ll view here is the work of our father, Ronald Freitag. We thought we’d give you a little background on how many of these pictures came to be.

It’s the 1950’s, and our father, Ronald Freitag, is waiting for another train to round the curve at Frankford Junction in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. As a child, Ron grew up around trains. His grandfather was an engineer on the Pennsylvania Railroad. He was bitten early by the rail fan bug and never recovered. Spending most days after school at the railroad, he developed his craft. In the years to come, he would literally shoot thousands of pictures of trains. Through 5 decades, raising a family, and lets not forget, several generations of camera equipment; he managed to capture these images. They’re a view back into our past. Whether it was tracking down the doings of a GG1 or spending a snowy night in Shore Tower. Ron got the shots. As a boy, when he wasn’t on his bike tracking down the real ones, he was in the cellar of their home in NE Philly modeling HO’s. This became a lifelong hobby that he in turn passed along to his children. Our mom, Pat, spent countless hours searching out, with her family, the most obscure railroad locations. Pavonia? Rutherford? Winslow (look it up)? But she was happy because her husband was happy. Her boys were happy. She was happy! So, railroading is a way of life for our whole family. Growing up, I recall few trips, whether they were day excursions for shopping or a planned sightseeing adventure that didn’t end with several rolls of film expended on the great trains of the northeast.

While his heart belongs to the PRR, he loves and categorized all railroads. His photos include engines, freight and passenger cars, work equipment, infrastructure, and all things trains! It was and is a joyous hobby with limitless diversity. This material is more than just railroad photo’s. It represents decades of family history along with the railroads pictured here. Every photo contains a memory or a feeling and has the power to transport you back to railroads of past eras. It also represents several generations of a families devotion to a truly American Endeavour, the railroad! If you appreciate trains like Ronnie Freitag, then sit back and browse. It might be a rainy day at Frankford Junction, a family trip to Harrisburg to take in the sights & sounds of Enola Yard or maybe just a non-descript grade crossing. Listen, you can hear the horns. Looks like a headlight off in the distance. Wondering what the rails are bringing our way? Don’t worry, Ronnie’s camera is ready.

Alexander R Freitag

Fast forwarding into the next century, here we are today. The passion and vigilance for recording the nation’s railroads continues. My name is Chris, the younger of Ron’s two sons. My love of trains moved west during the 1980’s and 90’s with a particular passion for the Union Pacific. But as my love of video and still photography in the modern era grew I discovered the visual treasure of our dad’s dedication to his craft. For many of those trips, we were there! Altoona, Frankford Junction & Enola Yard! Our father exposed us to the best of railroading. Finally, moving into the digital age, my uncle Gary in Alaska introduced me to digital photography which led me to purchase my first digital camera. Coupled with my digital DV video equipment, I plan on continuing to document America’s railroads. Be it a wind swept plain in Wyoming or a quaint Idaho town in the mountains, keep looking for more from RetroRails.Com!

I’ll see you trackside!

Christopher J Freitag