Wonderful Colour Photos of American Locomotives in the 1940s

December 1942. A young worker at the Chicago & North Western 40th Street shops. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

Working on the cab of a locomotive brought in for repairs at the Chicago & North Western 40th Street shops, Chicago. December 1942. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

December 1942. Three West Coast streamliners in the Chicago & North Western yards at Chicago. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

Chicago, April 1943. More of those yellow Proviso rails. “General view of one of the departure yards at Chicago & North Western RR’s Proviso Yard.” 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the OWI.

December 1942. Melrose Park, Illinois. “Chicago & North Western RR. William London has been a railroad worker 25 years — now working at the roundhouse at the Proviso yards.” 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.

Chicago & North Western railroad locomotive shops at Chicago. December 1942. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

Roundhouse at the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad yard, Chicago. December 1942. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

40th Street Shop, Chicago & Northwestern R.R. December 1942. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Back to the days of the blacksmith: The only tools seen here are two hammers, a wrench and a broom.

Santa Fe R.R. locomotive shops, Topeka, Kansas. March 1943. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

March 1943. Washing one of the Santa Fe R.R. 5,400-horsepower diesel freight locomotives in the roundhouse at Argentine, Kansas. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

March 1943. “Santa Fe R.R. shops, Albuquerque. Hammering out a drawbar on the steam drop hammer in the blacksmith shop.” 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.

March 1943. Westbound Santa Fe freight on a siding at Ricardo, New Mexico, waiting for the eastbound train to pass. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. FSA/Office of War Information archive.

March 1943. “An eastbound Union Pacific freight waiting in a siding at Alray, California. Coming up through Cajon Pass. The Santa Fe tracks are used by the Union Pacific as far east as Daggett, Calif.” One of many images taken by Jack Delano documenting a Santa Fe freight train’s journey from Chicago to California. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency. Office of War Information.

March 1943. Santa Fe trip from Chicago to California. Trains on the Santa Fe tracks through Cajon Pass in the San Bernardino Mountains. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.

Chicago, April 1943. “General view of part of the South Water street freight depot of the Illinois Central Railroad. Chesapeake & Ohio R.R. caboose.” 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the OWI.

Chicago, April 1943. “New York Central diesel switch engine moving freight cars at the South Water Street terminal of the Illinois Central R.R.” 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.

Thomas Madrigal greasing a locomotive in the roundhouse, Rock Island R.R., Blue Island, Ill. April 1943. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.

April 1943. Clinton, Iowa. “Mrs. Marcella Hart, mother of three, employed as a wiper at the roundhouse. Chicago & North Western R.R.” 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.

Clinton, Iowa. April 1943. “Chicago & North Western Railroad. Women wipers at the roundhouse cleaning one of the giant H-class locomotives.” In the red bandanna: Marcella Hart, seen here in a few other posts. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.

April 1943. “Viola Sievers, one of the wipers at the Chicago & North Western roundhouse, giving a giant “H” class locomotive a bath of live steam at Clinton, Iowa. Mrs. Sievers is the sole support of her mother and has a son-in-law in the Army.” Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

Women employed as roundhouse wipers having lunch, Chicago & North Western Railroad, Clinton, Iowa. Marcella Hart is at left, Mrs. Elibia Siematter at right. April 1943. 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

May 1943. Bensenville, Illinois. “C. M. St. P. & P. R.R. [Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad], general view of part of the yard.” 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.

May 1943. Bensenville, Illinois. “Bensenville yard of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad. Track repair and work on the cinder pits at the roundhouse.” 4×5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

(Images via Shorpy)