Current BRHS Calendar
The photographer for this year's BRHS calendar is John Szwajkart.
More comfortable behind the camera then in front, John Szwajkart has been shooting trains since the early 50's. Starting as a modeler, it wasn't until a friend, Don Patrick, introduced him to railraod photography by taking him around Chicago and later to Railraod Club of Chicago meetings. There he had a chance to meet with many of the local master photographers, Charlie Felstead, Harold Sturton, Jim Buckley and others, and learn how to shoot proper railroad photos. At the time it was B&W roster shots of steam with the rods down, a clear background, and in bright low sunlight. The camera of choice was a 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 folding camera that could be focused, had speed and iris adjustments and must be used on a tripod. Already hooked on photography, but having only a simple fixed focus, nonadjustable box camera, and unhappy with the amount of stuff required (portability was important), John decided to go in a different direction. He purchased a 35mm color slide camera in 1953 (an Argus G-3) and began to take action shots of steam, rather than the traditional roster shot. Static shots of steam locos were great, but seeing steam in motion and in use was more impressive. Since then it has been nonstop shooting, eventually going through several different cameras, still, movie and finally video. At the same time he traveled around the States and overseas, amassing a rather large slide, movie and video collection.
Living with his parents in the northwest suburban area of Chicago, John was limited in his access to the CB&Q. However, he did manage to see and shoot some steam in 1952 at Clyde and LaGrange with his box camera. When he started to shoot slides, steam on the Q was nearly gone and what remained was limited to operations during the mid-50's fall rush. As steam disappeared, railroad photography declined and other interests took over. Marriage in 1960 led to moving to Brookfield. With the CB&Q less than a half mile away and running steam fantrips, it wasn't long before he was back at hte tracks and chasing steam with friends Phil Weibler and Rodger Darling. They, in turn, convinced him that diesel operations could also be interesting. He has since followed the Q, from F units into the red and white era, through the BN merger and finally into today's BNSF. The irony of all this is that "Burlington" has continued to be a major part of each and every change.
Past BRHS Calendars
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1984
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
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2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
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2010
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