Chicago, acknowledged rail capital of the United States, was the site of the great Railroad Fair of 1948 and 1949. Sponsored by some 38 railroad companies along with suppliers such as The Budd Company and The Pullman Company, the fair drew thousands to its Lake Michigan shoreline location for a celebration of "100 years of railroad progress."

The lengthy "Wheels-a-Rolling" pageant, written by railroad historian and visionary Edward Hungerford, presented an overview of rail and other transportation developments set against the panorama of American history and geography. It featured historic locomotives and equipment — such as the New York Central & Hudson River's famous speedster No. 999 — as well as the latest in motive power technology — including not only new diesel power but the Chesapeake & Ohio's experimental steam turbine electric. Exhibits sponsored by individual railroads or firms highlighted regional color in the areas they served, as well as their equipment and other enticements for the traveling public. An operating steam narrow gauge railroad, called the "Deadwood Central," carried passengers the length of the 50-acre site.

President of the Railroad Fair was Lenox R. Lohr, president of Chicago's distinguished Museum of Science and Industry. The fair's Board of Directors included such railroad industry luminaries as John W. Barriger (then president of the Monon Route), William N. Deramus III (president of the Chicago Great Western) and Wayne A. Johnston (president of the Illinois Central).

The 1948 season of the Railroad Fair was so successful that the fair was repeated the following year from June 25 through October 2. As a 10-year-old I visited the 1949 fair with my father, Dr. Richard D. Leonard, who saved a copy of the 18-page Official Guide Book for the 1949 season. I present it here for the enjoyment of all interested in railroad history. The pages are separate JPG images; navigate through them by clicking the buttons on each page. All pages are reproduced except the back cover, which contains only the seal reproduced at right. Below is a map of the fair, viewed in larger form on pages 10-11.

My father apparently took no photos of the Railroad Fair, but several years ago I learned that my friend Gary Thompson of Normal, Illinois, had attended the 1949 fair with his father Paul F. Thompson, a conductor on the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad. Mr. Thompson took some 35mm photos of the event, and Gary kindly loaned me the negatives. Additionally, he provided some postcards from the Fair. Then Larry Bangert, originally from the Effingham, Illinois area and now living in California, sent me photos from the 1948 Railroad Fair taken by his mother Emma June Bangert with a Kodak Brownie camera. Subsequently, Ron Preece provided four images from the 1949 Fair taken by his father, Harry G. Preece, a fireman for the Milwaukee Road and, later, a trainman for the Southern Pacific. Tim Podolske of Madison, Wisconsin sent a CD of color transparencies taken by his grandfather, the late Lyman Humphrey of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Mr. Humphrey, a high school teacher, visited the Railroad Fair both years; we have selected fifteen of his best shots, which come from the 1948 season. Then R. Trank provided one view from the 1948 Fair by E. Mezner. Most recently, Forrest L. Becht of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, provided several views of the 1948 Fair taken by his grandfather, John J. Becht. (Forrest Becht's rail consultancy firm is FLBTRAIN, INC.) To view the photos and postcards, click the button below.

A video, Wheels-a-Rolling, was issued by A&R Production of Kensington, Connecticut, in 1993 and is still in their DVD catalog. It uses footage from the pageant, but concentrates on locomotives and railroad interest rather than the general history of American transportation. A portion of an earlier film from around 1950, which includes more about the whole scope of the pageant, is available online through the Chicago Film Archives collection; to view it, click here.

Dr. Richard Leonard