Surprisingly beautiful pictures of America's empty railroads
Eerily empty tracks across America
Most people photograph tourist attractions, stunning landscapes or local street-life scenes. But New York-based photographer John Sanderson has been snapping America’s empty railroads and the results are surprisingly beautiful. In the early 20th century, over 250,000 miles of track spread across the country, but today many are far less frequented by passengers, after a steep decline in non-commuter rail travel just 50 years later signalled the railroads' demise. Entire towns and cities have been built to work around the the tracks, leaving a fascinating landscape behind that John has captured in these evocative images.
Railroad decline
Working with traditional large format film cameras, John Sanderson pictures the broad American social landscape left behind through portrait, landscape, and still life photographs. Pictured here is the interchange north of New York City where the main line from Grand Central Terminal branches off to form the Harlem and New Haven Line, which is now the busiest route in the entire United States.
Natural wonders along the tracks
Sponsored Content
Mountain tracks
The rust belt
When nature meets engineering
Sponsored Content
Railroad ruins
Thomaston Dam, Connecticut
Serving industries
Sponsored Content
The significance of the railroad
Keeping industry alive
Landscapes and lines
Sponsored Content
Quintessential America
Overseas Railway, Florida Keys
Downtown Columbus, Ohio