Ship It On The Frisco-A Visit to Tulsa and Drawing The Frisco

Frisco was fairly popular at the Great American Train Show in Houston, however, about a month later, we attended another show in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  At the time, I only had a drawing of a red and white Frisco GP38-2 and the 1522 steam locomotive.
In Tulsa, the 1522 was especially popular.  At the show, people asked if I had drawn the red and gold e-units for the Meteor passenger train.
When I returned home to the studio, more Frisco engines were on my drawing board.  I drew red and gold e-units Sea Biscuit, Messenger and Big Red, all named after famous race horses.  Every time I see many of the Frisco engines that I have drawn, I think of that early Great American Train Show that I attended in Tulsa and the many fans of Frisco that attended it.

To see more of my Frisco drawings, visit http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/frisco.html

Great Northern's Iconic Mascot "'Rocky' The Goat"

Great Northern's iconic mascot, "'Rocky' The Goat" adorned Great Northern's locomotives and rolling stock.  Great Northern connected the Upper Midwest and the Pacific Northwest.  Great Northern is a part of today's BNSF.

To see more of my railroad artwork, visit http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/

Thank You to All of Our Fallen Heroes This Memorial Day

Today we remember those who gave their all for our freedom.  We will always remember the sacrifice of all of our fallen heroes.  Thank you to all of our fallen heroes this Memorial Day.

Drawing a Maine Central GP7 For the Big E Show in 1994

In the Winter of 1994-1995, we were getting ready to travel across the country from California to Springfield, Massachusetts for my first attendance of the Big E Hobby Show.  That winter, I began drawing railroads of New England and the Northeast as we prepared for our journey.
As I headed to the studio, some of the first railroads I worked on were Boston & Maine and Maine Central.  I have always been partial to the bright colors of New England's railroads.  The above Maine Central GP7 was drawn in this session.
As I continued to work in the studio, I drew a Boston & Maine Berkshire and locomotives of Bangor & Aroostook and Rutland.  Many of my first New England locomotives came from this drawing session.
I always enjoy the inspiration of a drawing project when many railroads come together to make a theme.  It is truly a joy to see how many railroad systems connect and how freight and passenger railroads work together.

To see more of my railroad artwork, visit http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/

Drawing the Southern Pacific Daylight and Cab Forward in 1992

There I sat, at the Vallejo Great Western Train shows, with my drawings of Desert Storm locomotives Burlington Northern 1991, Union Pacific 3593 and Conrail 6707.  Burlington Northern 1991 had been popular at every railroad I had visited over the summer, so I was eager to take it to a train show and sell prints of it.
I sat, determined.  But railroad enthusiasts kept walking past my booth.  All wearing Southern Pacific, Western Pacific and Santa Fe shirts and hats.  I kept asking, "Would you be interested in a 1991 print?"
They said, "These are nice, but do you have the Daylight?  Do you have the Cab Forward?  Do you have the Black Widow?  Do you have Western Pacific?" 
Heartbroken, I did not sell a single print at that first train show I attended.  But my heartbreak quickly turned to determination.  In short order, I went into the studio and drew my first steam locomotive, the Southern Pacific Daylight 4449.  In short order, I drew the Cab Forward, Black Widow and several Western Pacific locomotives, as well.
Soon, it was time for the next Great Western Train Show in Vallejo.  We headed down there with my new drawings.  "Hey, this Daylight drawing is great," people said.  "Good job on the Cab Forward as well.  I'll show my buddy this Western Pacific engine you did."  I was truly becoming a railroad artist.

A Brief Look at Boston and Maine

Boston and Maine connected the cities, ports and manufacturing of New England with its agriculture and timber industry.  Boston and Maine was New England's primary railroad, linking to the Maine Central, Rutland, New Haven and many secondary railroads.
Boston & Maine, like the New Haven, fell under the control of Patrick McGinnis, adopting the dashing B and M logo and bright blue and black colors which lasted until the Guilford era on Boston and Maine.  Boston and Maine is part of today's Pan Am Railways.

To see more of my Boston and Maine artwork, visit
http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/boston---maine.html

Realizing That I could Draw Trains Forever at a GATS Show in Houston

It was the fall of 1992.  We had had a successful GATS train show with my artwork at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.  From that, I was able to encourage my mom to agree to let me attend the following GATS show in Seattle.

For that show, I drew several Great Northern and Northern Pacific locomotives, including Great Northern's Hustle Muscle SD45.  At the time, that was a big step into the past for me, as I had only drawn locomotives for railroads that currently existed.

The drawing of the Great Northern and Northern Pacific locomotives turned out to be very successful, as we had a constant flow of traffic into our booth at the GATS show at the Seattle Fairgrounds.  Several vendors who watched our show said, "You know, the next show is in Houston, you might consider attending that.  People really love trains there."

My mom's first reaction was, "No way are we going to Houston."  But I persisted.  Christmas break fell in between the shows.  I began drawing Missouri-Kansas Texas and Missouri Pacific locomotives.  My mom saw even more how dedicated I was becoming to my railroad artwork.  

In a leap of faith, we headed to Houston, with my new drawings of M-K-T and Missouri Pacific.

I never could have imagined how popular Missouri Pacific and Missouri-Kansas-Texas would be in Houston.  It was at this show, that so many people asked for railroads I had never even dreamed of.  "Have you drawn Texas & Pacific?  Have you drawn Frisco?  Have you drawn the Texas Eagle?" they asked.

My mind took a mental note pad of all of the requests.  I realized that if I drew trains until I was seventy, I would still never run out of trains to draw.  At that GATS show in Houston, I truly realized that I could draw trains forever. 

To see more of my artwork, visit
http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/

Rediscovering My Artist Self

It was October, 2006.  I had not drawn trains for several years after having lost my fine motor skills due to epilepsy.
At the time, I had begun to paint with watercolors.  I had submitted a few of my paintings to coffee shops and galleries across the west, and was scheduled to do a show at a gallery in Seattle.
My mom decided to surprise me and made a reservation at one of my favorite hotels, the Edgewater on Alaskan Way.  I had stayed at the Edgewater many years before when I first began drawing trains.  From the Edgewater, you can see BNSF trains as they begin or end their cross-country trek or bring lumber trains from Canada.
From our room, I could hear the crossing gates ring every time a BNSF train came into view.  Inside, my heart stirred with my love for trains.
As soon as we got home, I began sitting by the Davis train station, watching in anticipation every train that rolled past.  The next thing I new, I was at the art supply store buying paper and pens.
Ahead was a challenging climb to regain my motor skills to draw trains once more.  It would take at least five years of retraining and practice, but in my heart, I had rediscovered my artist self.

To see more of by BNSF artwork, visit
http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/bnsf.html

Watching Santa Fe in Joliet, Illinois in 1991

In 1991, I made a grand endeavor which would be my first big railfanning trip, heading from Davis, California, via Seattle to Chicago.  At Joliet, we met with my friends from Nebraska, the Shearers.
We spent the day at Joliet watching Santa Fe and Southern Pacific trains passing in front of us.  To the Shearers, seeing Santa Fe and Southern Pacific was a treat, as they only saw Burlington Northern and Union Pacific in Nebraska.  To me, however, I felt it ironic that I was watching railroads in Chicagoland that I could see in the Central Valley of California.
Trains rolled past.  Making their first or last miles of their journey across our vast nation.  Many behind the new Superfleet engines.  Manifest freights behind SD40-2's headed past.  We waved at the engineers as the trains went past.  It was truly a great time for all.

To see more of my Santa Fe drawings, visit

http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/santa-fe.html

My First Chance to See Chicago and North Western

On my first big railfanning trip in the summer of 1991, I got my first chance to see Chicago and North Western.  Chicago and North Western was a railroad I had read about for years as the eastern connection of Union Pacific, but that summer, I finally got to see it.
Headed west from Chicago, I saw my first Chicago and North Western train just outside of Ames, Iowa.  It was a grain train making a stop at an elevator to pick up hoppers.  All of my life, I had seen these grain hoppers make their trek across America.
As I journeyed west, I visited friends in Gering, Nebraska.  We took a trip up the the Chicago and North Western yard in South Morrill.  There, I got to see Chicago and North Western's new Wyoming Centennial tribute Dash-840C #8542.  As soon as I got home from my trip, I drew that locomotive and sent a print to my friends.  I was well on my way to becoming a railroad artist.

To see more of my Chicago and Northwestern railroad artwork, visit
http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/chicago---north-western.html

Visiting Alaska Railroad in 1992

In 1992, I was fortunate enough to be invited to visit the Alaska railroad in Anchorage.  I had sent one of my drawings of an Alaska Railroad locomotive to then President Robert Hatfield, and he suggested that I come up and visit.

My mom, sister and I made the trip to Alaska that February.  It was truly a beautiful time to see Alaska.  Our timing was great, as well.

When in Anchorage, we were able to see the beginning of the Iditarod Dog Sled Race.  It reminded me of reading "The Call of the Wild," my grandpa's favorite book.

We were invited to take the Alaska Railroad passenger train to Fairbanks and back.  All along the route, we spotted majestic wildlife throughout Alaska's landscape.  It was a journey I will never forget.

If you have not visited Alaska to ride the Alaska Railroad, I truly recommend it.  Summer or winter, Alaska and the Alaska Railroad truly offer scenic wonder.

To see more of my Alaska Railroad drawings, visit
http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/alaska-railroad.html

Chicago Burlington & Quincy-Way of the Zephyrs

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy was known as the Way of the Zephyrs.  CB&Q connected the Midwest with the Rocky Mountain states.
The sides of Chicago Burlington & Quincy freight locomotives and its freight cars were adorned in the slogan "Way of the Zephyrs," advertising CB&Q's famous Zephyr passenger trains.

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy's passenger service is remembered in name today in Amtrak's Chicago to San Francisco Bay Area California Zephyr Passenger service.  The California Zephyr was the flagship train of the Chicago Burlington & Quincy, operated in cooperation with the Rio Grande and Western Pacific railroads.

Chicago Burlington & Quincy also operated the Twin Cities to Chicago leg of the Great Northern Empire Builder, another train which lives on in Amtrak service.

To see more of my Chicago Burlington & Quincy artwork, visit

http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/chicago-burlington---quincy.html

Chessie System:The Railroad Kitten

Chessie System remains a favorite of railroad enthusiasts everywhere.  Chessie System connected the Eastern Seaboard with Appalachia, the Ohio River, the Great Lakes and the Midwest.  Chessie System was known for its brightly painted yellow, orange and blue locomotives.

When I did train shows many years ago, time and time again, fans of all ages would point to the Chessie engines and say, "I want the train with the kitten on it."  Chessie System was comprised of railroads that many of us are familiar with, the Baltimore & Ohio, the Chesapeake & Ohio and the Western Maryland.

Chessie System is today part of CSX Transportation.  Chessie lives in many of our hearts.  Whenever I see an old box car or caboose with the Chessie kitten, I truly remember this great railroad that moved us all as it it moved our freight.


 To see more of my Chessie System drawings, visit my Chessie System page at AndyFletcherTrains.com
http://www.andyfletchertrains.com/chessie-system.html