About Mike Del Vecchio

Railroader, writer, and preservationist Mike Del Vecchio was prolific and well-versed at any endeavor he set his mind to.

Mike was a lifelong student of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, was heavily involved in railway preservation throughout his adult life, and was a long-time member and President of Tri-State Railway Historical Society. He was also a gifted author and musician, as well as a sound technician and volunteer firefighter.

In his professional life, he was an associate editor at Railfan & Railroad Magazine and later at the industry publication Railway Age. He left print media to start his railroading career at Morristown & Erie. Mike worked his way up to trainmaster supervising M&E’s switching operation at Bayway Refinery operated by Phillips 66 in Linden, NJ, which later transitioned to Watco in 2018.

His knowledge and generosity were well-known throughout the railroad and rail preservation industries, as evidenced by his many treasured friendships and his great body of professional work.

In his lifetime, Mike constructed a vast personal archive of photographs, documents, and artifacts from areas of rail and local history which interested him. In particular, Mike was a foremost historian of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, and built a vast archival collection on the subject. In addition, Mike was a skilled photographer and captured thousands of images from throughout the United States, particularly during his career in print media.

Prior to his passing, Mike bequeathed his vast collection to Tri-State so that it could be preserved. Mike’s generous donation provided the impetus for the development of the Mike Del Vecchio Library & Archive in Boonton, NJ, which is named in his honor.