Tri-State Library

The Tri-State Railway Historical Society is primarily interested in preserving the railroad history of New Jersey and neighboring areas in New York and Pennsylvania. As such, our library of books is reflective of that effort. Books, magazines, and other publications, have been collected over many years through donations from Tri-State members and the public.

Our book collection includes the following units and series:

• TRIA: Non-Fiction Books
  • Series 01: Railroad Specific
    Books published about specific railroad companies that operated in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania — including some New England lines — are in this series. The entries are alphabetized by the name of the railroad.
  • Series 02: Trolley / Interurban
    Books published on trolley and interurban operations, encompassing both histories of specific lines and broader regional studies focusing on systems in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
  • Series 03: Locomotives, Passenger & Freight Cars
    Books devoted specifically to steam, diesel, and electric locomotives, as well as passenger and freight cars. The series also includes volumes focused on major locomotive and rolling stock builders, such as Baldwin Locomotive Works and Magor Car Company.
  • Series 04: Railroad General
    Books that address railroading as a broad subject rather than focusing on a single railroad, locomotive class, or specific type of equipment. This category includes general histories, industry overviews, and thematic works, as well as published collections by noted railroad photographers such as Donald Furler, O. Winston Link, and Jim Shaughnessy.
  • Series 05: New Jersey Railroad & Local History
    Books that explore railroading in New Jersey from a broad, statewide or regional perspective rather than focusing on a single railroad line. This category also includes local and county histories, studies of industrial development and transportation networks, and photographic essays documenting the communities, infrastructure, and landscapes shaped by the state’s railroads.
  • Series 06: New York Railroad & Local History
    Books that explore railroading in Pennsylvania from a broad, statewide or regional perspective rather than focusing on a single railroad line. This category also includes local and county histories, studies of industrial development (such as the anthracite coal industry) and transportation networks, and photographic essays documenting the communities, infrastructure, and landscapes shaped by the state’s railroads.
  • Series 07: Pennsylvania Railroad & Local History
    Books that explore railroading in New York from a broad, statewide or regional perspective rather than focusing on a single railroad line. This category also includes local and county histories, studies of industrial development and transportation networks, and photographic essays documenting the communities, infrastructure, and landscapes shaped by the state’s railroads.

• TRIB: Other Books
  • Series 01: Fiction Books

• TRIC: Other Rail History Periodicals
  • Series 01: Railfan/Railfan & Railroad Magazine
    Launched in 1974 by Carstens Publications as Railfan, the magazine quickly established itself as a leading source of feature articles, current news, excursion coverage, preservation reporting, and high-quality photography for rail enthusiasts. In 1979, Carstens acquired Railroad Magazine, and the two titles were combined under their present name, broadening both historical and contemporary coverage. Ownership later transferred to White River Productions in 2014. Notably, Tri-State’s longtime president, Mike Del Vecchio, served as an associate editor from 1987 to 1996. While our holdings of this publication are extensive, the archive is not complete.
  • Series 02: Railpace Magazine
    Railpace Newsmagazine was founded by Tom Nemeth, Denis Connell, and Bill Chaplik in 1982, with the idea of presenting Northeastern US-based railroad news along with the finest railroad photography in a high quality publication. The magazine's publication was taken over by White River Productions in 2020. While our holdings of this publication are extensive, the archive is not complete.
  • Series 03: Railroad Man's/Railroad Magazine
    First published in 1906 by Frank A. Munsey, Railroad was a pulp magazine that included serialized fiction stories as well as contemporary news articles and essays on the rail industry. The magazine had several starts and stops and name changes over its history. Publication ceased in 1979. The rights to the magazine were acquired by Carstens Publications in 1979, who merged the title with its Railfan magazine to form Railfan & Railroad. While our holdings of this publication are extensive, the archive is not complete.
  • Series 04: Locomotive & Railway Preservation Magazine
    This magazine covered the rail preservation movement throughout the United States, Canada, and overseas. Publication last from 1986 until 1997. Our holdings contain a complete collection of the magazine.
  • Series 05: Tri-State Railway Historical Society, The Block Line
    This was the Tri-State Railway Historical Society's regularly published newsmagazine from 1972 until 1993, and has several reincarnations since then. When in regular publication, the magazine included society news, local rail happenings, and feature articles on historical subjects.
  • Series 06: Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Railroad History
    Railroad History, known as the R&LHS Bulletin from 1921 until 1972, is the oldest railroad history journal in North America. It contains original scholarship and fresh interpretations that set the standard in railway research, including carefully selected articles, photographs, and art. While our holdings of this publication are extensive, the archive is not complete.
  • Series 07: Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Locomotive Quarterly
  • Series 08: Anthracite Railroads Historical Society, Flags Diamonds & Statues
    ARHS focuses on the preservation of the history of the Anthracite Region rail carriers, including the CNJ, DL&W, LV, L&HR, L&NE, RDG, and affiliated roads. Flags, Diamonds & Statues is ARHS's flagship periodical and has over 1,000 subscribers. First published in 1975, the magazine is produced three times annually to present. While our holdings of this publication are extensive, the archive is not complete.
  • Series 09: Erie Lackawanna Railroad Historical Society, The Diamond
    The Diamond is the quarterly historical journal of the ELHS and publishes articles related to the histories of the Erie, DL&W, and Erie-Lackawanna railroads. Publication first started in 1980 and continues to present. While our holdings of this publication are extensive, the archive is not complete.
  • Series 10: DL&WHS, Lackawanna History / The Roustabout 
  • Series 11: Jersey Central Railroad Historical Society, Jersey Central Lines
  • Series 12: Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, R&LHS Newsletter
  • Series 13: PC Railroader / Rails Northeast
  • Series 14: Steam Locomotive / Railroading
  • Series 15: National Railway Historical Society, The Bulletin / National Railway Bulletin
  • Series 16: Railway Progress
  • Series 17: Harper's Monthly
  • Series 18: The Lackawanna / The Lackawanna Supervisor
  • Series 19: The Railroad Trainman
  • Series 20: Vintage Rails
  • Series 21: Railway Age (Subseries 001)
  • Series 21: United Railroad Employees (Subseries 002)

• TRID: Classic Trains Magazine
  This library unit includes issues of Classic Trains, a periodical devoted to the history and preservation of North American railroading’s “golden age,” with an emphasis on the steam and early diesel eras. Through historical articles, memoirs, archival photography, and retrospective features, the magazine documents the people, equipment, operations, and culture of mid-twentieth-century railroads. Drawing heavily on first-hand accounts and period imagery, Classic Trains serves as both a narrative history and a curated visual record, making it a valuable resource within the archive for researchers, historians, and enthusiasts seeking detailed perspectives on railroading’s past.
   
• TRIE: Trains Magazine
  This library unit includes issues of Trains Magazine published from 1940 through 2026, representing one of the most comprehensive continuous records of North American railroading. As both a contemporary chronicle and a primary historical source, the magazine documents the industry’s technological, operational, and cultural evolution through articles, photography, maps, and first-hand accounts. Topics span the transition from steam to diesel and electric power, passenger service changes, mergers and reorganizations, preservation efforts, and modern freight and commuter operations, making this series an invaluable year-by-year reference for researchers and enthusiasts alike.