When Steve Glischinski was young, his dad would take he and his brother down to the railroad tracks near downtown St. Paul to watch trains.

The passion about trains he felt then, continues today.

At age 13, the train enthusiast photographing trains, which have now been compiled into a book, “Minnesota Railroads: A photographic History, 1940-2012,” published by Minnesota Press this year.

“I think part of it is the sheer fascination of these huge machines moving across the country, all connected by a vast network of rails,” Glischinski said of his love of trains. 

The book features historic photos of the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific bridge over Rainy River in Ranier as well as the Minnesota, Dakota & Western Railways Co. in International Falls.

“MD&W has earned its place in Minnesota railroad history as the last surviving Minnesota logging railroad that still operates under its original name,” Glischinski said. “There were once many logging railroad lines in northern Minnesota, but the MD&W is the last survivor.”

He added that the fact that the lift bridge in Ranier joins two countries makes it unique, plus the fact the bridge is automated and the Ranier depot still survives, when so many other depots are gone, make it a fascinating area, he said.

The St. Paul native told The Journal the idea for the book came about three years ago when he contacted Aaron Isaacs, author of “Twin Cities by Trolley.”

“He had worked with the University of Minnesota Press, and I was impressed with the quality of their books. So I asked Aaron to give me a contact at the press to see if they might want to work with me,”  Glischinski explained. “The original idea was to publish photos from the Minnesota Historical Society collection, but it soon expanded beyond that.”

And expand beyond that it did. The author combed through the collection of railroad photos from the Minnesota Historical Society, the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, the files of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and about 30 individuals he’d met throughout the years. One large contributor was John C. Luecke of St. Paul, who has amassed a huge collection of railroad photos over the years and who has also written several books, Glischinski said. 

“It was interesting in talking to people that worked for the railroad that described how operations worked,” the author continued. 

This is not the first publication from Glischinski. He has written seven books with the first published in 1992.

“It was a history of the Burlington Northern Railroad,” he said of his first published work. “I have also written on such railroad subjects as the Wisconsin Central, Santa Fe Railway, Regional Railroads of the Midwest, and Milwaukee Road steam locomotive No. 261.”

Glischinski said he feels anyone with an interest in history and or the state of Minnesota would enjoy his latest book. 

“It is meant not only to appeal to railroad enthusiasts, but anyone who has even a casual interest in trains,” he said. “Also, Minnesota has a very diverse geography, which is really brought out in the book through the many photos from all parts of the state.”