Mount Lowe Preservation Society Inc. (MLPSI) is pleased to announce its acquisition of the M. D. McCarter Rail Photography Collection via a donation by his family.

This monumental collection consists of at least 65,000 images and encompasses many of the greatest rail photographers of the steam and diesel-transition era. It is, in short, incomparable and a milestone donation to MLPSI in our mission to preserve all rail and transportation content for the benefit of current and future generations alike.

As we begin to organize and prepare the collection, one thing is clear: the sheer size of it is mammoth. This will be a major, multi-year project, similar to what we have achieved with PacificElectric.org and MountLowe.org – but on a much, much larger  scale.

Fortunately, our infrastructure is already built and operational, making us fully prepared for the task ahead — digitizing and presenting the content online.

For decades, M. D. McCarter ran a photo reprint service from his home in Arizona, providing rail fans, model railroaders and transportation enthusiasts a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse into America’s railroading history. Buyers could peruse his hand-typed index sheets and order by photo code – codes which we intend to preserve and build upon as we begin our digitization project here at McCarterRailPhotos.com.

As with all our endeavors, this project is and will remain entirely volunteer, relying on the generosity of people like you to help us keep our momentum through donations both large and small.

If you would like to support this project, please consider donating using the secure form below – either one-time or recurring.

We appreciate and thank you for your support, and look forward to building this historical site with you on board.

– The Archival Team at Mount Lowe Preservation Society