Santa Fe R.R. Freight Train in Corwith Yard, Chicago, Ill.
A massive cloud of steam rises gently from the belly of the machine below on a wintry Chicago morning. Taken in 1943, this image is about more than just a train on its way to warmer climates on the West Coast – it illustrates a changing time. Steam locomotives were being replaced by diesel, the Farm Security Administration’s direction was becoming more war-oriented, and their photographers were changing their focus from individuals to industry. Jack Delano knew this – note the difference in size between the men working by the train and the train itself, implying the growing importance of machinery. And yet this steam train is turned away from the light, heading into darkness and obscurity, in contrast to the steam, floating away into the chilly winter air.
