This information just in from Kam Miller. Bill Raia was a friend to the Monon,
and many of our best pictures came from his camera and collections. RIP Bill.
Photographer, historian William A. Raia dies.
Published: July 2, 2012 CHICAGO Railroad historian and photographer
William A. Raia, 67, has died. Raia began photographing trains in the 1950s,
and assembled a vast black and white and color photo collection of railroads in
operation.
Raia is best known for his long association with the Soo Line, where he was
employed for 44 years. He photographed the railroad extensively, and his Soo
Line photographs have appeared in many publications and books. His work was not
limited to the Soo, however, and he photographed dozens of other railroads,
especially in the Chicago area. He was the author of "The Milwaukee Road In
Color, Volume 1: The East End" published by Morning Sun Books in 1995, and
"Spirit of the South Shore", about the iconic interurban line, published by
Heimburger House in 1984.
Raia was an active steam photographer, and for many years was a volunteer at
the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wis. He was vice president
of Historic Transport Preservation, Inc. a non-profit group that specializes in
operating steam photo charters across the United States and Canada. He was also
one of the principles involved in organizing photo trips using Soo Line 2-8-2
No. 1003 on the Wisconsin & Southern.
Raia is survived by his wife, Darlene Nee Ziemann, and two sons, Mike, a active
railfan himself, and Tony. Funeral services will be held July 6 at 10:30 a.m.
at Cumberland Chapels, 8300 W. Lawrence Ave., in Norridge, Ill.
