Hoagland, G. Stewart (George Stewart), 1922- .

George Stewart Hoagland was born on July 20, 1922, and spent his youth in Rumson, N.J. He attended the Pomfret School in Connecticut between 1937 and 1941. Around 1936, he began collecting railroad photos and memorabilia.

By this time, a number of railroad hobby organizations had been formed in response to changes in the railroad industry and the growth of amateur photography. A primary activity was the taking and trading of locomotive photos, particularly static shots that could be made with inexpensive, slow-speed cameras and films. Many branch lines were losing passenger service or facing outright abandonment, and older equipment was being scrapped, so hobbyists sought to document a vanishing scene. The railroad companies often encouraged this as a form of public relations and operated inexpensive weekend sightseeing "fan trips" and tours of company shops and yards.