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RR Trax Studios is primarily a book publishing and image processing business, specializing in (but not limited to) railroad subjects. It is operated in Cumberland, Maryland, by Thomas K. Kraemer.
The Past and Future of RR Trax Studios:
The name RR Trax Studios
first began appearing on Tom Kraemer's musical recordings and
compositions as early as 1987 as an unofficial "business" name for an
analog (but still multitrack!) basement recording studio in his
parents' home near Niagara Falls, New York. Having attained a Bachelor's
degree in Sound Recording Technology from the State University of New
York at Fredonia in 1994, Tom promoted the RR Trax Studios name
as it continued to pop up occasionally on various ventures he was
involved in, including the engineering of several professional recording
sessions of a promising rock band from Rochester, NY. As a career with
the railroad (the REAL railroad - yup, tracks and locomotives) unfolded
in the mid 1990s, music and recording came to be just a hobby for Tom,
but the name RR Trax Studios followed him to his residences in
several states, from Illinois to Ohio to the Mid-Atlantic.
As the music end of things faded, and the advent of digital photography and image processing evolved, RR Trax Studios became more and more concerned with visual media over sound (though RR Trax Studios still managed to produce two musical CDs by 1998). Meanwhile, Tom had continued to hold the dream of being able to focus on writing, photography, and his goal of publishing. Tom's involvement in railroading has always been more than just a career, and his interest in railroad history and photography was displayed in several of his freelance articles and photos that appeared in various hobbyist magazines and publications over the years. In 1999, Tom was approached by an employee of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in Cumberland to do photography work for the railroad's brochure promoting the 2000 and 2001 operating seasons. During the photo selection process for the brochures, Tom realized that he had a very thorough collection of photo material pertaining to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad - enough to put together a book project. With the assistance of a few very helpful WMSR employees, Tom went to work in 2002 authoring a comprehensive book featuring the colorful mountain railroad. This book was the vehicle that allowed RR Trax Studios to become more than just a hobby venue for Tom. By the spring of 2003, the book was completed, and RR Trax Studios became officially registered as a professional business in the State of Maryland.
The completion of the book "Western Maryland Scenic Railroad" (ISBN: 0-9743060-0-2) in the summer of 2003 marked the first official RR Trax Studios publication, with the intention and hope of many more to come. The book "Buffalo Central Terminal - A Photo Album" by Ken Kraemer (ISBN: 0-9743060-1-0) was the second RR Trax Studios publication, having been released to the public in 2004. This book has enjoyed steady popularity, and is now in its second printing. RR Trax Studios original book "Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (2nd Edition)" was completely revised and released in 2005, and a 3rd Edition is planned for 2008. Ken Kraemer's second RR Trax Studios book "The Lehigh Valley Railroad - A Photo Album" (ISBN: 0-9743060-2-9) was released in March 2008.
The immediate success of these three books is only a start: future RR Trax Studios projects include a substantial book on 1940s Chicago railroading; a tribute to the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad; and the true story of the Coopers Rock Mountain Lion Sanctuary. And who knows...new projects may present themselves at any time!
Legal:
RR Trax Studios is registered as a business in the State of Maryland and
holds a current Sales & Use Tax license, as well as a Maryland Trader's License.
Current ISBN logbook numbers are in the series 0-9743060-x-x.
Tom Kraemer operates
the audio console at SUNY Fredonia's Studio B in 1991.
The April 2002 issue of
RAILPACE magazine featured an article written by Tom Kraemer on the
Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad. Image work for the photos in this article
was done by RR Trax Studios.
In 2006, a second
printing of Buffalo Central Terminal - A Photo Album by Ken Kraemer was
delivered by BookMasters of Mansfield, Ohio. RR Trax Studios
books are exclusively press-printed and manufactured in the USA.