About Mike Del Vecchio

Railroader, writer, and preservationist Mike Del Vecchio was prolific and well-versed at any endeavor he set his mind to.

Mike was a lifelong student of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, was heavily involved in railway preservation throughout his adult life, and was a long-time member and President of Tri-State Railway Historical Society. He was also a gifted author and musician, as well as a sound technician and volunteer firefighter.

In his professional life, he was an associate editor at Railfan Magazine and later at the industry publication Railway Age. He left print media to start his railroading career at Morristown & Erie. Mike worked his way up to trainmaster supervising M&E’s switching operation at Bayway Refinery operated by Phillips 66 in Linden, NJ, which later transitioned to Watco in 2018.

His knowledge and generosity were well-known throughout the railroad and rail preservation industries, as evidenced by his many treasured friendships and his great body of professional work.

In his lifetime, Mike constructed a vast personal archive of photographs, documents, and artifacts from areas of rail and local history which interested him. In particular, Mike was a foremost historian of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, and built a vast archival collection on the subject. In addition, Mike was a skilled photographer and captured thousands of images from throughout the United States, particularly during his career in print media.

Prior to his passing, Mike bequeathed his vast collection to Tri-State so that it could be preserved. Mike’s generous donation provided the impetus for the development of the Mike Del Vecchio Library & Archive in Boonton, NJ, which is named in his honor.