Builder's photo

1946 builder's photo of aDeRoI-33electric locomotivebuilt by Mitsubishi. The photograph's background shows a reduced contrast to place more emphasis on the locomotive.

Abuilder's photo,also called anofficial photo,is a specific type ofphotographthat is typically made byrail transportrolling stockmanufacturers to show a vehicle that has been newly built or rebuilt. The builder's photo is meant to show an overview of the basic exterior form of a unit of rolling stock.Photographs made byrailfansthat show similar features to builder's photos are sometimes informally referred to asroster shots.Builder's photos were also made by some automobile manufacturers to show a representative sample of new models they produced.

Prints of builder's photos were also often made for executives of the manufacturers and railroad companies to hang in their offices.Builder's photos were also reproduced aspost cardsas well as reprinted in advertisements to promote the railroad companies or manufacturers depicted therein. In theUnited Kingdom,steam locomotiveswere often temporarily painted inphotographic greycolor schemes so they would photograph well in black and white images. Some details in darker-colored areas of the subject were also sometimes painted in a high-contrast bright color to ensure that they would be visible in the photograph. Historians and preservationists use builder's photos as official references to show the equipment as-built.

Builder's photos are commonly shot from an angle that shows one end, often the designated front end, and a full side of the car or locomotive. The rolling stock is normally positioned on a section of track with no other rolling stock coupled to it for the photograph. Sometimes the photograph was further processed to reduce the contrast of or even entirely remove the background to further highlight the rolling stock that was photographed.

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  A side-view builder's photo of aMidland Railway990 Classlocomotive circa 1909. The locomotive was painted inphotographic greyfor the photo.
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  Cambrian Railways94 Class locomotive side-view builder's photo.
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  A builder's photo of anACFrefrigerator carfrom before 1911. The wheel rims andtrucksideframes were painted white to highlight their outlines in the photograph.
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  A builder's photo of "Old Maude",theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad's (B&O)mallet locomotive,circa 1900. This post card was made to promote the B&O showing what was the largest locomotive in the world at the time the photograph was made.
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  A builder's photo of asugarcanecar built by Gregg Company and used in an advertisement for the manufacturer. The background was removed from the photograph before it was used in the advertisement.
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  A roster shot ofSanta Fenumber 5261, anEMDSDF40-2in an eastbound train atCaliente, California,on its way to theTehachapi Loopin the late 1980s.
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  JGRClass 6010 number 6011 built byBaldwinand Westinghouse in the USA

See also

• Builder's plate
• Railwayana
• Photographic grey