About The Taylors

Bill and Jan Taylor grew up and live in Montana. Bill has MA degrees in English and history. He served in the US Army and taught English in Montana high schools for 35 years. Jan has a BA in
English and German and has taught both in the Montana public schools. Both developed a love for Montana history by traveling, researching and photographing the state's ghost towns and railroad sites. They have an extensive photo record of both. In addition they have walked most every railroad line (including the abandoned ones) in western Montana.

Bill has lectured to a variety of groups and has had articles appear in several journals such as the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association's "Mainstreeter," "The Montana Magazine" and "The Milwaukee Railroader." In addition he has conducted railroad related classes for Elderhostel and the Glacier Institute. Jan currently serves as the Vice President of the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association and will organize the 2006 NPRHA convention in Bozeman, MT. Bill and Jan have just completed a five year stint being the onboard narrators and managers for the Montana Daylight tour train that ran between Livingston and Sandpoint. These interests have so far resulted in four books that touch on Montana, mining and railroad history. They are: The Butte Short Line the story of the Northern Pacific's construction and early operation of the Homestake Pass crossing of the continental divide near Butte, Montana. Rails to Gold and Silver: Volume I volumes I & II which document 13 branch lines that were built to the gold and silver mining regions in the 1880s and 90s by the Northern Pacific Railroad. And Northern Pacific's The Mullan Pass - the story of the construction and early operations of the NP's main continental divide crossing west of Helena. All four of these books are available through this site.

Finally, Bill and Jan own their own railroad motorcar and have traveled over 5000 miles of railroad in their "speeder." Bill serves as the president of Pacific Railcar Operators and Jan is the former editor of the "Setoff," the magazine of the North American Rail Car Owners Association.

Their home is in Missoula.