Scott Lothes (rhymes with "notice") has spent much of his life
exploring railroads across the United States, particularly his native
West Virginia, and, more recently, China and Japan. His love of
industry, machinery, and transportation led him to a mechanical
engineering degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland,
Ohio, but a growing interest in their social, economical, and
environmental impacts has spawned extensive independent studies in
photography, writing, and history.

Scott is a member of the Center for Railroad Photography and Art
(www.railphoto-art.org) and tied for first place in their 2006
Creative Photography Award. He placed third in the previous year. His
photos have appeared in railroad magazines, museums, calendars, and
websites, and he was the winner of the 2003 Trains Magazine
photography contest. In addition to Matador, he has written articles
for several railroad magazines, The Photographer's Railroad Page, and
the engineering magazine Sound & Vibration, where he served as
assistant editor for three years. Following three months of
independent travel along the last steam-powered railways in China, he
spent a year teaching English in Hokkaido, Japan. He has recently
returned to the U.S. where he is currently traveling and planning to
attend graduate school.