Bill Berkompas created an exciting collection of original, meticulously detailed, scaled line-art drawings of steam locomotives. Bill developed a love for steam locomotives at a very early age. His parents gave him his first electric train for Christmas, at age 5. His Grandfather helped him along by making model trains and providing books for him as he grew older. Bill drew his first steam locomotive around age 10 or 11. That drawing was done in crayon. This early childhood interest grew into a hobby that offered Bill a lifetime of enjoyment. He took great pride in his art, making sure his drawings depict the subject in every detail.

In 1965 he drew the famous Union Pacific “Big Boy” steam locomotive and in 1983 took it to a printer to have it reduced to a ¼” to the foot scale. This print became one of his best sellers. He chose the ¼” to the foot format, because this scale allowed him to preserve complex details in his drawings, and was compatible with his “0” Scale (¼”=1ft) model railroad equipment collection. Extensive research was done to ensure each drawing was correct in every detail. He used books and photos, small drawings and other resources, to research and gather the information necessary to complete each drawing. Working with pencil as his medium, he often measured a detail of the actual subject locomotive to get the dimensions he needed. Bill was known to have counted the rivets on an engine to make sure that particular detail was correct. A new locomotive project might have taken between 6 and 18 months to complete.