Elrond Lawrence is a longtime contributor to Trains Magazine and Trains.com. He serves as director of public relations for the National Railway Historical Society and is a communications consultant for non-profit organizations and small businesses. In 2008 he authored Route 66 Railway, a coffee-table book exploring the relationship between U.S. Highway 66 and the Santa Fe Railway. Elrond grew up in Southern California and lives along the state's central coast near Salinas.