Here's another old gem from an ARM workshop I conducted back in 2000. Some old lecture notes I dusted off from my archives. I hope you might find it useful:

Using Archival Sources
in Restoring Historic Railroad Vehicles and Equipment

Kurt R. Bell

INTRODUCTION

A story is told about Samuel Vauclain, the president of the Baldwin Locomotive Works and inventor of the Vauclain compound locomotive design, who was returning from Europe aboard an ocean vessel. While en route to Philadelphia, some vital machinery in the boiler room had suddenly stopped working. The shipÂ’s captain knowing that Mr. Vauclain was on board, asked him to investigate the problem. Upon descending into the bowels of the ship and looking around briefly, he asked a crewman for a sledge hammer. He then struck a piece of equipment with one blow, and the problem was corrected. Later he submitted a bill to the shipping company in the amount of $501 for services rendered. The shipping company requested an itemization, whereupon Mr. Vauclain sent an itemized bill that read as follows:

Hitting pump $1.00
Knowing where to hit $500.00

“Knowing where to hit” is, I think, the strong point here. Often railway museums embark on restoring a historic locomotive, car or trolley without having first thoroughly documented the history and composition of a piece and as a result the details come out in the wash not quite right or worse, completely wrong. Knowing where to find primary and secondary source information and how to use it is really the key to producing a high-quality, accurate restoration.

Researching the history of a historic railroad vehicle or other examples of rolling stock means far more than recording its extant features. It also means using the manuscript, ephemera and photographic resources that are available at historical societies, state or regional repositories, railroad museum libraries and archives or in private collections. This program, then, will address the types of documentation that railroad and traction restoration technicians and volunteers might find useful and the most likely repositories for those sources. Since the majority of railway museums today own historic equipment dating from the 20th century, I will confine my talk principally to the literature from this period, with a few earlier examples thrown in for good measure.

PLANNING

A restoration team is best served by establishing some very basic facts about a piece of equipment before beginning restoration. What is being restored? When was it built? Where was it built? Why was it built? How was it built? How much of the piece is original? To what extent has it been modified?

Working closely with the Curatorial Department and guided by the Museum’s interpretive plan, the Restoration Department must determine the period to which the piece will be restored before embarking in the research process—will the engine or car show an original appearance as-built, or as it did during its early service life, middle service life, or at the end of service, or a variation thereof? This decision is influenced greatly by the interpretive aims that the Museum intends to represent, the availability of parts, the cost of replication, and the degree of funding and manpower available to complete the restoration. Therefore, the final decision on how to restore a transportation artifact to represent a particular time period serves as a necessary preliminary step before embarking on the research process.

PUBLISHED SOURCES

The first place to look might well be the secondary source materials to help narrow your focus. Because railroad and traction literature is so numerous, the chances that your specific engine or car has been documented in some book or magazine is very good. For the sake of brevity, however, I will only touch on the most widely recognized published sources.

Thousands of railroad-specific histories have been written on locomotives, rolling stock and trolleys throughout North America for the last 70 years. These will vary widely in quantity and quality, but are rich in photographs, roster information and helps provide some historical context as to how your locomotive, trolley or rail car fits into the bigger picture. Many of these histories have been written by railroad buffs, and contain dates of operation, accident details, service use, and retirement dispositions. A good example might include Alvin StaufferÂ’s Pennsy Power III, which includes class profiles of steam, diesel and electric locomotives, as well as passenger, freight and maintenance equipment used by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Several high-quality books published in recent years by Morning Sun Books show full-color views of engines and cars in service on various Class 1 common carriers from the middle of the 20th century and later; these are excellent sources for tracking down car details and paint schemes. One note of caution about the use of color books: film dyes on slide images from the 40Â’s, 50Â’s and 60Â’s have suffered from gradual deterioration, so verify the true colors of cars from paint swatches and primary source materials. Some books are specific railroad histories with sections on equipment; others are railroad specific books focusing only on equipment from a particular road.

Other general histories of transportation technology include the many books authored by Smithsonian Curator Emeritus John H. White, Jr. For early steam locomotive development refer to his American Locomotives: An Engineering History, 1830-1880; for freight car technology refer to The American Railroad Freight Car, and for passenger car development, see The American Railroad Passenger Car. A new history of the modern steam locomotive, titled American Steam Locomotives: An Engineering History, 1880-1960, written by Bill Withuhn, will be released by Johns Hopkins University Press next year. Some books have also been written on specific types of railroad cars; WhiteÂ’s The Great Yellow Fleet is a superb technological history of the refrigerated railroad car and its use in North America. William MiddletonÂ’s Time of the Trolley is a good overview of an entire transportation industry. Kalmbach Books has published several excellent pocket reference books on railroad technology, including Diesel Locomotives: The First Fifty Years, and The Diesel SpotterÂ’s Guide, which provides some very good, basic information on identifying exterior mechanical details of locomotives for documentation purposes.

The primary sources yield much in the way of richness for the railway restorationist. The Simmons-Boardman Company of Omaha, Nebraska was, and still is, noted for its exhaustive catalog of mechanical reference literature. One of the best sources for restorers of historic railroad passenger and freight cars is the Car BuilderÂ’s Dictionary, published in irregular intervals from 1879-1919, and the Car BuilderÂ’s Cyclopedia, also published in irregular intervals from 1922-1961. These monumental books include photographs, drawings, diagrams, specifications, glossaries, and descriptive text for operating equipment. Coverage was also extended to snowplows, wreck derricks, maintenance-of-way equipment, and track cars. No restoration project should be without one. A similar companion title called The Locomotive Cyclopedia supplies the same mechanical details for steam, diesel and electric locomotives, and was published from 1922-1956. In 1966, both the Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia was merged as one and is still published today, with the latest edition released in 1997. For the trolley restorationist, the Electric Railway Dictionary published in 1911 is a rich source of technical minutae. A few vanity presses have reproduced some of the Cyclopedias in recent years, and they can be found in most major railway museums around the country, as well as in used book stores, at auctions and from time to time, on ebay. But be prepared to pay top dollar as they are a very desirable item sought by collectors!

The Official Railway Equipment Register, published monthly beginning in 1885 and quarterly since 1937, is a helpful source for locating basic mechanical details for freight rolling stock. It lists in tabular form details of car ownership, markings and numbers, and dimensions and capacity for North American railroads.

Steam locomotive technical literature is diverse. Many early mechanical engineers and master mechanics wrote textbooks that are packed with advice on operational issues and running maintenance for engineers and firemen. Some early works include Matthew ForneyÂ’s Catechism of the Locomotive, and Locomotive Engineering, Running and Management by Angus Sinclair. A rich source of drawings for late 19th century locomotives may be found in American Locomotive Engineering and Railway Mechanicsm by Augustus Weissenborn. Important 20th century works on steam locomotives include Development of the Locomotive Engine by Sinclair, The Steam Locomotive by Ralph Johnson, and The Steam Locomotive in America by Alfred Bruce. The self-study book series published by the International Correspondence Schools of Scranton devotes coverage to specific steam locomotive appurtances, and are rich in illustrations and explanatory text. Restorers of historic trolley equipment also have a wide range of sources to choose from, including Railroad Electrification and the Electric Locomotive by Arthur Manson, and American Electric Railway Practice by Henrick and Boynton. The Baldwin Standard Practice is devoted to the Baldwin practice of standardized parts and is therefore useful to restorers of Baldwin locomotives.

Mechanical manuals for steam, diesel and electric locomotives are a invaluable source for restoration work. They are highly technical treatises custom-crafted for a particular locomotive design or class, and were often provided by the locomotive manufacturer to the customer as a reference in the repair and maintenance of a particular machine or engine. Similarly, Operating Manuals provide the restorer an understanding of how the machine operates. They give information on engine performance and tips on servicing specific components, and show in precise detail elevation drawings and profiles, performance ratios, tips on lubrication, problem-solving advice, fuel delivery systems and much more. Electric manuals contain similar information geared toward maintaining electrical systems, including wiring diagrams and schematics. Often locomotive manufacturers produced separate service manuals and pamphlets focusing on specific types of components, such as diesel engines, steam lubricators, coal stokers, generators, feed water heaters, air brakes, etc. Reprint manuals for Westinghouse Air brake systems developed for traction equipment are available from ARM, as are some steam locomotive and car maintenance bulletins from the Tourist Railway Association.

Archives and libraries may also house company annual reports or builderÂ’s trade catalogues. Catalogues will list major products, while annual reports may also provide information about new motive power acquisitions, expenditures, expansion plans and financial status. Catalogues were published by most of the major builders, with most famous being The Records of Recent Construction, published by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, during the first quarter of the 20th century. A complete set resides in the collections of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Locomotive specifications exist for some builders. If found, they open a treasure trove of mechanical detail and list virtually every nut and bolt detail that the customer requested for installation on their locomotive. Baldwin specifications for the years 1870-1940 may be found at DeGolyer Library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX; microfilm copies of Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works specifications may be found at the Smithsonian and at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania; and Lima Locomotive Works specifications are on deposit at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.

Builder’s lists are also helpful for tracking down the basic “statistical” information about a locomotive. This might include tractive effort, the serial number, year of construction, wheel arrangement, model, class, horsepower, tractive effort, driver diameter, weight, and previous owners. Lists for every North American locomotive manufacturer are available for a fee from the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society in Sacramento, CA.

Information on paint schemes and lettering is somewhat scarce. Paint data books from the Baldwin Locomotive Works may be found at Stanford University Library. The Pullman Paint and Lettering Notebook, written by passenger train historian Arthur Dubin and recently published by Kalmbach, contains helpful data and sample paint swatches for passenger car liveries. Also check engine specification sheets for paint data information—it may come as a shock to many contemporary steam locomotive operators that the black paint and white trim that their engines sport may originally have been olive green and aluminum. Remember, the primary sources do not lie!

An excellent source of data on your historic locomotive and car may already reside in your MuseumÂ’s curatorial files. Check whether your Museum maintains an accession or provenance file on each object; often these sources of information reside in the CuratorÂ’s office, although in some museums, the file may reside with the Museum Director, Collections Manager or the Master Mechanic. Often the accession file for a vehicle will include the name of the manufacturer, model number, date of manufacture, class designation, and object history. It may also contain notes identifying any major alterations, upgrades and repairs. If the Curator was really ambitious he may have even acquired the file from the previous railroad or owner, which could contain diagrams, photographs, correspondence, repair histories, cab cards, and other mechanical data. Having this information in your possession will save many hours of frustration and provide a clear picture of the vehicleÂ’s service history and ownership.

Periodicals

Periodicals also provide a wealth of information on railroad equipment engineering, and were often published by the railroad trade presses or by historical societies interested in a particular railroad company. Some examples of the former type include Railway Age, Railway & Locomotive Engineering, and the Railroad Gazette. Like books, they vary widely in quality and frequency of publication and in the amount of documentation required for articles submitted. A highly recommended index, due for release in April 2001, is the 800-page The Index to Railroad Periodicals compiled `by Thomas T. Taber III, which indexes over eighty railroad and traction periodicals published between 1831 and 1999. State History journals, the NRHS Bulletin and the R&LHS Railroad History often have extensive book review sections that can provide leads to additional resources. History journals are indexed in publications such as Social Science Index or through on-line retrieval systems. Buff magazines, such as Trains, Railfan & Railroad Magazine, Railpace and Extra 2200 South feature articles from time to time on particular pieces of equipment that are useful for documentation purposes but should be checked carefully for accuracy.

Likewise, many outstanding articles on equipment have been published in the journals of what I like to call, the “railroad-specific” historical societies, such as the Baltimore & Ohio Historical Society, the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society, the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society and the Chicago & North Western Historical Society. Often they are written by the top experts on the subject and have been researched from primary source materials, sometimes with the assistance of former railroad employees.

Don’t rule out the model railroad magazines either—often they contain some very useful articles on railroad equipment. Some of the more prominent titles include Model Railroader, Rail Model Craftsman, Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette, Mainline Modeler and Modeltec. Model railroaders are some of the best sources of prototype information, since many of them have done extensive, specialized research on particular types of railroad equipment and usually are more than happy to share their research with you. Beware of drawings in model magazines, as many are prone to error and are often based on sketchy, second-hand information. Again, stick with the primary sources when attempting to verify or collaborate details!

Specialized professional journals for railroad engineering and technology also provide information on the thinking and techniques that were employed in the development of ”state of the art” railroad equipment at the time of publication. Representative journals are those of the Master Carbuilders’ Association, the American Master Mechanics Association, and the Master Boiler Makers Association. The Pennsylvania Railroad published a national employees’ magazine entitled The Pennsy, which often carried pictures of railroad equipment ordered new by the company or was featured in a special event worthy of publication. These are most likely to be found in academic libraries that have a business school or engineering school. Many relevant journal articles can be accessed through Taber’s Index to Railroad Periodicals, which has a special section for proceedings and journals of the various professional railroad engineering societies.

VISUAL SOURCES

The earliest form of visual documentation that might be available for restorers of historic railroad equipment is the lithograph found in some railroad museums or private collections. Although more applicable to nineteenth-century railroad vehicles, lithographs are helpful in determining the color schemes and ornamentation of locomotives and cars as they appeared as-built. Few were produced in the 20th century, however.

I would say that most, if not all, of you clearly understand the importance of photographs in documenting historic railway equipment. The earliest known railroad photograph was taken about 1846 depicting a locomotive on the Western Railroad in Massachusetts, and since then, the image of the American train has been captured repeatedly in various formats. Interior and exterior views of finished locomotives were frequently captured by professional photographers hired by the major railroad equipment builders. These are especially helpful to the restorer whose aim is to replicate a factory-fresh finish of an engine or car. Many of these images were reproduced as photo specification cards by the various factories, and contain a horizontal view on the front, and statistical data on the reverse side. Moving pictures, home movies, postcards, and color slides are helpful for determining the paint liveries of various old trains, and some of the best images reside in private collections.

Track down former employees of railroad companies who were associated with your equipment; the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania found the grandson of the former General Manager of the Coudersport & Port Allegany Railroad in northern Pennsylvania, who had black and white photos of the previous rebuilding of the Russell snow plow in the 1960Â’s. These have proven invaluable in the current restoration and have answered many questions. Be sure to contact the local NRHS chapter or railroad historical society for names of rail buffs whose collections might contain images of equipment within close geographical proximity to your Museum.

Some of the more important collections of industrial photography reside in the following railway museum collections:

American Locomotive Company – Alco Historic Photos
American Car & Foundry – Barriger Library
Baldwin Locomotive Works – Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
J.G. Brill Co.– Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Budd Company – Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Hagley Museum & Library
St. Louis Car Co. – Washington University, St. Louis
Heisler Locomotive Works – Lake Shore Railway Historical Society
Pullman Company – Smithsonian Institution
Osgood Bradley Car Co. – E.B. Luce Co., Boston, MA
Lima Locomotive Works- Allen County Historical Society
Jackson & Sharp Car Works– Delaware State Archives, Dover, DE
Brill-subsidiaries (Brill Car Co., G.C. Kuhlman, Stephenson, American, Wason, Canadian Brill, Danville) - RRM

Original drawings are by far the best primary sources for information when restoring a historic railroad vehicle. Drawings were produced in three formats: Elevation drawings, Detail drawings and Arrangement drawings. Only a fraction of the millions of steam-era ink-on-linen drawings and blueprints survive, and are invaluable sources for documenting the historic fabric and composition of a locomotive or car. They can reveal original details that were later modified or replaced by newer parts. Several railroad museums and libraries own collections of drawings, though little material from the diesel era has not yet made it into the public trust.

Elevation: (Definition)
Detail: (definition)
Section: (definition)

Baldwin Locomotive Works – PA State Archives (post 1941)

DeGolyer Library, SMU

Smithsonian Institution
Lima Locomotive Works – California State Railroad Museum
Vulcan Iron Works – Hagley Museum & Library

RR Museum of PA
American Locomotive Company – Mohawk & Hudson Chapter NRHS
H.K. Porter – Kalmbach Library
American Car & Foundry – Barriger Library
Russell Snow Plow Co.– Elk County HS
Climax – John L. Lewis and Walter Casler; Current location unknown.
Heisler – May not have had drawings?

ORAL HISTORIES

Most major regional and state archives will have an oral history collection of some kind. The subjects covered by the interviews, indexing of the tapes, and the number of tapes transcribed will vary greatly, depending on the resources and collecting focus of the archives.

Restorers are encouraged to interview retired railroaders who ran the equipment or associated with museum in past years. Much of the steam generation has left us, but the memories of the first and second generation of diesel-electric technology is still fresh, and recollections worthy of preservation. Find out how they operated and maintained the vehicles. They may even have stories about a wreck or accident that might help a restorer understand imperfections found on a vehicle during restoration, or other details not commonly found in a written source. Restorers may find oral histories to be very useful, particularly if the interviews were conducted by individuals who understand the technical process being explained, or extremely frustrating if interviewees simply gave vague statements. It is often difficult to get precise dates in oral histories, although events may be related as being before or after the acquisition of a particular locomotive, car or rebuilding program. With that reference, restorers can use other archival sources to pinpoint a date more precisely. There may also be photographs that accompany the oral history and which illustrate the technical process being explained. Several books have been published on how to do oral histories and are available from the Association for State and Local History. Of the North American railway museums, the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum has done the most extensive job in this area to date.

LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT RESOURCES

Manuscripts

Some federal regulatory railroad records may be of some help to restorers. The Interstate Commerce Commission Valuation Records on deposit at the National Archives in College Park, MD has some photographs and inventory data of railroad equipment which were assembled at the time of valuation, which was during World War I. These dockets are arranged by railroad name but contain uneven coverage for most railroads. Some I.C.C. boiler records are in possession of the Federal Railroad Administration, though access to these may be much more restricted depending on your need. Patent searches, exceptances and rejections of claims for particular locomotive design or car parts can be made through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a fee, and often are accompanied by drawings and descriptive information which provides clues on how a particular part was designed and used on a larger vehicle.

Manuscript sources can vary widely, from a few ledger books to hundreds of linear feet of materials. Similarly, they may be found stashed in a closet in a company or in a well-run corporate archives, such as those found at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Omaha, Nebraska or the Canadian Pacific Railroad in ? Records still in the possession of the company may or may not be available to the public, and researchers should call the company for information on access before planning research trips.

Records of defunct companies or even old records of existing companies may be found in a state archives or regional repository. These may have been systematically deposited over the years or, all too often, they are rescued at the last minute when the company closes. Whatever is rescued will be saved through a salvage operation—or what is left that fits into the vehicle available at the time to go get them. Mechanical Department records from a singular railroad or transit agency are likely sources for information on your engine or car if it came from a Class 1 entity—for instance the Pennsylvania Railroad Chief of Motive Power and Mechanical Department records on deposit at the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg contains over 600 cu. ft. of classification reports, valuation and engine retirement files, record cards and condition reports for thousands of Pennsy steam, diesel, and electric locomotives as well as freight and passenger equipment. Manuscript sources are an invaluable source but are only really useful for someone with enormous amounts of time. Many are housed at state, federal or college archives. The locations of such records may be identified through such sources as the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Sources or Taber’s Guide to Railroad Historical Resources.

Manuscripts

Pennsylvania Railroad – PA State Archives, Hagley Museum & Library
Reading Company – Hagley Museum & Library
Southern Pacific- CSRM
Union Pacific- UPRRM
Baltimore & 0hio – B&O Museum

Maryland Historical Society
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western – Syracuse University
Norfolk & Western – Virginia Tech

Once you have assembled all of this data, what does one do with it? Many railway museums in North America have assembled Historic Structures Reports prior to starting restoration. This establishes the basic parameters for restoration with all the supporting documentation, including the physical history, service use, material samples, paint swatches, photographs and drawings. It serves as a foundation upon which the entire process of the actual restoration work is guided and ultimately carried out. The other type of report is a follow-up summary of the work that was actually done during the restoration process with a summary of techniques and materials employed in the process, featuring photographs, CAD drawings and notes assembled by the project technicians and volunteers. And don’t forget to place copies in the accession files and in the Museum Archives for future generations to access so that they know what work you did and why you did it. Several excellent reports have been produced by California State Railroad Museum, Steamtown National Historic Site, the Museum of Transportation, Nevada State Railroad Museum and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, among others. Remember to “document, document, document.”

CONCLUSION

These are just a few of the types of records available to restorers of historic railway equipment. As for all historical research, the resources can range from frustratingly scattered and small collections to overwelmingly vast and complex collections. In any case, researchers face the challenge of compiling as much evidence from these sources as possible to help document the provenance of an engine or car. In the end, your effort will be rewarded, as the information you collect from the primary and secondary sources will result in a superior restoration worthy of any museum exhibition. Thank you!

RECCOMENDED RESOURCES

Taber, Guide to Railroad Historical Resources
The Secretary of the InteriorÂ’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, 1995
L&RP back issues
Railway Preservation Resources
RyPN
Conrad, Displayed Steam Locomotives: Their Care and Maintenance
AAM/TRAIN Reprints
White, American Locomotive Builders