ALCO historic documents

giterdun · **Posted:** Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:43 pm

Is there a DeGolyer-like collection of American Locomotive Co. drawings and engineering documents anywhere? Thanks.
Chris

k5ahudson · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:30 am **Posts:** 773

I know the Mohawk and Hudson Chapter of the NRHS has some of the ALCO archives.
If you are looking for the MLW division of ALCO, the Canadian Railway Museum has their records.

Heavenrich · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:07 am **Posts:** 630

I think there's a link to the NRHS Photo collection on NRHS.com

Bob H

NH0401 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:09 pm

The remaining Alco 'corporate records' are preserved in the Special Collections Library at Syracuse University.

As for the M&H collection, it has been long rumored that some of the negatives have been pilfered.

Dave

JohnC · **Joined:** Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:20 pm **Posts:** 217

NH0401 wrote:

The remaining Alco 'corporate records' are preserved in the Special Collections Library at Syracuse University.

As for the M&H collection, it has been long rumored that some of the negatives have been pilfered.

Dave

Its not a rumor,it is true...

John E. Rimmasch · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 8:35 pm **Posts:** 374

Gittttttttttttttt-urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn,

I may have told you before but the UP has a very complete collection of the Jabelmann Super Power (i.e. 800-3900-4000). The drawings are very complete. They are mainly floor prints and erection shop prints, but.....none the less very complete. I can aid you in getting some of them. As for ALL ALCO......I have been under the impression that unless you know it was saved....good luck ever finding it again.

I recall a story shared by Gary Bensman about the Lima plant in Ohio and the drawing room that was all but pilfered and destroyed. Unless you got it before the damage was done, there is little idea what was lost.

Hey California......where ya from.......OUT

John E. Rimmasch
Wasatch Railroad Contractors

www.wasatch-rr-contractors.com

Bobk · **Posted:** Fri Dec 15, 2006 11:25 am

I think most everyone knows of the DeGolyer (sp) collection of the Baldwin blueprints and other papers. There was another sizable lot of blueprints and papers saved from the Santa fe in the late 80s.

I believe that it was in the late 80s that Santa fe started emptying the flatfiles of all the steam blueprints. From an office in Chicago a large dumpster was placed under a window and the staff proceeded to fill the container. Enter Santa Fe employee Richard Scholz. Richard seeing the value of the paper collection wasn't going to stand by idle and let this stuff go to the incinerator. Everyday after work Richard would back his stationwagon to the dumpster and transfer everything to his car. Then at home everything to his basement. When all was done, papers, letters related to steam appliance suppliers, blueprints, Santa Fe folios covering all aspects of steam engines plus era cars filled the Scholz basement at a weight of 23 tons. yes that is correct 23 tons.

Sadly a few years ago Richard passed away and much too young for this day. Richards will left the entire paper collection to the Santa Fe railway historical and modeling society.

mxdata · **Joined:** Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:54 am **Posts:** 609

The stories everyone has shared here exactly parallel what happened at EMD when they cleaned out the old administration building prior to its demolition. A few items were saved by employees who "rescued" them from the dumpster, the rest went to the landfill. This has happened over and over, and corporations generally will not donate large lots of documents directly to museums as they would have to spend additional time and money sifting through everything individually to make sure there is nothing potentially embarrasing or with possible future liability being passed along for public inspection.

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:17 pm

Quote:

Sadly a few years ago Richard passed away and much too young for this day. Richards will left the entire paper collection to the Santa Fe railway historical and modeling society.

The Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society moved the Richard Scholz collection from his mother's basement to Temple, Texas, using a contributed Santa Fe box car. At Temple this and other material is held in association with the Railroad and Heritage Museum.

This is from the SFRH&MS website:

Quote:

A partnership [was] announced in June, 2003, between the Society and the city of Temple, TX, to place others of our archives at the Railroad and Heritage Museum. This former ATSF depot houses an expanding collection including the collection of Robert Pounds and soon the massive (23 ton) collection of Richard Scholz. The professional archivist and staff of the Temple museum will greatly enhance the cataloguing and preservation of Santa Fe memorabilia.

The Railroad and Heritage Museum is located in the wonderfully restored former Santa Fe depot and division headquarters building. One story about the building is that after the Museum obtained the building a former employee came by and told that when the division engineer's office was closed the former built-in drawing cases (drawers) were walled over; with trepidation the Curator with a laborer took a hammer and crowbar to the wall. Yes, the drawing cases were still there and full of drawings!

giterdun · **Posted:** Sat Dec 16, 2006 4:24 am

Thanks, John! I'm actually looking for C&O information, although an erection drawing of 844 would look sweet on my wall. Er, walls, probably, considering the size of those prints. Thanks also to everyone else that has offered information. It is deeply appreciated. Now I'm going to ask for more. Does anyone have an index of articles appearing in Railway Mechanical Engineer in 1946 and 1947? Thanks!

Two cwips or tree...OUT.
-Chris