The Maryland Rail Heritage Library has blundered upon a HUGE supply of Westinghouse air brake manuals from the 1920s to 1950s. In short, this appears to be the AAR's former holding of one of EACH edition of rail-related manuals as they were revised, plus their supplements.

Manuals involved include (but are not limited to):
5002 CD-Type and 4-YC and Z Compressors
5026 Cross-Compound Steam Air Compressors
5027 Combined Automatic and Straight Equipment
5030 (Type K Freight Car Brake)
5032 (8-ET)
5034 (LV Passenger Car Brake)
5036 Single Stage Compressors
5038 (Quick Action)
5039 (test racks of various kinds--HUGE stack of these!)
5040 AC freight equipment
5041 slack adjusters
5045 PC Passenger Car Equipment
5046 6-DS/6-BL/14-EL for switchers
5047
5048 ET/8-ET/Inspection of loco brake equipment
5050 UC/D-22-P
5051 (various electro-pneumatic)
5056 AML for rail cars
5057 (automobile system)
5058
5061
5062
5063
5068
5071
5074
also 2931 (AB shop maintenance), 2388 (feed valve repair shop test code), 2605, 2606, and 2641, with some large-format later ones not perused yet

Now, who maintains the central library of manuals for the ATRRM, and how do we compare notes as to what they have and what they need?

To those who have availed themselves of this supposed "library" of the ATRRM: Can you give me feedback as to how "user friendly", useful, and cooperative said ATRRM library/whatever is? Is there an alternative library or archive that would make better use of them or that would share their contents more readily? Our options include keeping them here, but it seems that these would be better in a central resource available to all that need the information in them, or that would be willing and able to scan them and make them available as needed. And other Library Committee members will need to be convinced that "handing them off" is a good move.....

If you are looking for a home for them, please consider Steamtown's archives, one the information will get used by the staff and two any member of the public can gain access with an appointment.

Mike Tillger

My vote is for an organization that will scan them and make the scans available for a reasonable cost. Having to physically go to a library to access them, and having to pay 25 cents a page (or more) for copying the info is not conducive to this material being used by those who may need it.

Howard P.

Google book scanning project in cooperation with Michigan library is the org that put most of the good rail heritage pubs online so far.

Search: ICS , International Correspondence Schools, Railroad, Steam Locomotive, etc.. tp see who has posted them. The scanning .org always stamps the inside cover of the book so their work will be appreciated.

I would check and see which titles are already scanned and online in the various archives. Offer those that still need to be scanned to the .orgs who have the track record of already doing that work. Just sell to duplicates and donate the money to whomever is taking the donation, or buy some other books that are needed with the money and donate those too.


Good work,