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Copies of ICC Valuations Engineering notes?
https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9020		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Ken Middlebrook [ Mon Mar 29, 2004 5:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Copies of ICC Valuations Engineering notes?
For those unable to travel to College Park, MD, how does one obtain copies of ICC engineering field notes for a particular railroad location?
I have been unable to surmise the process from the various websites.

Guide to Railroad Records at National Archives
Author:  K.R. Bell [ Mon Mar 29, 2004 10:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Some Advice
Send a written request via U.S. mail to David Pfeiffer, the railroad archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. Archivists tend to be very busy folks and they are more likely to respond to a written query than being called on the phone or dropped-in on (I know because I'm an Archivist).

Also, some general advice to anyone intending to do research in an archives: be nice to the archivist because he knows where the material you are interested in is located and will go out of his way to help you. If you are rude to the archivist, well, I'll let you figure that one out! ;-)

K.R. Bell
An Archivist

> For those unable to travel to College Park,
> MD, how does one obtain copies of ICC
> engineering field notes for a particular
> railroad location?
> I have been unable to surmise the process
> from the various websites.
Author:  Randy Hees [ Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Some Advice
I had a chance to meet David Pfeiffer on two visits to the College Park facility... He knows the holdings and is easy to talk to. On the first occasion I had older finding numbers, and when the staff couldn't locate the items I was looking for they sent me down to see him. He knew what I was looking for and found it, wrote out the call cards and vola I had what I needed. He commented that he needed to work on the finding aids.

On a later visit, I thought I was too smart to need an archivist, (bad move) had called up much of what I needed, then called up some additional items (ICC field notes) He appeared at the desk where I was working on, asked what I was trying to research, (it was for restoration reports for our West coast museum, He understood, and had heard of us) Found the proper items and had them pulled... The Stanford University Professor working next to me was amazed at the knowledge and service provided, and wondered how to get the same level of service... I think she needs to take up railroad research.

Short answer, write a note to David, if the information is available he will find it. But, since what you are looking for is in California, have you tried the California State Archives. They hold many of the maps and other information from the ICC valuations in the state.

Randy Hees

> Send a written request via U.S. mail to
> David Pfeiffer, the railroad archivist at
> the National Archives at College Park,
> Maryland. Archivists tend to be very busy
> folks and they are more likely to respond to
> a written query than being called on the
> phone or dropped-in on (I know because I'm
> an Archivist).

> Also, some general advice to anyone
> intending to do research in an archives: be
> nice to the archivist because he knows where
> the material you are interested in is
> located and will go out of his way to help
> you. If you are rude to the archivist, well,
> I'll let you figure that one out! ;-)

> K.R. Bell
> An Archivist


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