Has there ever been a list of railroad museums, or other organizations, that have bound railroad magazines that are available for the publics inspection? Thanks.


Les

I am not sure that there is a list of such libraries, but I know the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden has an extensive collection of railroad magazines in their archives there. Here is a link to the website where you can find more information or ask questions: https://coloradorailroadmuseum.org/library/

I also visited the archives of the California State Railroad Museum on California and found that they also have a very extensive collection of magazines, reference books and other materials. Here is a link to their website where you can find more information:
https://www.californiarailroad.museum/v ... ollections

Both archives allow researchers and others to register and search/use their collections.

Not that I am aware of. The closest I can come is the listing in this book by Tom Taber III dating to 1999-2000, and its update in his Addenda:

https://www.amazon.com/Railroad-periodi ... B0006ROBNO

This book has a master list of academic libraries and archives that were, at the time, holding onto various periodicals, at times in "deep storage." A big plus to this book is that it originally sold with a mini-CD containing a complete digital file of the work for quick searching for specific terms.

Rail museum collections, however, are not normally listed in WorldCat, the database of library catalogs worldwide. And, as a matter of fact, few are even organized enough to be able to tell you exactly what is on hand, or to access it quickly.

Now, another option:

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/p/202235/2210293.aspx



Now, I just did a spot-check of the Addenda, and even that now has some out-of-date location entries among the corrections.

So--is that enough for you to start with? <:-)

An example of what most rail museums with any sort of archives SHOULD be posting online--but don't:

http://www.baltimorenrhs.org/maryland-r ... ical-list/

Search here: https://www.hathitrust.org/

There are several titles available.

Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton has an extensive periodical collection in the Charles J. Vandepoele Library.

Here's the site: http://www.ectma.org/library.html

Phil Mulligan

Many in the Hays T. Watkins Library & Archives at the B&O. These are not digitized of course.

Read more here:

http://www.borail.org/Hays-T-Watkins-Archives.aspx

Be sure to go to the bottom of the page to review finding aids.

Les,
I am the Periodicals Librarian at the F.M. Smith Library at the Western Railway Museum. We have quite a few electric railway magazines. And a fairly good run of of Railway Review. But the inventory is not on line; I can do photocopies for you.

I suspect you want something about steam railroads; for those I suggest you contact the Illinois Railway Museum's library.

My address is tedmiles1950@gmail.com

Ted Miles, WRM Volunteer

Dr. Martin of the DeGolyer Library at Southern Methodist University gave me a 31 page list of periodicals in the DeGolyer. These periodicals may not list all of the railfan magazines, which are also in the DeGolyer, but the list does cover annual reports, reports of various railroads and associations, as well as many other periodicals. A list will be prepared of railfan issues and will be available shortly. If you would like a digital PDF copy of the DeGolyer holdings, send me an email, or PM, and I shall be glad to forward it.

He also mentioned the World Cat as a helpful start for some publications. DeGolyer Library has also received part of the NRHS distribution of that organization's library and is in process of cataloging the material, but it will be a while before the process is finished. Dr. Middleton's collection has also been received at DeGolyer, and it too, is being processed.

Some major libraries with railroad collections include: CA State Library, Stanford University, University of Connecticut, Hagley Museum & Library, Library of Congress, Newberry Library, Linda Hall Library, Indiana Historical Library, Boston Public Library, Bentley (Michigan) Historical Library, John W. Barringer, III National Railroad Library, Memorial Library at St Louis, and New York Public Library for access either locally or via the web.

Harry Nicholls
Dallas, TX
h_k_nicholls@peoplepc.com

For some reason the RR Museum of PA's library is often forgotten when the discussion of railroad periodical holdings comes up. As the former Librarian/Archivist of this outstanding collection, I can vouch that there are many gems to review. The collecting of the Library's holdings dates back to the PRR Auction in 1972 with inclusive and non-inclusive runs of many hard-to-find titles.

Here is a fairly comprehensive listing of their rail history periodicals holdings (my notes current as of 2009). A more up to date listing can be found in their online library catalogue:

- Locomotive Dictionary (1906, 1909, 1912, 1916, 1919, 1922, 1925, 1927, 1930, 1938, 1941, 1944, 1947, 1950-52, 1956, incomplete)
- Car & Locomotive Cyclopedia (1997)
- Car Builder’s Dictionary (1879, 1884, 1909, 1912, incomplete)
- Car Builder’s Dictionary & Cyclopedia (1919)
- Car Builder’s Cyclopedia (1922, 1925, 1928, 1931, 1937, 1940, 1943, 1946, 1949-1951, 1953)
- Signal Dictionary (1911)
- Maintenance-of-Way Cyclopedia (1921)
- Railway Engineering & Maintenance Cyclopedia (1926, 1929, 1939, 1942, 1945, 1948, incomplete)
- Railway Track & Structures (1955, incomplete)
- Electric Railway Dictionary (1911)

TRADE PERIODICALS

- Baldwin Locomotives (1925-1945)
- Railway Mechanical Engineer (1919-1949, incomplete)
- Railway Mechanical & Electrical Engineer (1950-1952, incomplete)
- Railway Locomotives & Cars (1953-1961, incomplete)
- The Signal Engineer (1910-1915, incomplete)
- Railway Signal Engineer (1916-1922, incomplete)
- Railway Signaling (1924-1949)
- Railway Signaling & Communications (?)
- Railway Track & Structures (1948-present, incomplete)
- Railway World (1877-1883, incomplete)
- Railway Freight Traffic (1953, 1954-1958, incomplete)
- Railway Age (1911-present, incomplete)
- Progressive Railroading (1977-present, incomplete)
- Modern Railroads (1948-1978, incomplete)
- Railway Review (?)
- National Car Builder (1888-1889, incomplete)
- National Car & Locomotive Builder (1880, 1886-1887, 1892-1897, incomplete)
- Engineering News (1877-1879, incomplete)
- American Railroad Journal (1832-1880, 1883)
- American Railroad & Engineering Journal (1887-1888, 1890-1895)
- American Engineer & Railroad Journal (1897-1912)
- Locomotive Engineering (1896-1901)
- Railway & Locomotive Engineering (1901-1913, 1917, 1921-1928)
- Locomotive Firemen’s & Enginemen’s Magazine (1885-1888, 1903-1907, 1911, incomplete)
- Locomotive Engineer’s Journal (1978-1999)
- The Locomotive Engineer (1888-1893)
- Railroad Gazette (1873, 1875, 1876, 1893, 1902, 1903, 1904, 4 unmarked vols., also Vols.. 29-32 + loose issues, incomplete)
- Railway Master Mechanic (1888-1896)
- Railroad Data + Index (1925-1951, incomplete)
- American Railroad Guide (1850-1855, incomplete)
- Appletons’ Railway & Steam Navigation Guide (1856, 1858, 1861-1872, incomplete)
- Travellers’ Official Guide (1868-1881)
- Travellers Official Guide of the Railways & Steam Navigation Lines in the U.S. & Canada (1884-1886, 1888-1891, 1893-1898, 1901-1903, 1905-1907, 1910-1923, 1925-present)
- Stowe’s Guide (1859)
- Railroad Employee (United RR Employee), slot 2224
- Fortune

EMPLOYEE MAGAZINES

- The Lackawanna Magazine (DL&W) (1954-1955)
- B&O Magazine (1927-1948)
- Erie Railroad Employees Magazine (1905-1907, 1910-1911, 1914, 1915-1917, 1919-1921,
1940, 1941)
- The Pennsy (PRR) (1952-1968, incomplete)
- Penn Central Post (1970, 1971)
- PRR News (1924-1927, 1929-1930)
- Reading Railroad-Central RR of New Jersey Magazine (1925-1960)
- The P&R Pilot (1909-1921)
- P&R Railway Men (1903-1908, incomplete)
- The Mutual Magazine (MBA/PRR) (1933-present, incomplete)
- Amtrak News (?)
- B&M Railroad Magazine (1947-1948)

SPECIAL INTEREST JOURNALS

- Railpace (1984-present, incomplete)
- Locomotive & Railway Preservation (1986-1997)
- Extra 2200 South (1963-1995, incomplete)
- The Short Line (1973?-1999, incomplete)
- Trains (1941-present, incomplete)
- Railroad Magazine (1937-1979, incomplete)
- NRHS Bulletin (1949-current, incomplete)
- Light Iron & Short Ties (1983-1999, incomplete)
- Railfan Magazine (1974-1979)
- Railfan & Railroad Magazine (1979-present, incomplete)
- R&LHS Bulletin/Railroad History (1921-present)
- Jersey Central Lines (?)
- The Keystone (1968-present)
- The High Line (1976-present)
- The Bee Line (1980-present, incomplete)
- The Timetable (M&PHS) (1985-present, incomplete)
- The Timber Transfer (FEBT) (1984-present, incomplete)
- Short Line Annual
- Short Line Railroaders
- Steam Locomotive (1959-v. 6)
- Steam Locomotive & Railway Tradition (No. 6-22)
- Railroading (No. 23-53)
- CTC Board (1996-1999)
- Classic Trains
- Rail News
- Railway Museum Quarterly
- The Lexington Quarterly
- Cinders
- Dots & Dashes
- Lake Short Timetable
- Lancaster Dispatcher
- Vintage Rails
- AVISO
- AASLH History News
- AASLH Dispatcher
- Pennsylvania Heritage
- Private Varnish
- Pennsy Journal
- New York Central Lines Magazine
- Blockline
- Finelines
- Central Headlight
- The Diamond (1984-2000)
- Flags, Diamonds & Statues
- Pine Creek RR Order Board

Proceedings:

- Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers (1876-1954)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1909, 1915-16, 1920-21, 1923-29)
- Maintenance-of-Way Association Minutes (1919)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1909, 1915-1916, 1920-1921, 1923-1929)
- American Railroad Master Mechanics Association (1886-1920)
- Proceedings of the American Railway Association (1886-1921)
- Proceedings – AAR – Telegraph & Telephone Section (1937-1940)
- Annual Proceedings of The Railway Fuel & Traveling Engineers’ Association (1937)
- Proceedings of the Traveling Engineers’ Association (1894-1904, 1915-1918)
- Decision – American Railway Association – Per Diem Rules Arbitration Committee, (1895-1899, 1901, 1903)
- International Railway Congress (1985, 1897-1901, 1903-1905, 1907, 1909-1913)
- International Railway Association Bulletin (1921)
- Proceedings of the Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania (v. IV-XXXIII)
- Railway Signal Association – Digest of Proceedings (v. I-VII)
- Proceedings of the Railway Club of Pittsburgh (1901-1921)
- Official Proceedings of the Master Boiler Makers Association (1924, 1938, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1951-1954) – slot 1144.
- Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the Air Brake Association (1906, 1908-1914)
- Official Proceedings of the New York Railroad Club (1917-1918)
- Journal of the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen (1874-1885, 1888, 1890, 1896, 1898)
- Proceedings of the Master Car Builder’s Association (1874-1881, 1883-1891, 1893)
- International Railway General Foremen’s Association (1913)
- Proceedings – Western Railway Club (1900-1901, 1903-1904)

K.R. Bell

One thing that has to be addressed is that "accessibility" to the periodicals themselves can vary dramatically.

In my years of research I've seen it all--places where you had to be a member in good standing to access the material, places where you had to make an appointment and state your need for the material a week or more in advance, places where you had to request each individual item (even a photograph) as a separate request slip and wait 10-30 minutes for it to be retrieved, places where you went through a two-day vetting process and then could run loose in the stacks, places where you just needed a regular library card registered with the statewide system, and places where I could have stolen half the collection if I had tried.

Far too often in rail research I've found the need to constantly cross-reference, check other issues of the same periodical, or search a specific range of issues to find, say, the story written when a line closed or a loco was released. Rarely do I get the luxury of a cite in a specific issue of a specific magazine down to the page. This approach favors the open stacks, rare in museum settings (but common enough in university libraries).

One of the few places I've seen that has both "open stacks" and enough open hours to be useful is the Martin O'Rourke Library at the Bowie Railroad Museum in Bowie, Md.:

http://www.railroadlibrary.org/

https://www.cityofbowie.org/293/Bowie-Railroad-Museum

They have a smaller collection available than, say, the Md. Rail Heritage Library or DeGolyer or CSRM or RR Museum of Pa. (the whole thing is the size of a small room, not a huge atrium), but they're open more hours by far and are explicitly open to the public. And I would dare to say that 97% of typical "railfan" inquiries--that article in a 1950s issue of Trains or drawings out of a 1960s Model Railroader could be effectively addressed by them. The ones that can't just MIGHT be addressed by the shelves over at the nearby University of Md., or up the line at the Md. Rail Heritage Library at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, or up at Strasburg.

One last note: Do not discount the potential of university libraries, especially ones with good engineering programs. There have been many times in professional-level research where the University of Md. libraries have come through for me, with substantial and up-to-date holdings in industry trade magazines, Jane's World Railways, etc. Usually you want a state university library that also acts as the state's Federal Depository Library.

Those searching for articles and drawings in back issues of model railroad magazines can also contact or visit the National Toy Train Collectors' Association Library in Strasburg which has a full-service reading room. They have complete runs of Model Railroader, Rail Model Craftsman, Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette, et al.

Also, don't forget State Libraries and University/College Libraries which have Interlibrary Loan service of books and periodicals. I've had great success with the State Library of PA in Harrisburg getting 90% of the railroad books and articles I've requested. You don't have to pay for copies or shipping and can readily review any book which is helpful before making a purchase of something, or simple reference research, etc.

K.R. Bell

I have been trying to gather a small collection at the Sturtevant Caboose Museum in Sturtevant Wisconsin, however I need to obtain Magazine holders so I can group the Magazines by publication and year, and also obtain shelving to store them correctly, I do have a boxcar at the museum to do this in, however, some help in organizing this would be nice at times.