Individual Article:
Transportation Library completes microfilming project
The Transportation Library, in conjunction with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Iowa, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, recently completed the microfilming of hundreds of volumes of historical U.S. railroad journals and monographs published between 1899 and 1959. The titles document important issues in railroad history, economics, labor, technology, and politics. Their reformatting from paper to microfilm will permit future digitization, and thus extend the useful research life of the selected titles for generations to come. This project will not only benefit transportation researchers, but also historians, government and industry researchers and regulators, insurance and energy analysts, planners, economists, labor unions and lawyers, engineers, and anyone researching mid-20th century railroads.
The selected titles are:
Earning Power of Railroads (1931-1947). Combining narrative and data tables, this publication provides financial information on 100 railroads, addressing: income; operating expenses; maintenance expense; maintenance of way and equipment; general expenses; operating ratios; fixed charges; dividends and stock outstanding in relation to earning power; etc.
Journal of the Switchmen's Union of North America (1902-1935). A monthly labor union journal published by the Switchmen's Union of North America covering railroad industry news and events and union news and events, such as strikes, arbitration, legislation, common practices and benefits.
Locomotive Engineers Journal (1922-1949). A monthly labor union journal published by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers covering railroad industry news and events, legislation, regulation, technology, fuel, equipment, socioeconomic and political aspects of the industry and union news, events and personnel.
Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (1908-1931). Most of the Proceedings concern technical reports on a wide variety of topics, including: roadways, ballasting, ties, rail, track, buildings, bridges and trestles, masonry, signals, crossings and cattle guards, water services, yards and terminals.
Railway Journal (1908-1931). This monthly journal addresses the organizational and technological needs of two railway trade unions, the National Association of Freight Traffic Agents and the International Railroad Master Blacksmiths Association.
Preservation of the transportation collection is an integral part of the library’s commitment to maintaining the premier transportation collection in the country and of providing increased access to valuable parts of its collection. This project was made possible by a CIC-NEH grant.
Roberto A. Sarmiento
Head, Transportation Library