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Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company Records - Master Mechanic's Records

 Record Group
Identifier: CB&Q-A-8

  • Staff Only

Scope and Content of the Collection

Record group consists of a set of minutes from the Association’s first meeting in 1886 through its 25th meeting in 1895, and a very scattered set of subject files. The minutes provide an in-depth description of the various repairs and improvements needed to keep the rail lines running efficiently, and the subject files offer a glimpse into the correspondence and reporting necessary to keep records of accidents, improvements to facilities, etc.

For blueprints and technical drawings, see Record Group A-6.

Forms part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company Records.

This finding aid describes additions to the original deposit of records inventoried in the Guide to the Burlington Archives in the Newberry Library, 1851-1901 (Chicago: Newberry Library, 1949).

Dates

  • Creation: 1886-1966
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1886-1895

Creator

Language

Materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company Records are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).

Ownership and Literary Rights

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company Records are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections at reference@newberry.org.

History of the Master Mechanics

The first meeting of Master Mechanics of the CB&Q and its proprietary lines was held on March 10, 1886, in Aurora, Illinois. Attendees to the meeting consisted of not just Master Mechanics in the various railway line divisions, but also superintendents, mechanics, engineers, and chemists. The purpose of the initial meeting was to organize an Association and to discuss standards and changes to those standards. The Association would then make recommendations and report those recommendations to the management of the railroad. This and subsequent meetings focused on very specific issues to rail cars, equipment, tools, and rail lines, their maintenance and repair, and the costs involved.

Extent

0.8 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

Abstract

Meeting minutes and scattered subject files relating to the Master Mechanics Association of the CB&Q. The association was formed to make recommendations to the management about construction, maintenance, and repair of all rail cars, equipment, tools, and rail lines. Forms part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company Records.

Organization

Papers are organized in the following series

Series A-8-1: Minutes, 1886-1895
Boxes 1-2
Series A-8-2: Subject Files, 1925-1966, bulk 1959-1966
Box 2

Collection Stack Location

4a 40 2

Provenance

Deposit of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Company, 1943, with subsequent additions, 1948-onward. Ownership transferred to Newberry Library by Burlington Northern Company, 1975.

Processed by

Martha Briggs, Alison Hinderliter, Lisa Janssen, Kelly Kress, Emma Martin, Andrew Olofsson, and Pamela Olson, 2014.

Title
Inventory of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company Records - Master Mechanic's Records, 1886-1966, bulk 1886-1895
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Alison Hinderliter and Kelly Kress
Date
©2014.
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the The Newberry Library - Modern Manuscripts and Archives Repository

Contact:
60 West Walton Street
Chicago Illinois 60610 United States
312-255-3512