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From: "Tim Stuy" njmidland AT verizon DOT net
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 13:27:26 -0400
Subject: Re: (erielack) ICC Valuation Reports
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I have gone to College Park twice to use the ICC files. Each time I
contacted David Pfiefer a week or so ahead of time and told him what I was
looking for. Each time when I got there I was taken to David's office where
he helped me fill out the "pull" request.

The way the system at the National Archives works is they "pull" requested
material about 6 times a day. You have to fill out the form and then wait.
If you get there when they open you may wait up to 90 minutes to get the
stuff. You are put in a room where there are research tables for you to
work. I was able to bring my computer and flatbed scanner (they inspect and
approve it on the way in). If you want to photocopy stuff you have to have
an employee approve it and then you can make a copy (each page is stamped
National Archives).

The first time I went through the NYS&W file. I did not look at the val
maps (although they were part of my "pull"). I did look at the field
engineers' notebook and there were a lot of good sketches and some photos.
They have several independent companies that can make duplicate photos for
you which I did - a couple of these photos ended up in our revised edition
of Volume 1 of The Next Station Will Be.

The second time I went through thr L&HR file. This one was really good!
The L&HR basically did the report themselves and the ICC just stuck it in
their books! Each structure on the L&HR was photographed (sometimes more
than once) and drawings were created as well as a complete inventory for
each one - right down to the corn husk broom and rubber stamps in the
agent's desk.

Someday I hope to do a "Next Station Will Be" book based on these photos.

If you do go, plan to spend at least two days. By the time you meet with
David and get your "pull" you will have maybe 4 hours to sort through your
stuff.

Tim




On 9/20/06, RAILDATA@aol.com wrote:
>
> I work as a volunteer in the Library at the Colorado Railroad Museum where
> we
> have a complete set of the 1920 valuation maps for the D&RGW. There are
> close
> to 300 sheets about 3' x 5'.
>
> Theya re to quite a large scale and there are separate maps to an even
> larger
> scale for important junctions, yards, etc. Every track, switch, birdge,
> sign, structure, culvert, etc. is shown. The D&RGW update thes maps until
> at least
> 1936.
>
> What is more unusaul is that we have the orginal field sketches from the
> crews making the survey. These notes have rough sketches of every
> structure and
> bridge giving major dimension amd a list of the comstruction details.
> While
> there are some photographs, they are small and pretty poor. Seem to be
> taken
> mainly to help the crew with their notes.
>
> I have never seen any valuation reports that list cars and locomtives, but
> I
> would think they exist.
>
> We sell half size copies of these maps bound into sereis for each division
> and branch and they are snapped up by D&RGW fans. For a seriosu researcher
> of a
> given location they are invaluable.
>
> Far as I know the only way you can get copies of most rairlaods is to go
> to
> the source in Washington DC, as has been mentioned. From what I ahve heard
> the
> problem is that you have to know pretty much what you want and you just
> can't
> go an brouse through the files...as is the case in most any Museum. If
> you
> contact ahead museums tend tob e quite helpful, From experience I can say
> it is
> pretty ahrd to help people who just walk in .
>
> Chuck Yungkurth
> Boulder CO
>
>
> The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
> Sponsored by the ELH&TS
> http://www.elhts.org
>


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