Transportation - Overview
Americans have always been a people on the move—on rails, roads, and waterways (for travel through the air, visit the National Air and Space Museum). In the transportation collections, railroad objects range from tools, tracks, and many train models to the massive 1401, a 280-ton locomotive built in 1926. Road vehicles include coaches, buggies, wagons, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and automobiles—from the days before the Model T to modern race cars. The accessories of travel are part of the collections, too, from streetlights, gas pumps, and traffic signals to goggles and overcoats.
In the maritime collections, more than 7,000 design plans and scores of ship models show the evolution of sailing ships and other vessels. Other items range from scrimshaw, photographs, and marine paintings to life jackets from the Titanic.
"Transportation - Overview" showing 7 items.
- No Image Available
Edwin Price Reminiscences, 1893
- Notes
- Edwin Price was a locomotive engineer for various railroad companies, ca. 1851-1886. He began his career on the Nashville & Chattanooga where he worked for five years. He was employed for eighteen years on the Little Miami Railroad. He describes the responsibility of his position, "One million one hundred and fourtee[n] thousand nine hundred and twenty three miles or equal to forty two time[s] around the world without crippling, wounding or killing a single soul rideing [sic] behind me."
- Summary
- One original journal and a typed transcript of the original
- Cite as
- Edwin Price Reminisences, 1893, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of Miriam Price Taylor
- Date
- 1893
- 19th century
- author
- Price, Edwin (locomotive engineer) 1829-1901
- donor
- Taylor, Miriam Price
- collector
- Transportation, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Samuel Morse Felton Family Papers, 1841-1930
- Notes
- Felton (1), civil engineer, is best known as the president of the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore RR (PWBRR,) which he rebuilt and restored; president of the Pennsylvania Steel Company; and in 1869 as a commissioner appointed by President Grant to inspect the Pacific railroads. In April 1857, Felton placed the engine "Daniel Webster" in service on the PWBRR--probably the first successful coal-burning passenger engine in regular service on any American railroad. He was born in Philadelphia, 1853; graduated from M.I.T. 1873. 1889: became president of the Chicago and Alton Railroad, later assumed the presidency of the Mexican Central Railroad, and became president of the Chicago Great Western Railroad in 1909. During World War I he was appointed Director General of Military Railways and had charge of the organization and dispatch to France of all American railway forces and supplies. As of 1928 he was Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Great Western Railroad; president, Western Railroad Association; and chairman, Western Association of Railway Executives, to name only a few of his positions. At his death he was an advisor and associate of the Central Trust Company of Illinois
- Summary
- Biographical material on both Feltons; correspondence, 1861-1927 to and from both Feltons; a report by Felton on the construction of the Norfolk Co. railroad, 1847-49; reports, 1917-19; and news clippings and articles, 185?-1930. The correspondence includes a 1926 letter regarding Conray Felton's article about an attempt to asssassinate Abraham Lincoln
- Cite as
- Samuel Morse Felton Family Papers, 1841-1930, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1841
- 1841-1930
- 1840-1930
- Civil War, 1861-1865
- 1840-1940
- author
- Felton, Samuel Morse (son) 1853-1930
- Felton, Samuel Morse (civil engineer) 1809-1889
- collector
- Transportation, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Subject
- Fletcher, Andrew
- Atterbury, W.W
- Davis, Robert C
- McAdoo, W.G
- Ames, Oliver
- Smith, M.H
- Milliken, J
- Lomonossoff, G
- Cooke, Jay
- Scott, Thomas A
- Lincoln, Abraham 1809-1865
- Philadelphia RR
- Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore RR
- Louisville Southern Railway Co
- Southern Railway and Steamship Association
- American Locomotive Sales Corporation
- United States. War Department
- United States Army
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Wagon-maker's Account Book, 1834-1869
- Summary
- The ledger contains 82 handwritten pages detailing daily transactions. Many entries suffer from illegibility and poor spelling. Most items concern repair of various parts of wagons and sleighs, often with payment in the form of grain and other farm products
- Cite as
- Wagon-maker's Account Book, 1834-1869, Archives Center
- Date
- 1834
- 1834-1869
- 19th century
- author
- Ayres, F (wagon-maker)
- Sneden, James T (wagon-maker)
- collector
- Transportation, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Baldwin Locomotive Works Scrapbooks, 1867-1929
- Notes
- The Baldwin Locomotive Works was started as a sole proprietorship by Matthias W. Baldwin in 1831. The company was the largest railroad engineering plant of its kind in the world. It is now out of business
- Summary
- Four scrapbooks containing items relating to the Baldwin Locomotive Works, including: blueprints, photographs, examples of company letterhead and blank company forms, clippings and articles, business records such as contracts and specifications, trade literature, and miscellany
- Cite as
- Baldwin Locomotive Works Scrapbooks, 1867-1929, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1867
- 1867-1929
- 20th century
- 19th century
- 1860-1930
- author
- Baldwin Locomotive Works
- collector
- Work and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Transportation, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Subject
- Baldwin, Matthias W. industrialist
- Local number
- 2009.3088 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Baldwin Locomotive Works Engine Registers and Order Books, 1822-1956
- Notes
- The Baldwin Locomotive Works was started as a sole proprietorship by Matthias W. Baldwin in 1831. The company was the largest plant of its kind in the world. It is now out of business
- Summary
- Records of engine orders, specifications, prices and delivery (some duplicating), purchaser (usually a railroad), date of trial, engine name, construction number, class, track gauge, number of wheels, size of cylinders, number of valves, and fuel type are given. For later years, prices are given
- Cite as
- Baldwin Locomotive Works Engine Registers and Order Books, 1822-1956, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1822
- 1822-1956
- Creator
- Baldwin Locomotive Works
- collector
- Transportation, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Subject
- Baldwin, Matthias W. industrialist
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Baldwin Locomotive Works Drawings, 1870-1890
- Notes
- The Baldwin Locomotive Works was the largest and most successful locomotive building firm in the world. It was begun as a machine shop owned and operated by Matthias W. Baldwin in 1831. Baldwin turned out its first locomotive engine from its shop in Philadelphia in 1832; within a few years the company was producing two a month and employed 240 men. By 1852, 500 engines had been produced; by 1861, 1,000; and by 1868, 2,000. At that point, the company employed between 1,600-1,700 men, and was one of the very largest machine works in the nation. In 1906 Baldwin began construction of a large auxiliary plant in Philadelphia suburb of Eddystone. In 1928 the Broad Street plant was closed and all work transferred to the Eddystone Plant. Baldwin had been forced by hard financial times to take on a series of partners between 1839 and 1846, and the firm's name changed repeatedly as a result. It was known as Baldwin, Vail & Hufty (1839-1842); Baldwin & Whitney (1842-1845); M.W. Baldwin (1846-1853); and M.W. Baldwin & Co. (1854-1866). After Baldwin's death in 1866 the firm was known as M. Baird & Co. (1867-1873); Burnham, Parry, Williams & Co. (1873-1890); Burnham, Williams & Co. (1891-1909); it was finally incorporated as the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1909. The company's phenomenal growth ended with in the mid-1920s as the U.S. railroad industry began its long decline. Despite various mergers and acquisitions--and an increased attention to the development of diesel engines--a slow but sure decline set in. Baldwin declared bankruptcy in 1935. World War Two brought a temporary respite, but after the war the steam locomotive was obsolete and orders rapidly diminished. The Westinghouse Corporation bought Baldwin in 1948 but was unable to turn the company around. In 1950 the Lima-Hamilton Corporation and Baldwin merged but in 1956 the last of some 70,541 locomotives was produced
- Summary
- 202 assembly drawings of locomotives and tenders, prepared to check the clearances and major component parts of the locomotive. When work was slow, draftsmen hand-colored the drawings. They were not used in the shop but were retained for engineering reference
- Cite as
- Baldwin Locomotive Works Drawings, 1870-1890, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1870
- 1890
- 1870-1890
- author
- Baldwin Locomotive Works
- collector
- Transportation, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company Records, 1863-1936
- Notes
- This railroad was chartered in 1833 to provide low-cost transportation from the Schuylkill and Mahanoy anthracite coal fields in eastern Pennsylvania to Philadelphia. Main line from Philadelphia to Pottsville opened 1842. Reading expanded by acquiring other railroads, and by 1869 had monopoly of coal traffic from Schuylkill anthracite region
- Expansion accelerated when Franklin B. Gowen became president (1869) and attempted to dominate entire anthracite trade. Purchased Schuylkill Canal (1870) to eliminate competition for coal trade; then organized the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company in 1871 to purchase and operate coal mines; secured over 40 percent of U.S. anthracite reserves, but debt incurred led railroad to bankruptcy and receivership (1880). Gowen's reckless style drove the Reading into second receivership (1886), and he was forced to resign
- Gowen's Successor, Archibald A. McLeod, tried to increase company control over anthracite trade (1892-1893), then control of several New England railroads. The Reading went bankrupt again and McLeod was ousted. In a reorganization (1896), the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad and the Coal & Iron Company became properties of the Reading Company, a holding company. Later additions to system were infrequent and largely confined to short branches and improvements inalignment. Due to anti-trust proceedings, company divested mining subsidiary (1923) and merged wholly owned railroad companies into an operating company. Acquired Lehigh & Susquehanna Railroad 1963, went bankrupt in early 1970s, and conveyed portions of its lines to Conrail (1976). The reorganized Reading Company retains real estate and other non-rail holdings
- Summary
- Primarily outgoing correspondence from the Engineering Department of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company, the remainder being engineering reports and other miscellaneous papers
- SERIES 1: 219 letterpress copybook volumes from various engineers, each with own index (1865-1892): were generated by Chief Engineer, Assistant Chief Engineer, various resident engineers, other lower-level engineers, and the Chief Road-Master. Bulk of copybooks created by William H. Bines and Henry K. Nichols during long careers with the Philadelphia & Reading. Other volumes contain letters and reports by Charles W. Buckholz, Charles E. Byers, William Lorenz, and others. Correspondence covers all aspects of the engineering operations of the railroad, much of it at highest levels, being addressed to the Presidents of the Reading. Also includes one letterbook from John E. Wooten (1865), Superintendent
- SERIES 2: Reports of Chief Engineer to Auditor, 1908-1910; structural design calculation notebooks, 1901-1935; right of way deeds, 1903; and tracings of assorted machine parts
- Cite as
- Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1863
- 1863-1936
- 1930-1950
- creator
- Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Co
- collector
- Transportation, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Engineering and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Subject
- Bines, William H
- Boggs, George B
- Buckholz, Charles W
- Byers, Charles E
- Chamberlain, E.C
- Davis, N.M
- Gowen, Franklin B
- Jamison, Robert
- Keim, George DeB
- Lorenz, William
- Manning, Charles P
- Nichols, Henry K
- Rice, George
- Royers, John H
- Steele, J. Dutton
- Thompson, J.W
- Richardson, F.E
- Whitney, E.S
- Wilson, H.T
- Wootten, John E
- Yarington, T.O
- Zacharias, H.C
- Atlantic City Railroad
- Mine Hill & Schuylkill Haven Railroad
- Reading Belt Railroad
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH