National Archives Reference Information Paper 91 -- Railroad-related Records

Part I

Introduction

I.1 This reference information paper describes significant records in the National Archives that relate to railroads in the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico), Canada, Mexico, and the Panama Canal. This paper describes documentation concerning the railroads and their interaction with the U.S. Government from the beginning of railroading to 1996. The records described include more than 1,000 series of textual, cartographic, still picture, motion picture, sound recording, and electronic records in 57 record groups housed in the Washington, DC, area and the regional archives branches of the National Archives and Records Administration as of December 31, 1996, as well as a few records in Presidential libraries.

I.2 The paper contains a preface, introduction, frequently asked questions, record descriptions, appendices, and index. The record description sections are arranged by general subject category, such as "Federal Regulation and Oversight of Railroads" and "Railroads and the Military," thereunder by record group and type of records (textual and nontextual), and thereunder by creating organization and record series title or item description.

I.3 Textual record descriptions usually consist of the following elements: record group number and title; structure or organization title; series title and date span (boldface); linear measurement or item count; master location register number; finding aid designation; arrangement statement; and details about the records. Occasionally, the records format and brief organizational histories are also included. The master location register number is the control number of the series. The finding aid designation is either the number of the published preliminary inventory or inventory; the designation for description completed after or in the absence of a published inventory (A1); or records that have not been described at all (UD). Nontextual records descriptions basically consist of the same elements as in textual descriptions. The NARA-assigned series designators are cited for the still picture records. There are excellent published finding aids to the cartographic and still picture records in NARA which include series designators.

Description of Records

I.4 Each record group covers the records of a major governmental unit, such as an agency or bureau. Within each record group, the basic archival unit of control is the series, which is a body of records arranged according to a filing system or logically kept together for some other reason (such as describing a similar subject or function, resulting from the same activity, documenting a specific kind of transaction, or taking a particular physical form).

I.5 There are series level descriptions for every record group, except for sub-group level descriptions in those record groups that are composed entirely of records relating to railroads. The three exceptions to this rule are the Records of the Interstate Commerce Commission (Record Group 134), the Records of the Department of Transportation (Record Group 398), and the Records of the Federal Railroad Administration (Record Group 399). Since these records are extremely significant to researchers in railroad records, they are described at the series level. All available published and unpublished descriptions of the records have been used in detailing the records in this paper. Some original description was prepared for otherwise undescribed records and material accessioned after 1993 judged particularly significant to researchers of railroad records. Records in the National Archives regional branches are summarized from published descriptions and other available finding aids. The description for nontextual records includes the series designator essential for identification of the records.

I.6 The choice of appropriate series for inclusion reflects the compiler's experience with the major subjects of historical research in railroad records at the National Archives. The detail of the record descriptions depends on the compiler's judgment, the quality of existing finding aids, and the importance of the records to railroad researchers. If there are quality finding aids available for record groups--such as a preliminary inventory, inventory, or other published and unpublished descriptions--they were used in the series descriptions in this paper.

Related Finding Aids

I.7 Several other NARA publications supplement or expand upon the research information contained in this reference information paper. A good starting point is the NARA's Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States (1995). The guide provides an overview of all permanently valuable accessioned Federal agency records (textual, electronic, cartographic and architectural, still picture, motion picture, sound recording, and video) held and managed by NARA facilities as of October 1, 1994. Descriptive entries are arranged by record group and include agency histories, records subgroup and series titles, dates, linear measurements, contents, facility locations, and citations to relevant NARA descriptive publications and microfilm editions. NARA will regularly update records and agency descriptions in the electronic version of the guide, which is available through the Internet on the NARA home page (www.nara.gov). Background information chiefly concerning record group descriptions can be found in the previous edition of the NARA's Guide to the National Archives of the United States, (1974).

I.8 NARA has published inventories, preliminary inventories, guides, and special lists that describe the textual and nontextual records concerning specific record groups covered in this reference information paper. These finding aids are cited at the appropriate places in the paper. The published guides that were used in the preparation of this paper include Documenting Alaskan History: Guide to Federal Archives Relating to Alaska, by George S. Ulibarri (University of Alaska Press, 1982) and the following NARA publications: Guide to Cartographic Records in the National Archives (1971); Guide to the Holdings of the Still Picture Branch of the National Archives (1990); Guide to the Ford Film Collection in the National Archives (1970); Guide to the Records of the United States House of Representatives at the National Archives: 1789-1989, Bicentennial Edition (1989); and Guide to the Records of the United States Senate at the National Archives: 1789-1989, Bicentennial Edition (1989).

I.9 These and other NARA publications are listed in the Select List of Publications of the National Archives and Records Administration (GIL No. 3), which also provides information on purchasing and ordering copies of these and other NARA records finding aids. Copies of this select list can be obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration, Research Support Branch (NWCC1), Room 403, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001. General Information Leaflet (GIL) No. 3 is also available through the Internet at the NARA home page (www.nara.gov).

I.10 The NARA Archival Information Locator (NAIL) database is a useful tool for obtaining information about special media records that relate to railroad research. For example, there are references to documentation concerning the construction of the transcontinental railroad. The NAIL database is available through the Internet at the NARA home page (www.nara.gov). The database includes field- searchable descriptions for most of the still picture and motion picture records series and some of the textual records in the National Archives. Researchers can search NAIL under a variety of terms, including railroads, locomotives, and transportation. NARA is continuously updating the database for nontextual records. Consequently, NAIL is an important tool for research in railroad records, particularly for special media records.

Sources of Additional Information

Washington, DC, Area

I.11 Relevant records in the Washington, DC, area are located--according to agency of origin, age, or media--in the following places:

1. Textual records of military organizations dated after 1917 are located at Modern Military Records, Textual Archives Services Division, National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001, telephone 301-713-7250.

2. Textual records of civilian organizations are located at Civilian Records, Textual Archives Services Division, National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001, telephone 301-713-7230.

3. Textual records concerning records relating to genealogy, District of Columbia government and courts, Supreme Court, maritime agencies, and the military services before 1917 are located at Old Military and Civil Records, Textual Archives Services Division, National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001, telephone 202-501-5390 (military) and 202-501-5395 (civil).

4. The records of the U.S. Senate (Record Group 46) and the records of the U.S. House of Representatives (Record Group 233) are located at the Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001, telephone 202-501-5350.

5. Nontextual records (cartographic, still picture, motion picture, sound recording, and video records) are located at Special Media Archives Services Division, National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001, telephone 301-713-7030.

6. Electronic records are located at Electronic and Special Media Records Services Division, National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001, telephone 301-713-6600.

Regional Archives

I.12 For information on records located in regional archives, consult the following locations. The areas served by each regional archive are listed here for convenience:

NARA-Northeast Region (Boston)
380 Trapelo Road
Waltham, MA 02452-6399
781-647-8104
Email: waltham.archives@nara.gov
Areas Served: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont

NARA-Northeast Region (Pittsfield)
10 Conte Drive
Pittsfield, MA 01201-8230
413-445-6885
Email: pittsfield.archives@nara.gov
(no accessioned records, only microfilm related to genealogy)

NARA-Northeast Region (New York City)
201 Varick Street, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10014-4811
212-337-1300
Email: newyork.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands

NARA-Mid Atlantic Region (Center City Philadelphia)
900 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-4292
215-597-3000
Email: philadelphia.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia

NARA-Southeast Region (Atlanta)
1557 St. Joseph Avenue
East Point, GA 30344-2593
404-763-7477
Email: atlanta.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee

NARA-Great Lakes Region (Chicago)
7358 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629-5898
773-581-7816
Email: chicago.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin

NARA-Central Plains Region (Kansas City)
2312 East Bannister Road
Kansas City, MO 64131-3011
816-926-6272
Email: kansascity.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska

NARA-Southwest Region (Fort Worth)
501 West Felix Street, P.O. Box 6216
Fort Worth, TX 76115-0216
817-334-5525
Email: ftworth.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas

NARA-Rocky Mountain Region (Denver)
Building 48, Denver Federal Center
West 6^th Avenue and Kipling Street
Denver, CO 80225
P.O. Box 25307
Denver, CO 80225-0307
303-236-0817
Email: denver.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming

NARA-Pacific Region (Laguna Niguel)
24000 Avila Road, First Floor, East Entrance
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677-3497
P.O. Box 6719
Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-6719
949-360-2641
Email: laguna.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: Arizona; southern California, and Clark County, Nevada

NARA-Pacific Region (San Francisco)
1000 Commodore Drive
San Bruno, CA 94066-2350
650-876-9009
Email: sanbruno.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: northern California, Hawaii, Nevada (except Clark County), American Samoa, and the Pacific Trust Territories.

NARA-Pacific Alaska Region (Seattle)
6125 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115-7999
206-526-6507
Email: seattle.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

NARA-Pacific Alaska Region (Anchorage)
654 West Third Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501-2145
907-271-2441
Email: alaska.archives@nara.gov
Area Served: Alaska

The Role of the Federal Government in the History of
Railroads in the United States--A Historical Overview

I.13 The Federal Government has substantially assisted the growth and development of railroads. In the 19th century, public funds and land grants were instrumental in the early construction of railroads. Federal Government regulation became necessary to help ensure that the railroads served the public interest. Railroads have been taken over and operated by the Federal Government during wartime and shored up with public funds during economic crises. The Federal Government has responded with emergency funds for railroads due to problems with bankruptcies and obsolete equipment since World War II.

I.14 From the beginning of the operations of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1829, the first operating railroad in the United States, until the early 1870s, the primary focus of public policy toward the railroads was state and Federal Government assistance to the growth of railroads by capital investment, cash gifts, and donations of public land. During these early years in rail transportation, Federal and State Governments not only rendered financial assistance to railroads, but even actively engaged in construction and operational ventures. The most significant Federal Government intervention during this period was extensive land grants directly to the railroads, occurring chiefly between 1850 and 1871. Before 1850, Federal land grants were given to the states, which then distributed land to the railroads. The Federal Government was in favor of land grants to railroads, since these transfers of public lands to private hands after 1850 greatly increased the value of the tax base of the United States.

I.15 Land grants and other financial assistance centered on the question of aid to the Pacific railroads during the 1850s and 1860s. These railroads were proposed to provide a transcontinental link between the Midwest and the Pacific Coast. The Pacific Railway Acts of 1862 and 1864 provided land grants for these railroads. This assistance helped the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads complete the construction of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869. Eventually, over 130 million acres were given to the various railroads, representing 9.5 percent of the land in the United States.

I.16 The Department of the Interior, upon its establishment in 1849, assumed the responsibility for supervising railroads. Land grant policy, aid to railroads for construction purposes, the issues involved with rights-of-way through public lands (including national parks and Indian lands), and railroads in the territories such as Alaska and Hawaii were among the duties of the Department=s Lands and Railroads Division and the General Land Office, and later the Office of Territories. The Department, along with the Office of the Chief of Engineers, also conducted surveys of public land for potential railroad routes.

I.17 Loans to the Pacific railroads were administered by various offices of the Department of the Treasury, including the Treasurer of the United States, the Bureau of Accounts, and the Bureau of the Public Debt. The accounts for these loans, stocks and bonds subscriptions, and sinking funds were maintained by these agencies, usually in ledger books.

I.18 One of the provisions of the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 was to require the Pacific railroads to submit an annual report to the Department of the Treasury. This was changed to the Department of the Interior by an act of June 25, 1868. By 1881, this function had been assigned to the newly created Commissioner of Railroads until its termination in 1901. The responsibility of the Commissioner was to receive annual reports from railroad companies, to examine the books of the Pacific railroads or any railroad company to which the Federal Government had provided aid or subsidies, and to determine the accuracy of these reports. The mission of the bureau was fact-finding only, as it had no authority to enforce the laws.

I.19 Until the years immediately following the Civil War, there was no effective regulation of railroads by public authority. By the early 1870s, public revulsion over various scandals caused by the financial greed and other excesses of railroad companies resulted in the termination of land grants by Congress. In addition, railroad company high and discriminatory rate structures exploited the relatively defenseless farmers and small businessmen. The bitterness arising from such actions led to the formation of the National Grange, the farmer's organization, which translated the unrest into political action. The fight of the railroad companies against this movement only served to delay the onset of Federal regulation of railroads until 1887.

I.20 Federal regulation of railroads commenced with the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which created the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) as an independent regulatory body. In the beginning, regulation was not restrictive. The Commission collected operating and financial statistics and investigated complaints of discriminatory pricing. However, it could not force the railroads to comply with rulings without a court order The initial work of the Commission was further hampered by a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that restricted its powers and by an inexperienced staff.

I.21 The movement toward effective regulation of railroads by the ICC and other Federal agencies began during the Progressive Era when the first of several landmark legislative acts relating to transportation was passed. The Elkins Act of 1903 set up a schedule of fines for failing to publish tariffs. The Hepburn Act of 1906 allowed the Commission to set maximum rates, and the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910 mandated that higher charges for shorter hauls were prohibited and that the Commission had firmer control over rates. Safety concerns were addressed by the passage of the Railroad Accident Act of 1910 that mandated that the ICC investigate the cause of major railroad accidents. To determine a factual basis for setting rates effectively, the Valuation Act of 1913 empowered the Commission to undertake a valuation of railroad property. The amount of the valuation for the property and assets of individual railroads, as determined by the ICC's Bureau of Valuation, set the passenger and freight rates for that railroad. As a result, the Commission was able to base rates upon the real value of each company rather than their watered stock and inflated capitalization. Finally, the purpose of the Transportation Act of 1920 was to strengthen the rate-making rules, including the fixing of minimum and exact rates, and to extend the jurisdiction of the ICC to trackage and the use of cars. As a result of this legislation, by the end of World War I, the ICC had wide-ranging authority to regulate railroads. Its policies covered revenue received by the railroads, wages and working conditions of railroad employees, taxes, financial transactions relating to securities, safety measures, construction and abandonment of lines, and determination of rates.

I.22 After 1930, the focus of railroad regulation and legislation changed to deal with the issue of railroad financial difficulties brought on by the Depression. Loans to financially troubled railroads and assistance with reorganization of railroads was under the jurisdiction of the Railroad Division of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. The effect of the Transportation Act of 1940 was to give the ICC authority to set rates for all common carriers, thereby ensuring railroads a competitive position for freight and passenger rates.

I.23 In addition to loans, the Federal Government also promoted a more efficient transportation system. The Emergency Transportation Act of 1933 established the Federal Coordinator of Transportation to relieve the existing national emergency in interstate railroad transportation and to maintain an adequate national transportation system. Unfortunately, in the face of the deepening Depression, the Coordinator was able to do little more than research and reporting. The enormous expansion of rail traffic during World War II eased the financial difficulties of the railroads.

I.24 After World War II, the financial difficulties of the railroads again worsened due, at least in part, to increased competition from automobiles and airplanes. More Federal intervention was needed to salvage railroad operations, particularly passenger service. In this climate, Federal regulation of railroads was reorganized with the establishment of the Department of Transportation (DOT) in 1966. The DOT was responsible for coordinating national transportation policy, including water, rail, land and air transportation. Railroad regulatory functions from the Department of the Interior, ICC, and Department of Commerce were consolidated in DOT and its subordinate agency, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Railroad mergers, the Penn Central bankruptcy, and rail safety issues became the concern of the FRA. In addition, a variety of research and development projects were undertaken in cooperation with the railroad industry, such as the Northeast Corridor Project and the High Speed Ground Transportation project. Finally, the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973 allowed the U.S. Railway Association to prepare and implement a plan for systematic rail service in the Midwest and Northeast to be operated by the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail), a combination of the Penn Central and five other railroads.

I.25 The most significant event in rail passenger history since World War II was the creation of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, otherwise know as Amtrak. Amtrak's purpose was to revive ailing passenger service while relieving the railroads of a function that had become a financial burden. Although not a Federal Government agency, the corporation was to receive Federal funds.

I.26 Another area of railroad legislation and regulation is labor-management relations. The Erdman Act of 1898, the Newlands Act of 1913, the Transportation Act of 1920, and the Railway Labor Act of 1926 provided for the creation of a succession of Federal Government agencies responsible for the adjudication of railway labor disputes between carriers and railroad employees. These agencies included the U.S. Board of Mediation and Conciliation (1913-21), the Railroad Labor Board (1920-26), the Board of Mediation (1926-34), and the National Mediation Board (1934-65).

I.27 The creation of the Railroad Retirement Board in 1935 as a result of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1935 was another instance of the Federal Government's role in railroad labor affairs. This event marked the establishment of a Federal Government-administered railroad retirement pension system.

I.28 Federal legislation relating to railroads is documented in the records of the various committees and sub-committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. These committees dealt with many issues, including land grants, rights-of-way through public lands, Pacific railroads, railroad regulation, labor discord, special railroad investigations, and railroads in the District of Columbia.

I.29 Federal Government interaction with railroads also extends into the area of the distribution of mail by rail. By 1838, the Post Office declared that all the railroads in the United States were post roads. The Post Office handled the distribution of mail, the establishment of mail rates, and maintained responsibility for any changes in railway mail service.

I.30 The supervision of military railroads during wartime was an important function of the Federal Government. During the Civil War, Union railroads were run by the U.S. Army, Office of the Quartermaster General. The Quartermaster General, specifically the Office of Military Railroads, was responsible for ensuring a safe and efficient system of supply and troop transportation for the Army. These functions were assumed by the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Director-General of Military Railways in France during World War I, and the Office of the Chief of Transportation (Army) and the Army Service Forces during World War II. Other functions were performed by the Office of the Adjutant General, which maintained the records of the various railway units; the Office of the Surgeon General (Army), which handled the movement of war casualties by hospital trains; and the General and Special Staffs, which collected intelligence information on domestic and foreign railroads.

I.31 Federal Government control of the nation's civilian railroads during World Wars I and II differed greatly. The U.S. Railroad Administration took over the operation of the railroads during World War I in order to secure full integration of transportation facilities as part of the industrial mobilization program. Federal control was deemed necessary because of freight train congestion, a shortage of freight cars, and labor problems due to low wages. In contrast, during World War II, the Office of Defense Transportation was responsible for the overall direction and coordination of domestic transportation, including railroads. This office provided supervision and coordination of railroads, but the railroads remained under private control and operation.

I.32 The Department of State and subordinate agencies were involved in diplomatic relations between Canada, Mexico, and the United States regarding railroads. The issues of railroad construction, the importance of a national transportation policy, railroad accidents, and passenger and freight rates were raised with other countries. Claims concerning damage to railroad property from foreign acts of sabotage in the U.S. during World War I and the creation of a program for the rehabilitation of the Mexican railway system during World War II were matters dealt with by the Department.

I.33 Legal actions that involve alleged violations and enforcement of Federal laws concerning railroad companies fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice, the U.S. Commerce Court, the U.S. District and Appellate Courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Much of the litigation concerning challenges to Federal laws and statutes involving railroads included objections to rulings of the ICC and other Federal agencies, personal injury lawsuits, labor disputes, and bankruptcy and rate cases.

I.34 Technological innovation in the United States after the Civil War resulted in making rail transportation safer and more efficient. The inventions of the automatic coupler and the air brake are two of the more significant patents granted by the U.S. Patent Office during this period.

I.35 The role of the Federal Government in oversight and regulation of railroads has been substantial over the years. Many Federal agencies interacted with railroads and railroad workers in the areas of regulation of interstate commerce, the administration of land grants, loans, and other financial assistance, labor-management relations, legal actions, rail safety, and military affairs. Much of the Federal Government's interaction with the railroads, particularly in the postwar period, resulted from the financial instability of railroads due to increased competition, maintenance problems due to overuse, and rail car shortages. Future modernization and improved efficiency of the railroad system depends on the Federal Government's ability to continue a long history of public involvement with railroads.

Acknowledgments

I.36 The main compiler of this reference information paper is David Pfeiffer. However, there are many other NARA staff members who made significant contributions to this effort. The assistance of the Product Development staff was crucial to this effort. Tim Wehrkamp and Anne Eales provided invaluable assistance in the preparation of the product plan and in the editing and formatting of this paper in its early stages. Ben DeWhitt and Bob Kvasnicka also offered many suggestions in terms of format and content. Mr. Kvasnicka particularly assisted with the description of Bureau of Land Management records.

I.37 Special thanks also go to Clarence Lyons who, as the product manager, spent hours editing various drafts of this paper and offering suggestions and comments to the compiler. Other suggestions and comments were gratefully received from Greg Bradsher, former assistant branch chief of the Suitland Reference Branch and the Archives II Reference Branch. David Van Tassel provided additional editing of the introduction of this paper.

I.38 Other NARA archivists who contributed to this effort include Ted Hull of the Electronic & Special Media Records Services Division, who wrote the narrative descriptions for the sections concerning electronic records. At Archives II, Richard Henderson and Nicholas Natanson of the Still Pictures Group, Special Media Archives Services Division, provided useful insights into still picture records. Richard Smith of the Maps and Plans Group and Sebastian Welsh of the Aerial Photography Group, Special Media Archives Services Division, lent their expertise concerning cartographic materials. Civilian Records staff archivists such as William Walsh (State Department records), Wayne DeCesar (Treasury records), Joseph Schwarz (Interior records), Marjorie Ciarlante (scientific records), Tab Lewis (Commerce and Labor records), and Fred Romanski (Justice records) provided invaluable assistance with the narrative description in their subject areas. Richard Boylan, David Giordano, and Barry Zerby of the Modern Military Records staff provided much-needed aid with the description of military records after 1941.

I.39 NARA archivists at the Old Military and Civil Records staff at Archives I who lent assistance include Richard Fusick, John Butler, and Kenneth Hawkins (land records), Mary Francis Morrow (Indian records), Robert Ellis (Judicial records), Aloha South (Post Office records), William Creech and Mitchell Yockelson (New Deal and World War I records), and Rebecca Livingston (Navy records prior to 1941).

I.40 The compiler gained much useful information concerning the location of military records on hospital trains during World War I and World War II from Major General Hugh F. Foster, an expert on the subject.

I.41 The compiler wishes to express particular gratitude for the archivists in the NARA regions for their help in providing narrative descriptions for records in the regions. In particular, Martin Tuohy (Great Lakes Region), Stanley Tozeski (Northeast Region), Gayle Peters (Southeast Region), Robert Svenningsen (Rocky Mountain Region), Dorothy Tenney (Southwest Region), William Greene and Suzanne Dewberry (Pacific Region), Mark Corriston (Central Plains Region), and Kellee Blake (Mid-Atlantic Region).

I.42 David Pfeiffer dedicates this reference information paper to the memory of Thomas Lane Moore, a NARA archivist who wrote a voluminous appraisal report on the records of the ICC railroad valuation records that was completed in 1990. Without Mr. Moore's dedication, perseverance, and knowledge of railroad history, a major portion of the ICC railroad valuation records could have been lost to history. His detailed knowledge of ICC records, love of railroads, and gracious guidance was of great benefit to the compiler.