Index of Materials

Updated: September 1, 2006 by: Ted Anderson, curator

Additons: September 1, 2009

Pullman Car Works, Chicago

The Pullman Library at the Illinois Railway Museum consists of a large collection of drawings from the Pullman Car Works (PCW) and subsidiary companies of Pullman Standard. The indexing of this collection is ongoing, as many drawings remain to be collated and listed. For the Chicago-built passenger cars, there are specifications and drawing lists from lot 2900 (1903) to 7000 (1953). Drawings for that period fall into two classifications, the wood car era numerical series for 1880 through 1910 and the heavyweight steel cars and later lightweight steel car letter-numerical series from 1911 through 1956. The letter series are more accessible, as the early numerical series were later renumbered into letter “X” series. Cross cataloguing of these “X” series is in progress. However any drawings that were listed by floor plan number are on file including some very early plan numbers through the end of car production. In many cases for the early cars, elevation plans also exist. We can search by Pullman customer, and also by lot number. In the literature there are also reference books that provide this information for researching a particular railway passenger car. For the period 1939 through 1950, a number of 8x10 b & w negatives are on file with some gaps and a few earlier negatives, lots 6081-6400; and more complete listings, lots 6400 - 6517 and 6585 – 6982. Other Pullman negative resources are the Smithsonian Transportation Section and the California State Railroad Museum Library. [Letter-Numerical drawings are labeled as: Sequentially Numbered Drawers - Drawing Size - Sequential Number. i.e. 25-F-98 refers to the drawing in the 25th drawer, F sized, drawing 98 in that drawer. Drawers are sequential within the drawing sizes (so there are drawers 25 for almost all drawing sizes). To further confuse the issue, there may be more than 1 (as many as 9 or more) "drawers" in a physical drawer].

Osgood Bradley Company, Worcester, Massachusetts

Drawings for this subsidiary company exist for passenger cars, trolley cars, and trolley coaches. The numbering scheme is numerical. Some drawing lists by construction order (CO) number exist for the period of 1911 through the later years. Only in the few final years, after 1930 when Osgood Bradley became part of Pullman Standard, do combined drawing lists and specifications exist in the files. Combined floor and elevation plans are available for many of the cars. Photographic prints of the cars will be copied for reference purposes only. Note that drawings for the PCC style is not included. We are currently collating blueprints of PCC’s.

Standard Steel Motor Truck Company

Drawings filed numerically in drawing tubes. No catalogue available at present. Specific motor types have been located. Expect delays due to the extensive search that is necessary.

Standard Steel Car Company, Butler & Pittsburgh, PA (drawings in process of being organized)
Middletown Car Company, Middletown PA (No catalogue available at present)

At least 20,000 drawings filed numerically in drawing tubes. There is also limited availability of document information for pre- & post-WWII years. General Drawing reference numbers can be used to locate freight cars (work of Eric Neubauer) 1903-1931 & IRM extension of his work for passenger cars 1903 – 1924 (-1931 TBD). See also Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, for the Standard Steel Car passenger and freight cars.

Haskell and Barker Company, Michigan City, IN
Pullman Car Works, Chicago (Freight Cars)

Drawings filed numerically in drawing tubes. Some drawing series in file drawers. Limited availability of drawings to 1943. A drawing journal exists for these cars starting at the 500 series of drawings by lot number. Early Haskell Barker drawings exist back to 1896 with no index and require searching by year.

Freight Car Lot correspondence files, sometimes containing drawings, lettering and painting information

Pullman Car Works, Hammond, IN

Drawings filed numerically in drawing tubes for Pullman's later years. No catalogue available at present.

Seims-Steibel, Minneapolis, MN

Drawings for 1924 - 1931 production. Index pending

Miscellaneous

Pullman-Standard - Trinity Car Bethlehem Plant - some drawings, not indexed

Pullman "House" publications (Car Builder, other employee magazines); Brochures, Studies, Engineering reports

Pullman Maintenance Manuals for New Sleeping Cars (1949 - 1950) (Various railroads including, C&O, MP-T&P-I-GN, NYC, PRR, SCL, SOU, UP-C&NW-WAB, CB&Q-D&RGW-WP)

Pullman General Maintenance Manuals for Air Conditioning, Painting, Electrical and other departments.

Pullman Catalogs

Budd & AT&SF passenger car drawings related to cars rebuilt or maintained by Pullman (principally for Amtrak) - minor collection

Amtrak maintenance manuals, equipment manuals, rosters, drawings (to be indexed)

Misc. New York Central, PRR drawings

Tool drawings to construct tools (jigs, dies, frames, etc.) for constructing equipment

Chicago Transit Agency drawings, manuals, photos, in-house publications

RoadRailer manuals, memos, drawings, photos and catalogs.