Phelan Arnoldsen (Kathleen F.) Family Papers, Mar. 1, 1928 - Nov. 26, 2022, bulk 1954-1982

Summary

Title:

Kathleen F. Phelan Arnoldsen family papers

Dates:

Mar. 1, 1928 - Nov. 26, 2022, bulk 1954-1982

Abstract:

This collection includes papers collected by Kathleen F. Phelan Arnoldeson during her career as a telegrapher for Union Pacific Railroad and a train dispatcher for Western Pacific Railroad, the papers of her father Patrick J. Phelan, a telegrapher-station agent for Union Pacific, and her husband Glade M. Arnoldsen, a train dispatcher, telegrapher, and yard clerk / crew caller.

Extent:

.17 Linear Feet 1 half archive box

Language:

English .

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Kathleen F. Phelan Arnoldsen Family Papers, MS 926, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection includes papers collected by Kathleen F. Phelan Arnoldsen during her career as a telegrapher for Union Pacific Railroad and a train dispatcher for Western Pacific Railroad, a few papers of her father Patrick J. Phelan, a telegrapher-station agent for Union Pacific, and of her husband Glade M. Arnoldsen, a train dispatcher, telegrapher, and yard clerk / crew caller for Union Pacific and Western Pacific.

Papers documenting Kathleen's career include operating certificates, passes, correspondence about assignments, seniority, and other personnel matters, a telegrapher's transfer book for 1968-1969, timetables, train orders and clearance cards, Transportation-Communication union cards, and a biography that appeared in The Headlight magazine, reissued upon her death in 2022. Most of the papers document the time she worked for Union Pacific.

Pat Phelan's papers include his business card, certificates of examination and operating rules. Papers of Kathleen's husband, Glade, certificates of operating rules, correspondence about assignments and seniority, and Order of Railroad Telegrapher membership cards.

Biographical / historical:

Kathleen Frances Phelan Arnoldsen was born on May 29, 1949 in Upland, California to Patrick Phelan and his wife. While her father was working as a telegrapher at La Habra, California, Kathleen delighted in waving at the trains at the window of her living room. She graduated from high school in Riverside, California, where she worked at the UP station for a month. Her love of trains and stations led her to apply for a position as a telegrapher with the Union Pacific. She was hired to work at Riverside station, where her father was station agent. She also worked in Ontario and East Los Angeles, and Yermo, California. She spent several weeks working in Sloan, Nevada. After her position was abolished at the end of 1970, Kathleen became the first woman to work at Hobart Tower in East Los Angeles. After her position was again abolished in 1972, she and her husband Glade moved to Northern California, where they were both hired by Western Pacific Railroad to work as telegraphers. After first working in Greenville, she transferred to the Oroville yard by April 1973. She assisted at Westwood, California after Southern Pacific had a washout on their line and needed to detour their trains on Western Pacific Railroad's track.

By the Spring of 1974, Kathleen and Glade had moved from Oroville to Bangor, California. In the Fall, Kathleen secured a train dispatcher's position in Sacramento. She was Western Pacific's first female train dispatcher. After sustaining major injuries in a car accident, Kathleen had to give up working in 1991.

Patrick J. Phelan was born on October 9, 1921 and died on February 16, 1986. He worked for Union Pacific Railroad at various stations in California and Nevada as a telegrapher, freight agent, train dispatcher, and a station agent in the 1940s to the 1960s.

Glade Milton Arnoldsen, husband of Kathleen Phelan Arnoldsen, was born on June 8, 1935 and died on September 16, 1998. He had two daughters, Lisa and Sandra. He was a train dispatcher, a telegrapher,and a yard clerk / crew caller for Union Pacific in East Los Angeles, and for Western Pacific Railroad in Stockton, Tracy, Niles, Oroville, Greenville, Portola, and Sacramento from the mid-1950s until 1978.

Acquisition information:

Gift of Jim Atkins, 2023.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into series by personal name and then alphabetically by type of material.

Series 1. Kathleen F. Phelan Arnoldsen

Series 2. Patrick J. Phelan

Series 3. Glade M. Arnoldsen

Physical location:

Statewide Museum Collections Center

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Women railroad employees

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:

CSRM Library Archives staff

Date Encoded:

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-01-30 00:38:54 +0000 .

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research by appointment. Contact Library Staff.

Terms of access:

Copyright has been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. Permission for publication must be submitted in writing to the CSRM Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Kathleen F. Phelan Arnoldsen Family Papers, MS 926, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Location of this collection:

California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives

111 I Street

Sacramento, CA 95814, US

Contact:

(916) 323-8073

Library.CSRM@parks.ca.gov

Website