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Southern Pacific General Managers Orders Files
MS 859  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Accruals
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Arrangement
  • Biographical / Historical
  • Preferred Citation
  • Conditions Governing Use
  • Additional Collection Guides
  • Scope and Contents

  • Language of Material: English
    Contributing Institution: California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives
    Title: Southern Pacific General Managers Orders files
    creator: Southern Pacific Company
    creator: Southern Pacific Railroad Company. Operating Department
    Identifier/Call Number: MS 859
    Physical Description: 1000+ Linear Feet 3000+ general managers orders files
    Date (inclusive): 1905-1970
    Abstract: This is a collection of general managers orders files created during management of capital expenditure projects by the Southern Pacific Railroad between 1905 and 1970.
    Physical Location: Statewide Museum Collections Center

    Conditions Governing Access

    Collection is open for research by appointment.

    Accruals

    Further accruals are expected.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Gift of the Southern Pacific Company and Steve C. Arbuckle.

    Arrangement

    These case file are arranged by GMO number. There is also a description based on geographic location.
    Approximately one half of the collection has been arranged and described.

    Biographical / Historical

    General managers orders conist of capital expenditures by senior officers or, in some cases, by the board of directors. Department heads, senior officers, the President, or the Board of Directors would propose capital expenditures as necessary to build new structures and other facilities or tracks, or to replace worn or obsolete equipment or to upgrade track and structures, to buy locomotives and passenger cars. Each item or project was assigned a GMO number by the Finance or Accounting Department.
    The department proposing the expense would prepare a brief description to go with the GMO number. Southern Pacific GMO forms briefly describe a project or capital expenditure and to justify its inclusion in the budget for the year. Each GMO number would have a corresponding file where project details and progress would be noted, including dates of commencement and completion.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item], Southern Pacific General Managers Orders files, MS 859, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

    Conditions Governing Use

    Copyright has not been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the CSRM Library & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the CSRM as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

    Scope and Contents

    This is a collection of general managers orders files created during management of capital expenditure projects by the Southern Pacific Railroad between 1905 and 1970. In addition to general managers' order (GMO) forms, these files contain project information generated through the management of capital expenditure projects by Southern Pacific. Includes correspondence, estimates, bills of material, maps, drawings, photographs in Arizona, California, and Nevada. Most of the processed files pertain to projects in Sacramento and the surrounding area.
    Southern Pacific capital expenditure projects include: the purchase of equipment and land, construction and abandonment of trackage, fences, buildings and other structures, their maintenance including painting,removal, sale, cleanup, repair, upgrade, replacement, relocation and reconstruction. There is a GMO file pertaining to the 1926 Sacramento station depot.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Construction
    Railroads--Buildings and structures