Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- William Arthur Oden collection
- Dates:
- 1953 - 1988
- Abstract:
- These documents reflect Oden's many projects, particularly his work for the California State Railroad Museum. Other projects included writing a problem statement and a master plan & restoration project for a Virginia & Truckee Railroad excursion railroad, filming of Sierra Railroad equipment, a locomotive inspection and repair report for Sierra Railroad and a concession proposal for the Sierra Railroad site in Jamestown, the organization of a Nevada Railroad Museum, and the development of the Southern Nevada Railroad.
- Extent:
- 2 Linear Feet 1 box + 1 half-box
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], William Arthur Oden Collection, MS 420, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains material generated and collected by William Oden while President of Short Line Enterprises. The collection emphasizes consulting work for the California State Railroad Museum and for the State of Nevada. These documents reflect Oden's many projects, particularly his work for the California State Railroad Museum.
Other projects included writing a problem statement and a master plan & restoration project for a Virginia & Truckee Railroad excursion railroad, filming of Sierra Railroad equipment, a locomotive inspection and repair report for Sierra Railroad and a concession proposal for the Sierra Railroad site in Jamestown, the organization of a Nevada Railroad Museum, and the development of the Southern Nevada Railroad.
- Biographical / historical:
-
William Arthur Oden was a nineteenth-century renaissance man who loved railroading and greatly valued understanding nineteenth-century railroad construction and construction techniques. Born on August 1, 1938, he built his own live steam locomotive at an early age and operated it on the tracks of the Los Angeles Live Steamers in Griffith Park. By the mid-1970s, he was Manager of Product Development for Doughboy Recreational Pools in Los Angeles with expertise in mechanical design, engineering and product development of fluid control systems.
In 1967, Bill joined with three other Southern California railroad enthusiasts - Logan Stan Garner, Ronald G. Steiner and Robert D. Verkuyl - in a partnership, which became known as Short Line Enterprises. With Bill Oden as President, Short Line accumulated three operable nineteenth-century steam locomotives and eighteen nineteenth- and early twentieth-century cars. The objective of the four principals was to collect, restore and operate primarily 19th century railroad equipment for purposes of preservation, excursions, motion pictures and other commercial uses.
During 1974-1975, Bill Oden and Stephen Drew were consultants to the Nevada State Railroad Museum. During 1976, they did similar consulting reports for the California State Railroad Museum at Old Sacramento.
During the summer of 1976, Short Line Enterprises - with Bill as daily locomotive engineer - provided the equipment for the Virginia & Truckee excursion railroad operating out of Virginia City, Nevada. Bill and his wife, Ronda, purchased a home in Virginia City. From late 1976 through mid-1981, Bill was supervisor of railroad engineering and restoration for the California State Railroad Museum. For four years, Bill directed the staff of some 40 artisans who were responsible for the accurate restoration of 21 locomotives and cars for CSRM's Museum of Railroad History which opened on May 2, 1981, in Old Sacramento. Beginning in mid-1981, Bill Oden assumed similar supervisory responsibilities for the Nevada State Railroad Museum at Carson City. Most of Short Line's important nineteenth-century locomotives and cars were ultimately purchased by the Nevada State Railroad Museum.
From 1971-1983 Oden was a free-lance consultant as well as a co-owner of Short Line Enterprises, a company specializing in locomotive consultation and restoration. Oden and Short Line Enterprises were consultants for the State of Nevada between 1974 and 1981, and the California State Railroad Museum, 1975-1976. He became the Supervisor of Railroad / Restoration Maintenance at the California State Railroad Museum in 1976. In 1976, with Curator Stephen Drew, he co-wrote the restoration report "Equipment Restoration Feasibility Investigation." This report focused on four steam locomotives: Virginia & Truckee No. 12 "Genoa", No. 13 "Empire", No. 21 "J.W. Bowker" and Northwestern Pacific Railroad No. 112, and three cars: Virginia & Truckee combination car No. 16, Sierra Railway passenger car No. 3 and Central of Georgia business car No. 97 "The Gold Coast."
William Oden and Short Line Enterprises also undertook projects for the Nevada State Railroad Museum, and the Golden Spike National Historic Site in Utah. Other projects included a report on the organization and stabilization of Virginia & Truckee Railroad equipment collection (1979), report on the origin of the V&T railroad coach No. 17 (1979), work on V&T coach No. 4 for the Nevada State Museum (1985), and an outline for an interpretive concession proposal for Sierra Railroad State Park (1981).
Oden also owned a large collection of V&T rolling stock.
Bill died of a heart attack in 1983 and is buried in the Virginia City Cemetery - within view of the operating Virginia & Truckee Railroad. At the time of his death, Bill Oden was survived by his wife, Ronda, his son, Mark, his mother, and two daughters from a previous marriage.
- Acquisition information:
- Donated in 1996 by former Short Line Enterprises partner, Jim Clark.
- Arrangement:
-
This collection is arranged in three series.
- Series 1: Project files
- Series 2: Short Line Enterprises Business Records
- Series 3: General files
- Physical location:
- Statewide Museum Collection Center
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-04-06 16:47:15 +0000 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research by appointment. Contact Library Staff.
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright has not 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], William Arthur Oden Collection, MS 420, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
111 I StreetSacramento, CA 95814, US
- Contact:
- (916) 323-8073