The Pullman Company Denver District Car Service collection

Title: The Pullman Company Denver District Car Service collection

Dates: 1935-1969

Collection Number: MS 680

Creator/Collector: The Pullman Company Denver District Car Service Collection

Extent: 1 box

Repository: California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives

Abstract: This collection includes office records sent to or generated by two employees of the Pullman Company's Denver District car service department. Series 1. Car Distributor - Eugene "Gene" Barber Series 2. Receiving Cashier - E.A. Paterson

Language of Material: English

This collection is open for research at our off-site storage facility with one week's notice. Contact Library & Archives staff to arrange for access.

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 California State Railroad Museum Librarian. 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.

The Pullman Company Denver District Car Service collection. California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives

Purchased in 1996

Car service was one of the key functions of the Pullman Company Operating Department. As defined by the Interstate Commerce Commission, car service is “the use, control, supply, movement, distribution, exchange, interchange, and return of locomotives, cars, and other vehicles used in the transportation of property." The Pullman Company used its regional District Offices to control car movements and distribution. Each District was responsible for providing sufficient staff to maintain, supply, and clean Pullman cars in its District when the cars were not in use. Eugene “Gene” Barber worked for the Pullman Company in the Denver District’s car service department for more than 30 years. In 1935, he was a "First Clerk." By 1941, he was a relief day and night agent on the car desk. By 1945 he was a car distributor. In 1961 he is listed in the District Superintendents’ personnel records as a clerk-typist. Eugene Barber was furloughed effective September 1, 1969, most likely because Pullman passenger car sercice operations had ceased effective December 31, 1968. Eugene Barber's responsibilities as a car distributor included: handling the distribution of Pullman passenger cars, maintaining records related to car movements, handling correspondence about the distribution and shopping of cars, answering inquires for information about car movements, assigning cars to certain lines and trains, as well as arranging for repairs. In 1939 E.A. Paterson was the Pullman Company’s Chief Clerk for the Denver District's car service. From 1946 to 1959 he was Receiving Cashier.

Gene Barber's office files include memoranda, bulletins, circulars, tariffs for special trains, telexes and lists of District representatives. Most are copies of information generated by the District Superintendent and sent to multiple employees. Subjects in Gene Barber's files include: special trains, rates for service, car defects, repairs to air conditioning, car inspections, cleaning, safety, assignment of conductors and porters, yard training, changes of personnel, union rules, scheduling overtime, water failures and wrecks. Includes files of E.A. Paterson collected while Receiving Cashier for the Denver District car service, between 1954 and 1959. Material includes the following forms: remittance for ticket sales, adjustment of remittances on ticket sale report, request for stationery and tickets, cashiers' deposit slips, statement of cash and credit items on hand in audit of receiving cashier's accounts. Many of these documents contain annotations made by E. A. Paterson. Also includes telexes and memoranda. Subjects include: ticket remittances, authority for signing pay checks, improper use of time checks, clerks' holidays, and notice of garnishment of wages.