Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen / Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Collection, 1885 - 1966
Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen / Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen collection
- Dates:
- 1885 - 1966
- Abstract:
- The Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen records contain material relating to the national organization, national railroad labor relations, and railroad labor issues, from the late nineteenth through the mid-twentieth centuries.
- Extent:
- 72 Linear Feet 72 bound volumes + 5 boxes + 1 oversize box
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen / Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Collection , MS 3, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen records contain material relating to the national organization, national railroad labor relations, and railroad labor issues, from the late nineteenth through the mid-twentieth centuries.
In addition, the General Chairman's Reports, which comprise a sizable portion of the collections, relate largely to labor cases on the Southern Pacific, El Paso and Southwestern, and Northwestern Pacific Railroads. Of particular interest is the volume on the arbitration of questions raised by electrification of the Southern Pacific's East Bay suburban operations. In addition to information on these lines, the volume contains testimony describing operations on the Pacific Electric Railway and other Southern California electric routes.
The following abbreviations are used in the inventory:
BLE Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
BLF Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
>BLFE Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen
BRT Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
EPSW> El Paso and Southwestern Railroad
NWP Northwestern Pacific Railroad
ORC Order of Railway Conductors
SP Southern Pacific Company, Pacific System
- Biographical / historical:
-
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen was founded on December 1, 1873 at Jervis, New York, to provide mutual support for railroad firemen. The Brotherhood early on emphasized insurance, although in the late nineteenth century it became involved in labor/management relations. By the turn of the century, the organization also had changed its name to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, thereby permitting locomotive engineers to hold membership.
In 1969, it joined with the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and the Switchmen's Union of North America to form the United Transportation Union.
The archives of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen is located at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. A microfilm edition of the Brotherhood's Constitutions, 1875-1963/1964, and Proceedings, 1874-1968, has been produced by NYT Microfilming Corporation of America (PO Box 10, Sanford, North Carolina 27330) as part of its American Labor Unions series.
- Acquisition information:
- United Transportation Union, 1982; various donors
- Arrangement:
-
This collection is arranged into 8 series:
Series 1: General Grievance Committee, Proceedings, and Joint Reports
Series 2: Convention Proceedings
Series 3: Presidential Bulletins
Series 4: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, Joint Protective Board, Proceedings
Series 5: Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, Joint Protective Board, Reports
Series 6: General Chairman's Reports
Series 7: Arbitration of Electrical Questions
Series 8: Ephemera
- Physical location:
- Statewide Museum Collection Center
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-12-10 00:01:42 +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. 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.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen / Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen Collection , MS 3, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
111 I StreetSacramento, CA 95814, US
- Contact:
- (916) 323-8073