General railroad pamphlets, 1945-1972

Inclusive date range: 1926-1973

Bulk dates: 1954-1973



This collection consists of materials collected by Carl N. Smith, an employee of the New York Central Railroad [NYCRR], Grand Central Terminal Division and member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen [BRT]. He collected pamphlets from the BRT, including the BRT's constitution, agreements between the BRT and NYCRR, the By-Laws for Local 598, and general information on the union. He also collected rulebooks and timetables from the NYCRR's Grand Central Terminal Division. He also collected materials on first aid for railroad workers and on the Railroad Retirement System.



Of particular note is the correspondence file, which documents the various actions taken by rank and file members of the BRT in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Specific concerns that the rank and file members were concerned with include sanitation concerns at Grand central Station, the abandonment of lines, the repeal of the full crew consist in New York State and the subsequent loss of jobs, the perceived disinterest of the higher ranked union members for the concerns of the rank and file, and the state of the Railroad Retirement Fund. This collection also contains a pamphlet advocating for a union that served all railroad operating employees, and in correspondence Mr. Smith and his fellow rank and file members expressed similar desires.