Robert B. Watson collection of (PRR) Company documents 2421

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on September 14, 2021. Description is written in: English. Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Manuscripts and Archives PO Box 3630 Wilmington, Delaware 19807 [email protected] URL: http://www.hagley.org/library Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents 2421

Table of Contents

Summary Information ...... 3 Biographical Note ...... 3 Scope and Content ...... 4 Arrangement ...... 4 Administrative Information ...... 4 Related Materials ...... 5 Controlled Access Headings ...... 5 Collection Inventory ...... 6

- Page 2 - Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents 2421

Summary Information

Repository: Manuscripts and Archives Creator - cre: Watson, Robert B. Title: Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents ID: 2421 Date [inclusive]: 1876-1968 Date: bulk 1900-1957 Physical Description: 6.2 Linear Feet Language of the English . Material: Abstract: The collection consists of materials documenting Watson's work for PRR, particularly mechanical engineering and rolling stock. Records largely focus on the development of PRR and passenger cars in the mid-twentieth century.

^ Return to Table of Contents

Biographical Note

Robert B. Watson was born at Altoona on June 29, 1931, and graduated from Penn State with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1953. As a consequence of being in the R.O.T.C. program, he was also commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers and served in active duty in Railway Battalions during the end stage of the Korean War. He had begun working for the PRR in college and returned to the company full time in 1955, following the normal career path leading from Junior Engineer to Motive Power Inspector, Enginehouse Foreman, Assistant Trainmaster/Assistant Road Foreman of Engines, and Master Mechanic, while being rotated around the system. Watson completed his education by attending the Yale University Graduate School's Railway Operations & Economics Program under a Strathcona Fellowship, graduating with a Certificate of Transportation in 1958. In this program he studied under Prof. Kent T. Healy, one of the mid-twentieth century's leading experts in railroad operations and management. In February 1966 he became Master Mechanic at Philadelphia.

Based on his accomplishments, the company chose Watson to be its Coordinator on the Northeast Corridor Demonstration Project in September 1966. This program of the Johnson Administration was the first attempt to develop high-speed rail passenger service in imitation of the famous Shinkansen or "Bullet Trains" recently introduced in Japan. The program involved both upgrading the existing track and signaling infrastructure to take the extra wear and tear of high-speed operation and developing - Page 3- Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents 2421 high-speed equipment that eventually debuted in 1969 as the first Metroliners. Watson was a member of the team that developed a high-speed test track between New Brunswick and Trenton, N.J., and ran numerous tests with a train of four experimental cars built by the Budd Company for the U.S. Department of Commerce, later the Department of Transportation. The Metroliners were rushed into production without adequate testing and debugging, and American high-speed rail has continued to lag behind its European and Asian counterparts.

With the completion of the design phase of the Northeast Corridor Project, Watson left what was now the bankrupt and doomed Penn Central Transportation Company at the end of 1971 and joined the Philadelphia consulting engineering firm of LTK Engineering Services, formerly Louis T. Klauder and Associates, where he worked on a number of projects related to rail passenger service and rolling stock until his retirement in December 1998. Watson has been active in the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society and other groups of former PRR managers and has authored several articles on the history of PRR mechanical engineering and rolling stock development.

^ Return to Table of Contents

Scope and Content

The collection consists of materials documenting Watson's work for PRR, particularly mechanical engineering and rolling stock. Records largely focus on the development of PRR locomotives and passenger cars in the mid-twentieth century.

^ Return to Table of Contents

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject/title.

^ Return to Table of Contents

Administrative Information

Publication Statement Manuscripts and Archives

PO Box 3630 - Page 4- Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents 2421 Wilmington, Delaware 19807 [email protected] URL: http://www.hagley.org/library

Provenance Gift of Robert B. Watson

^ Return to Table of Contents

Related Materials

Related Material William McKinley Keller Papers (Accession 1580), Manuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library

Raymond Loewy - PRR Renderings (Accession 2349), Manuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library

A history of the Conway Yard development (Accession 2373), Manuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library

Pennsylvania Railroad System Rosters (Accession 2386), Manuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library

Pennsylvania Railroad Miscellany (Accession 2412), Manuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library

^ Return to Table of Contents

Controlled Access Headings

• Railroads. • Mechanical engineering • Railroads -- Rolling stock • Pennsylvania Railroad

- Page 5- Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents 2421

Collection Inventory

Title/Description Instances A.A.R. Passenger locomotive tests, 1938 box 1

Altoona Shops (from History of Blair County) box 1

Altoona Works -- Supervisory seminar, 1958 box 1

American Arch Company -- Sectional brick arches for locomotives, box 1 1914

American Throttle Company, Inc., 1939 box 1

Anniversaries -- 100th -- Trains, Mutual Magazine, etc., 1946 box 1

Anniversaries -- 50th -- Railway World, 1896 box 1

"The Brakeman at Church", undated box 1

Broad Street Station -- Closing program, 1952 box 1

Budd Company -- Coaches and diners, 1939 box 1

Bureau of New Ideas (Bruce B. Watson), 1927-1937 box 1

Business car No. 1000, 1965 box 1

C.T. 200 -- Adjusted tonnage ratings, 191519241965-66 box 1

Cab signal questions and answers box 1

Car cooling schemes box 1

"A Century of Motive Power on the Pennsylvania Railroad" box 1

Century of Progress Exposition, 1933 box 1

C.I.O. News, 1945 box 1

Class GG1 electric locomotives box 1

Class K4s -- Miscellaneous box 1

Class L5 -- Tests box 1

Class Q2 duplex steam locomotive, 1946-1948 box 1

Class S2 steam turbine locomotive, 1944-1945 box 1

Class T1 duplex steam locomotive, 1942-1945 box 1

Class V1 turbine locomotive (Proposed) -- Diagram drawing, 1945 box 1

"Classification of Locomotives and Tenders", 1916-1952 box 1

"Classification of Cars" box 1

"Classification of Tenders" box 1

- Page 6- Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents 2421

Clippings -- Mutual Magazine -- Main Line of Public Works, 1931 box 1

Clippings -- Railway Age, 1928-1929 box 1

Coal & Water consumption of locomotives at different drawbar box 1 pulls, 1929

Coal-burning turbine locomotives, 1947 box 1

Coal inspection (Bruce B. Watson), 1933-1938 box 1

Coal Research Group -- First reunion dinner, 1941 box 1

Cost of diesel vs. electric locomotives, 1959 box 1

Dayton Union Railway Company -- Special instructions, 1959 box 1

Diagram books : Diesel, electric and steam locomotives box 2

Diagram books : Freight cars box 2

Diagram books : Lines West steam locomotives box 2

Diagram books : Passenger cars box 2

Diagram books : Special equipment box 2

Diagram books : Trucks box 2

Diesel locomotive roster, circa 1957 box 3

Diesel locomotives -- Miscellaneous, 1956-1963 box 3

Diesel locomotives -- Reclassification, 1951 box 3

Dining car lines -- Eastern District, 1938 box 3

Dividend notice, 1933 box 3

Early steam locomotive roster, circa 1847-1883 box 3

Electrification power system, 1963 box 3

Employee benefit plans, 1957 box 3

Employee relations, 1952 box 3

"The Enforcement of Specifications," by Charles B. Dudley, 1907 box 3

Floating equipment lettering diagrams, 1903 box 3

"Some Fundamentals" (Supervisors' motivational lectures), box 3 1924-1925

Freight car pool instructions, 1918 box 3

Freight locomotive pull-speed curves, 1930 box 3

Freight Sales & Services advertising kit, circa 1960 box 3

Fusion, clinkering and slagging of coal ash box 3

Geertz, A. O. -- Notebook, circa1912-1921 box 3

- Page 7- Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents 2421

General Order -- Armed guards on mail trains, 1921 box 3

General Order No. 2309 -- Sunbury Division, 1923 July 2 box 3

"General Specification for Locomotives", 1916 box 3

Gibbs & Hill -- Electrification study -- Appendix, 1955 box 3

Index of locomotives (from M.P. 229), May 1, 1945 box 3

Inspection of freight cars, 1963 box 3

Instruction manuals : A.C. electric multiple unit cars, 1917-1928 box 3

Instruction manuals : Air brakes and train air, 1916-1953 box 3

Instruction manuals : D.C. electric locomotives (Class DD1), 1926 box 3

Instruction manuals : Electric locomotives (Class FF2), 1957 box 3

Instruction manuals : Electric locomotives (Classes L5, BB1 and box 3 BB2), 1928

Instruction manuals : Electric locomotives (Class O1a), 1931 box 3

Instruction manuals : Electric locomotives (Class P5a) box 3

Instruction manuals : H.V.A.C. of passenger cars, 1900-1937 box 3

Instruction manuals : Hudson & Manhattan Railroad electric service, box 3 1913

Instruction manuals : Machinery record instructions, 1953 box 3

Instruction manuals : Rule books -- Miscellaneous box 4

Jarrett & Palmer Special of 1876 box 4

Juniata Shops -- Locomotive output, 1891-1924 box 4

Juniata Shops -- Safety instructions box 4

Keystone number plates (Mechanical Engineers file), 1927-1945 box 4

Laboratory and road test codes, 1913 box 4

Lewistown Junction station diary, 1898 box 4

"The Limiteds of the Freight Train Service", 1929 January 1 box 4

Locomotive maintenance instructions box 4

Locomotive registers (Lines East), 1894-1920 box 4 General Physical Description note: 2

Locomotive registers (Lines West), 19161920 box 4

"Locomotive Testing Stations" by D.R. Carling, 1973 box 4

Locomotive tractive effort, drawbar pull & drawbar horsepower box 4 curves, 1953

Lunch counter car -- Press release, 1913 - Page 8- Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents 2421

box 4

Multiple unit car roster, 1960 box 4

Maintenance of equipment -- Commonly used forms, 1963 box 4

Mechanical Department -- Telephone directories box 4

Method of preparing speed-time-distance-profile charts for line in box 4 Ohio, 1928

Number of locomotives, 1951-1954 box 4

"Operation of Diesel-Electric Locomotives on the PRR," by W. M. box 4 Keller, 1950

Otheograph tests of locomotives at G.E.'s Erie Plant, 1930 box 4

Passenger car registers, 1919192319541957 box 4

Passenger car trucks box 5

"Passenger Car Ventilation," by C. B. Dudley, 1914 box 5

Passenger cars retired & renamed, 1956 September box 5

"Payment of Employees in Cash", 1908 box 5

Penn Central Management Course -- Phase I, 1970 box 5

Penn Central merger -- "Now that we are one", 1968 box 5

Penn State College -- Study at Altoona Test Plant, 1920 box 5

Pennroad Corporation -- Reduction of par value, 1933 box 5

"PRR Developments to Reduce Repair Costs of Electrical box 5 Apparatus", 1959

Pennsylvania Standard, 1921 box 5

"Pennsylvania-Westinghouse Brake Tests", 1913 box 5

Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad -- Map -- Philadelphia - box 5 Haverford, 1921

The Philadelphia Letter (Management newsletter), 1966-1968 box 5

Poppet valves, 1941 box 5

Predetermination of locomotive performance, 1930 box 5

Predetermination of performance of C&O 2-10-4 and Erie 2-8-4 box 5

Pullman cars converted to workmens cars and coaches, 1942 box 5

Railroad Magazine -- "Locomotives of the PRR" (Part 2) box 5

Roll of Honor certificates, 19321963 box 5

Safety Department -- Film catalog, 1965 box 5

Service reduction caused by coal strike, 1950 February 11 box 5

- Page 9- Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents 2421

Sesqui-Centennial Exposition, 1926 box 5

Shop Crafts strike notice, 1922 box 5

Shops or inspection points -- Abbreviations, 1954 box 5

Side-wind resistance box 5

Smoke lifters -- Class K4s, 1939-1940 box 5

The Special Apprentice News, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-23, 1921 box 5

Special instructions for hurricanes and snow storms -- Chesapeake box 5 Region, 1961

Special trains -- Closing of State College, 1918 box 5

Specifications -- Miscellaneous box 5

Staybolt inspection diagrams box 5

Summary of equipment -- U.S.R.A. (B&O, CV, WM), 1919 box 5

10,000-lb. hydraulic dynamometer car, 1929 box 5

Tender diagrams, 1924 box 5

Test Department : High speed passenger trucks, 1944 box 5

Test Department : History, by Bruce B. Watson, 1950 box 5

Test Department : Ladies Aid, 1942-1948 box 5

Test Department : Locomotive draft, 1928-1931 box 5

Test Department : Summary report of Claymont Tests, 1933-1938 box 5

Tests of Class M1 No. 6872, 1929 box 5

Timetable -- PRR, 1876 box 5

Timken-equipped rolling stock, 1942 box 5

Timken hopper car tests, 1930-1931 box 5 General Physical Description note: 2

Tonnage rating drawbar pull curves box 6

Tonnage rating tests -- Panhandle Division, 1929 box 6

Track scales, 1875 box 6

Tractive effort formulae, 1928-1929 box 6

Tractive effort -- Kiesels formula, 1928 box 6

Trucks & wheels box 6

Walschaerts valve gear -- Increased cutoff at high speeds, 1940 box 6

Watkel cab air duct, 1939 box 6

Watkel superheater smoke tests, 1941 - Page 10- Robert B. Watson collection of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Company documents 2421

box 6

Westinghouse gas turbine locomotive, 1947 box 6

Watson, Bruce B. : Miscellaneous letters & notes box 6

Watson, Bruce B. : Miscellaneous notes on locomotives and M.P. box 6 personnel

Watson, Bruce B. : Miscellaneous notices, 1913-1957 box 6

Watson, Bruce B. : Scrapbook, circa 1930-1940 box 6

Watson, Bruce B. : Test Department miscellany box 6

Originals of news clippings (Use service copies in Box OS-1) oversize 1

News clippings from Pennsylvania News, , etc. oversize 1

Performance of B&P Class "P" No. 317, May 1887 oversize 1

Class T1 4-4-4-4 lettering, 1945 September 10 drawer MD-59

Class E2/E3 4-4-2, elevation, 1908 February 21 drawer MD-59

Class G5 4-6-0, elevations, undated drawer MD-59

Class K2s/K2sa/K3s 4-6-2, arrangement, 1947 April 21 drawer MD-59

Philadelphia Region operating facilities, schematic track map, circa drawer 1955 MD-59

- Page 11-