Many on this Forum check in here looking to read how the locomotives are repaired and search for many subjects about the 4th Division or other narrow gauge happenings. What happened when you have read all the published books and run out of new sources? I had that problem and have progressed to find that there are still many original sources of published record beyond the local newspapers. Some take a great time to work through and are not too rewarding but then there are some surprises. Besides the “Colorado Historic Newspaper” web site, let me go through some of my successes of what I found rewarding.
One of the greatest sources for San Juan data was the “Poor’s Manual” which was a yearly book and had the annual data but also a short history and changes to the line. Most major State Libraries have full sets.
The railroad industry weekly or monthly newspapers or magazines were the next best for notices of extensions of certain lines. “The Railroad Gazette/ Railway Age Gazette” (titles vary for two different pub. companies) is one of the largest collections of written information. Briefly, there were many magazines that also covered the Mechanical or Maintenance of Way subjects. Many new equipment changes are details in articles in these issues. “ American Railway Journal” started publishing in Boston in the late 1830s, for example.
If looking for information on industries that served the narrow gauge, there is a tremendous volume of material for the mining of minerals and of coal. I can go into names and details later if requested.
There was the weekly “American Lumberman” and the “Timberman” for that industry plus many others.
Many here have seen the old “Railroad Magazine” and “Railroad Man Stories” that go back into the Teens. These are interesting as they printed many small notes of data fed by readers who would offer interesting facts. You never know what might fit your interest. These were very poor pulp paper and are hard to find in readable shape. They too are costly.
But less know are the Brotherhood magazines, such as “Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers” monthly journal 1907-1959. There was also “Monthly Journal” of this same title which was devoted to the locomotive department, dates back to 1890. Next there was a “Brotherhood of Loco. Fireman and Engineman”; 1901-1906, later “Loco. Fireman and Engineman”, etc. And of course, “Order of Railway Conductors” from 1900 into late 1920s. “Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen” publishing since 1893. These usually were large thick perfect bound with good grade paper about the size of later year small size “Railroad Magazine” and had photographes. Not too much in these was site specific to the San Juan area narrow gauge, but some case was worth the time to page through them at a State Library.
Now I want to identify one of these Union magazines which really hit at home for our interest-“The Railway Telegrapher”. There are volumes of information in this just for our D&RG, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Division and there is surely not the space here to capture all the happening recorded but will try to type up just two issues as an example of the nature of the information. As you can guess, it recorded much of the personnel moving from job to job, but also records the opening and closing of stations, and the traffic happenings. Some time the accidents and weather history is included. Since it is so old, it is likely very new information for our understanding of the line.
The Railroad Telegrapher Feb. 1908 Page 320 in the D&RG section
“Alamosa Branch, Third Division—
Everything is moving along quietly and smoothly on the Alamosa branch of the Third Division. D&RG Ry. Most all stations show an increase in business over last year, eliminating the cry of panic.
The great San Luis Valley produced larger crops last year than ever before in its history. There is a good market for these crops and they are moving them.
Agent W. S. Burtiss, of Mears Junction, reports prosperity in that section of country, although some saw mills have closed down for the winter, as is their yearly custom. They will resume in the spring. Acting Agent Bro. Peters, of Villa Grove, is holding the station until regular man can be checked in.
Moffatt station shows no decrease in the comparative statements, although the Crestone branch has been closed since last August.
Bro. Allen, of Hopper, who also acts as agent of Mosca, a town of five hundred people, although he is seven miles distant, has his hands full of business, keeping his many patrons supplied with cars of shipments. Bro. Allen is far the busiest man in this section of the country.
The Alamosa branch, Salida to Alamosa is O.R.T. 100 per cent.
Next! Cert. 446 Div 49”
We now jump way over a number of issues for another example of being up on Cumbres where there were 3 or 4 of the Lively family that were frequent contributors.
“The Railroad Telegrapher” March 1910 D&RG section “Fourth Division” [page 434]
Bro. Ketchum, second, Chama, has been transferred to the Rio Grande Western.
Bro. A. C. Bond, of the B&LE, relieved Bro. R. W. Qgle while in Denver a few days.
Cumbres has been made a three-man office, the two new men being Messrs. Pexton and Evans. Bro. Lively will try to land them later.
Bro. Phelps, of Occidental, was relieved by Mr. Evans and went to Alamosa until something turns up.
Bro. M. Case, of Tres Piedras, relieved Bro. Horton of Servillette, who went to Durango on account of sickness. Later Bro. Case was relieved by Bro. McCully of Antonito, who has sold out his business there.
Osier is now a three-man office, Bro. Rienhardt being the new man. This makes Osier solid O.R.T.
A second trick was put on at Pagosa Junction, Bro. Bond being then new man. Later on the trick was taken off and Bro. Bond relieved Bro. Ketchan at Chama.
Bro. Hendricks has relieved Bro. McGranna of Osier, who it was claimed was doing too much sleeping. We are sorry to see any Order boy let out on this account. [my bold]
Bro. Wynne, who has been sick for some time, has returned to Chama first.
Bro. Motz bid in Lumberton second, Navajo being closed. [I never know there was a agent at Navajo]
Third trick, Garland, has been discontinued, and Mrs. Armstrong has gone to Blanca.
Agent Kuhn has returned to Pagosa Springs, relieving Agent Jarvis, who took third at Antonito on account of being older in the service than Bro. McHugh, who went to Occidental.
Mr. Coldiron bid in first at Occidental, and later went to Chama when Occidental was closed. Mr. Evans, second Occidental when that office closed, went to La Veta and relieved Bro. Stevens.
Bro. C. S. Lively, while off a few days, was relieved by Mr. Evans.
Bro. C. L. Tucker, our division local chairman, made a trip recently up the Creede line looking up the nons.
M. L. Weiser had relieved C. M. Coonrod, chief train dispatcher. Mr. Weiser is an old-timer from the Santa Fe Ry. We will do all we can to help him out in every way.
The position of night chief train dispatcher has been abolished, and Bro. McCully put on as night operator.
Complaint is made that some of the boys have been doing too much sleeping on duty, causing more or less extra calling for the dispatcher. When operators only work eight and nine hours, there is no excuse for them going to sleep and neglecting their work.
C. A. Moore from the Mo. Pac. Is handling the second trick in the dispatchers’ office at Alamosa; “Jim”Moore is on third and D. A. Carter is first.
Bro. Mc Cully is now on third trick in “AS” office. [Alamosa disp] Cert 240”
End of examples of this source of OSI. This offered to hopefully patch up any discouraging thought that a certain John C had about my postings. I have a ½” thick pile of copies of this and John W. can get to see a copy of that set at Gordon Ch…..’s place.
One other record source out there of recent interest and need is the “Bi-Annual Report of the Railroad Commissioner of Colorado, 1st, 2nd 3rd and 4th edition. I have the 4th edition but would like to see the pages of the other editions where they detail the request for “Emergency Orders”. These are where a shipment needs a rate or has been moved without the rate approved by the RR Commissioner or the PUC (which came later), and the publication recorded the origin and destination of the move, even engines moved for private logging lines, and approved the rate used by the railroad. Often the actual move date was recorded. I sure would like to buy those editions or copies of the numerous pages show this rare data. [You didn’t know Doug was in collusion with me to develop a battle so everyone wouldn’t want to miss a word.] Emp.
