Railroad document collectors

[tsby_fan]

Are there any railroad document collectors on here? By that, I mean train schedules, rule books, pamphlets, actual rr worksheets, etc.? I came across a bunch of different Penn Central, Michigan Central, New York Central stuff, in anyone is interested. Click on the link to see the list. Thanks.
Al
http://stores.ebay.com/Al-Macs-Deals/Mo ... 34.c0.m322

[Y@]

I have a whole buttload of Bessemer and Lake Erie RR paperwork from the late 70's and early 80's.

[railohio]

I've got a few employee timetables and track charts.

[hoborich]

I've got a Chesapeake and Ohio, Stations, Junctions and Connections book, issued by the accounting dept.
I also have a High Horsepower Locomotive Operating Manual. [GP30 ]

[SD80MAC]

I've got close to 30 locomotive operators manuals, some old timetables and a bunch of misc. paperwork that I've accumulated over the years.

[PerRock]

Keeping more on the digital side, I've started a collection of Amtrak PDF files online of various things.
One can see all that I have here: https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0Bwosz ... lhQkk/edit

peter

[MP73point4]

Over the years I've collected lots of paper stuff. Got into it mostly because it used to be relatively cheap compared to hardware. Most stuff is 1950's and newer, again since it was cheaper. I've got about 400 employee timetables, over 2300 public timetables, over 300 different locomotive operating manuals (includes multiple issue dates of the same manual), almost 1100 Michigan RR passes and over 2000 non-Michigan passes (the non-MI passes are for sale if you're interested). This may seem like a lot, but I know there are those out there with way more stuff than this. And older stuff too.
I wouldn't know any of this as specifically except a number of years ago I started keeping very good track of what was in my collections. I found I couldn't remember it all any more and would sometimes buy an item I already had. To stop that I, started documenting what I had by RR and date, serial number, when I acquired it, what I paid, condition, and then scanning or photographing it for my records and insurance man. I just keep it in Excel, and it is really quick and easy to verify whether I already have something and what I should pay for new items similar to something already in my collection.
If you're getting started in any collecting hobby, I'd recommend starting this kind of documentation early. Once you have a couple hundred of something it becomes daunting. A couple dozen things to get started on is a lot easier.

[tsby_fan]

I know what you mean about not remembering everything you have in your collections; in an O/T hobby of mine (scale model cars) I had in excess of 2000 unbuilt kits at one point, with no idea of what I exactly had. It took a bit, but I've pared it down to close to 500 kits now, but it's still hard to remember them all! A spreadsheet definitely helps.
Al

[CAT345C]

I've been working on a collection of time tables and misc paperwork from railroads I like or ones that owned the different railroads I"ve worked on. So far that includes the GTW, NYC, MC, C&O, ELS, CNW, and LS&I. I've also got some older ATSF stuff that was in with the NYC stuff my grandfather had left.

[MP73point4]

I know what you mean about not remembering everything you have in your collections; in an O/T hobby of mine (scale model cars) I had in excess of 2000 unbuilt kits at one point, with no idea of what I exactly had. It took a bit, but I've pared it down to close to 500 kits now, but it's still hard to remember them all! A spreadsheet definitely helps.
Al

What?!? Pare down my collection......I hear the echo of my wife!
For me this train collecting thing is a one way street. The collection just keeps growing. I have, over the last few years, limited my collecting to just Michigan related stuff - which helps. It's still daunting to think how much stuff is out there though.
If you wanted every NYC timetable issued, well, 4-6 per year for 50+ years and the numbers add up fast. Oh, you want the Pere Marquette too, and GT, and Michigan Central, and employee timetables. Before you know it, you've got a garage full of stuff.
Document early and often before it gets out of hand. It makes it easier too if you're doing research and you may want a particular issue date of a timetable for example. It's easy to look in the spreadsheet first rather than digging through boxes of timetables.

[TrainWatcher]

I have a small collection. Besides some of my Grandfather's NYC/PC/CR information (timetables, work logs, paperwork etc), I also have Santa Fe Division Timetables from CHI to San Bernadino, as well as some other PC passenger timetables, a complete set of GTW Fright Billing pamphlets which also includes the PH&D, an Alco S2/4 Operators Manual, and a few odds and ends. If anyone has a GP15-1 operators or maintenance manual I'd be really interested.

[hoborich]

When we are gone, our kids are going to haul a dumpster up next to the house, and fill it up. "What is all this crap"?

[12Bridge]

I try not to think about what I have between slides, manuals, documents, timetables, horns, etc..

[lightning]

Are we having a "book burning" party? Or are we sending it to New York so they can use them to keep warm?!?!

[cbehr91]

I've got some timetables, track charts and maps. I've got a CSX schedule book from the 80s too.

[BerkshireKid]

How interested James?!? ..... ehehehehehee