Division of Transportation Railroad Reference Files
name: label: Collector
content: Watkins, J. Elfreth (John Elfreth), 1852-1903
label: Creator
content: White, John H., 1933-
label: Names
content: Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
label: Collector
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.).  Division of Transportation
label: Names
content: Pullman Railroad Company
topic: label: Topic
content: Electric railroads
label: Topic
content: Freight cars
label: Topic
content: Locomotives
label: Topic
content: Porters
label: Topic
content: Railroads -- History
label: Topic
content: Railroad car builders
label: Topic
content: Railroad companies
label: Topic
content: Railroad passenger cars
label: Topic
content: Transportation
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection materials donated by Jack White in 1995.
creator: label: Collector
content: Watkins, J. Elfreth (John Elfreth), 1852-1903
label: Creator
content: White, John H., 1933-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Division of Transportation Railroad Reference Files
accruals: label: Accruals
content: An addenda of approximately 11 cubic feet of files was added to the collection in 2022. The files were transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Work and Industry in April 2022.
bioghist: label: Historical
content: John H. White, Jr., (1933- ), historian and museum curator, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated with a B.A. in history from Miami University, Ohio, in 1958. Shortly after receiving his degree, White joined the staff of the Smithsonian Institution as Assistant Curator of the Division of Transportation, Department of Science and Technology, National Museum of History and Technology (NMHT). White became Associate Curator of the Division, 1961-1966, Curator, 1967-1985, and Senior Historian, 1986-1989. White specialized in land transportation, particularly the history of railroads. He retired in 1990. His papers, the John H. White, Jr., Papers, circa 1959-1989 are at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. 

This collection of railroad materials was begun many years ago by employees of the Smithsonian Institution, and maintained later by curators and museum specialists working in the Division of Transportation, NMHT, later named the National Museum of American History (NMAH).

Some of the clippings date back to the time of J. Elfreth Watkins in the 1880-1890s. In 1885 Watkins was appointed Curator of the Section of Steam Transportation, which was successively known as Transportation and Engineering, and Technological Collections. Other portions of White's collection were clearly from Carl Mitman, author of several hundred entries on inventors and engineers in the Dictionary of American Biography and a Smithsonian employee who served as Curator of Mechanical Technology in 1919. In 1921 Mitman took the title of Curator of the Divisions of Mineral and Mechanical Technology, serving in this capacity until 1931. In 1931 the Division of Engineering was established. Mitman served as Curator of the Division and in charge of Mineral Technology, 1931-1938, Head Curator of the Department of Arts and Industries, 1932-1938, and Head Curator of the Department of Engineering and Industries, 1938-1948.

Some portions of this collection were acquired under the time of Frank A. Taylor (Mitman's protégé) who was Assistant Curator, 1928-1931, Assistant Curator for Mechanical Technology, 1932, Curator of the Division and in charge of Mechanical Technology, 1932-1948, Head Curator of the Division of Engineering and Industry, 1948-1957. In 1955 Taylor was appointed Assistant Director, United States National Museum (USNM), with special responsibility for planning the new NMHT, and in 1958 was appointed the first Director of the new museum. In 1962 Taylor became Director of the USNM with responsibility for both the National Museum of Natural History and NMHT.

Smith Hempstone Oliver of the Division of Transportation also kept up the files to a degree, though his main interest was in automobiles.

When White started employment at the Museum in June, 1958, there were, perhaps, two file cabinets on railroads. As Mr. White mentions in a letter to the archivist in March of 2002, "It was and is a great mix of odds and ends -- photos, news clippings, small prints, manufacturing catalogs, post cards, etc. Some junk and some treasure."

White found the material very useful for research and greatly expanded the collection. It more than doubled in size during his years in the Division, 1958-1990. The collection was White's working file and was set up to meet his needs. According to White, the collections greatest lack was cross referencing -- which was mostly in his head. He could usually find things but the organization might be confusing to other users. It was not intended for public use.

White is the author of many books on railroads, including:

American Locomotives: An Engineering History, 1830-1880. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1968; 1997.

Early American Locomotives, with 147 engraving. New York: Dover Publications, 1972.

American Single Locomotives and the "Pioneer". Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1973.

The Pioneer, Chicago's First Locomotive. Chicago: Chicago Historical Society, 1976.

The American Railroad Passenger Car. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978.

The John Bull, 150 Years a Locomotive. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981.

A Short History of American Locomotive Builders in the Steam Era. Washington, D.C.: Bass, 1982.

Great Yellow Fleet: A History of American Railroad Refrigerator Cars. Golden West Books, 1986

The American Railroad Freight Car: From the Wood-Car Era to the Coming of Steel. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 31.33 Cubic feet (94 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1830s-1990
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: This collection of railroad materials was begun many years ago by employees of the Smithsonian Institution, and maintained later by curators and museum specialists in the Division of Transportation, NMHT, later named the National Museum of American History (NMAH). The collection was transferred from the Division of Transportation, NMAH to the Archives Center in the Spring of 2002.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0523
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Articles
label: Type
content: Color slides
label: Type
content: Copy prints
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Ephemera
label: Type
content: Magazines (periodicals)
label: Type
content: Manuscripts
label: Type
content: Maps
label: Type
content: Negatives
label: Type
content: Newsclippings
label: Type
content: Patents
label: Type
content: Photocopies
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Research
label: Type
content: Stereographs
label: Type
content: Tickets
label: Type
content: Writings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is divided into seven series. Most material arranged alphabetically and then chronologically.

Series 1: Car Builders

Series 2: Equipment--Rolling Stock

Subseries 2.1: Articles in progress

Subseries 2.2: Research Files for Books in Progress

Series 3: Locomotives

Series 4: Railroad Companies and Lines

Series 5: Publications

Series 6: Freights Cars

Series 7; Passenger Cars
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Robert Harding and Don Darroch, June 2002. There has been some refinement by processing archivists, but the collection primarily remains as it was when it was donated by John White.

Collection formerly known as the John White Railroad Reference Files. Original file folder titles were retained in most cases.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Articles
label: Genre/Form
content: Color slides
label: Genre/Form
content: Copy prints
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence
label: Genre/Form
content: Ephemera
label: Genre/Form
content: Magazines (periodicals)
label: Genre/Form
content: Manuscripts
label: Genre/Form
content: Maps
label: Genre/Form
content: Negatives
label: Genre/Form
content: Newsclippings
label: Genre/Form
content: Patents
label: Genre/Form
content: Photocopies
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Research
label: Genre/Form
content: Stereographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Tickets
label: Genre/Form
content: Writings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The archivist has arranged the collection into seven series. The collection consists primarily of photocopied material assembled by John White for many of his books about railroads. Many files contain original photographs, brochures, advertisements, correspondence, and trade literature. Original Pullman Palace Car photographs can be found across many files. It appears that original Pullman Palace Car photopgraphs were removed from sequence and filed among John White's files. Researchers should consult the Pullman Palace Car Photograph Collection, NMAH.AC.1175. Additionally, original Baltimore & Ohio Railroad documents are found among many of the files.  Researchers should also consult the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company Records, NMAH.AC.1086. 


Series 1: Car Builders, arranged alphabetically by company or individual. 

Series 2: Equipment, Rolling Stock, arranged in two sections: alphabetically by White's heading: Articles in Progress and alphabetical by type of railroad car under White's heading: Research Files for Book in Progress. 

Series 3: Locomotives, arranged alphabetically by Locomotive builders in two sections, first by individual company and second by individuals. 

Series 4: Railroad Companies and Lines, arranged alphabetically by railroad companies and railroad lines. 

Series 5: Publications, White's files for his book The American Railroad Freight Car, which are arranged into two sections, Illustrations and Text. Both sections are arranged numerically by chapters or sections of the book.

Series 6: Freight Cars

Series 7: Passenger Cars