ARCHIVES
The Archives of the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society consists of a large collection of printed documents, company correspondence files, publications, drawings, photos of all types, timetables and other paper materials pertaining to the history of the Reading Railroad. We also have a large collection of books on the Reading Railroad and on neighboring railroads and the railroad industry at large. Sorting and organizing our Archives is an ongoing task. At present, we are organizing materials by subject matter, but we do not have an index. The Archives is open and available to researchers by advance appointment. Since we are all-volunteer, Saturdays when the Museum is open is the best time to schedule a research appointment, but other days of the week can be arranged if one of our volunteers is available. Contact us at archives@readingrailroad.org for more information or to request an appointment. If you have a specific question about some aspect of Reading Railroad history, sometimes we can answer it directly via email or letter.
Regarding genealogical research, we have railroad operating records and other materials that often mention various employee names, but we do not have employee personnel files for railroad workers. Looking through our Archives for information on a specific employee has a small chance of success, and will likely require a substantial amount of your time.
PHOTO COLLECTIONS:
The RCT&HS has an extensive collection of photo prints, negatives, and slides covering all aspects of the Reading Railroad including facilities, locomotives and rolling stock, and people. New photos are constantly being added through donations and other acquisitions. Photos generally fall into one of the following two categories:
Photos taken by the Reading Railroad’s in-house photographer – these are glass or film negatives, or photo prints, almost all black & white, no color, usually with serial numbers, and taken from the early 1900s up to the 1970s. Most of these are organized and indexed, and a copy of the digital index is available on request.
Photos taken by rail fans, commercial photographers, and various other sources – these are glass and film negatives, color slides, and color and black & white photo prints, organized by subject. Organizing these photos is an ongoing process, with a long way to go.
To learn more about our photo holdings or to schedule a research appointment, please contact us. Copies of photos can be provided in the form of digital scans for a modest charge.