Searching for Railroad Employee Records

It's a question we often hear: "My father used to work for the MoP.   How can I get information on him?"

The Missouri Pacific Historical Society does not keep historical records on employees.   We do not have access to any information along these lines of old employee records.

We have no records, no employment forms, no paycheck records.   All such records are today owned by the Union Pacific R.R. and are in storage at the Hutchinson, Kansas salt mines -- off limits to all but the lawyers.   The Union Pacific declines to help with former MP employee genealogy requests.

It is very rarely that the Historical Society can be of any specific help on genealogical questions.   Regarding information about former MP/T&P employees (genealogy requests), the MPHS like most other railroad historical societies does not have access to records of former employees.   (As a rare exception to the rule, some Pennsylvania Railroad genealogical research is possible through some records available at Temple University Library - but not through the PRRT&HS).

The MPHS stands for many things and the employees who operated and managed the railroad from start to finish are always important to the MPHS.   After all, without the collective work of these individuals the MPHS wouldn't exist.   Discussion/stories about the employees of the MP and T&P railroads in The Eagle and the various MoPac Forums (see the Main Page for a list of these forums) is perfectly legitimate and encouraged!

 

Some Suggested Routes to Follow

We recommend contacting historical societies in the towns or area where you know the former employee you are interested in lived or worked.   These groups possibly may have someone doing this type work that could better help your search.

The best bet is to contact the US Railroad Retirement Board.   They have general information about employee records (after 1935), and their Help line can assist with questions about family histories and genealogy.   The toll-free phone number is 1-800-808-0772, or browse the Railroad Retirement Board Web site.   For a fee they will perform a search, however there are some conditions that apply.   The web site for the RRB is: http://www.rrb.gov.   Scroll down the home page and click on "Genealogical Inquiries" under the heading of Frequently Asked Questions.   This will link to a page with much information on the process.

Another site that we might direct people with requests for former employee data is www.rootsweb.com.   Look the site over, a new mailing list has been started for Kansas Railroads and the people who worked for them (mailing list is KS-RAILROADS).

An additional suggestion - go to www.ancestry.com.   The main section will enable you to check on almost everyone who's had a Social Security card.   You can then click on the Railroad Retirement section for deceased railroaders.

Finally, we suggest leaving a post at the new MPRR Employee Service Forum, an area strictly devoted to sharing information concerning former MoPac employees.   Feel free to post names or information of those who worked on the railroad -- former MP Employees are Welcome!   Remember, provide as much information (full name, location, position, year of employment) as possible.   Its our hope to compile these postings, spark the memory of future visitors who may then contribute what he/she knows and save them for future generations.

And another.   The National Archives has just released a free publication that may be of interest to your members.   The title is "North American Railroads," Reference Information Paper 91.   It is 188 pages of information about records in the National Archives system that relate to railroads, including several specific references to MoPac.
 
It can be obtained by making a request to inquire@nara.gov
 
Be sure to include the publication title, as well as your name and full postal mailing address.
 
Beverly Watkins
1429 Country Oaks Dr.
Benton, AR 72015
501-778-6213
BWatkins6@aol.com

 


It is also possible to look for printed resources available through a variety of sources, such as libraries, used book dealers, antique shops and online auctions. Unfortunately theses are rare and hard to find nowadays. Publications to look for:

 

 

What Other Historical Societies Have to Say

The following information by two other historical organizations have posted these items concerning research on a former employee.   We are in the same position as these two organizations and have no records on individual employees.

Please read the following for some ideas on how to continue your research.


  These articles below are quoted from the respective web sites of the two historical groups.   They are re-posted here only as an aid for those doing this type of research.
 
  Thomas T. Taber III, Administrator for the RAILROAD HISTORICAL RESEARCH CENTER has this posted on their web page:
 
  Tips on RR-related Genealogy Questions:
 
The only major railroad for which employee records have survived, of which I am aware, is the Pennsylvania Railroad.
 
The Railroad Retirement Board is a possible source of information on former railroad employees.   The Railroad Retirement Act was originally passed in 1934.
 
Inquiries are sometimes received about persons who died in railroad accidents, often at unknown locations.   This is virtually an impossible problem, as there are no centralized records of railroad accidents, which identify victims.   Such questions can be researched only from local sources, and then only if the location and at least the approximate date of the accident are known.
 
If you are a newcomer to genealogical research, two websites for companies specializing in this area are Ancestry and Family Tree Maker.   For historic railroad and other maps, see The Goldbug.   Sources for local Information may be available for the county of your interest at USGenWeb.   This is a fast-growing project with links to websites for individual counties of the US.   Net searches of the form "Genealogy [surname]" can sometimes produce useful results.
 
 
The National Railroad Historical Society has the following posted at their web site:
 
  Genealogical Research
 
    If you are searching for specific information on an ancestor who was a railroad employee, we must disappoint you.   We do not, nor did we ever, have ex-railroad employee records in the collection of our research library.   Additionally, we are not aware of another research facility, which might have such records in its collection.
 
    Following is how we may be able to assist you in your research, if you so wish:

(a) If you know the name of the railroad(s) your ancestor worked for, we will probably be able to provide you with a capsule history of that railroad.
 
(b) If you know only that your ancestor worked for a railroad in a specific state or city, we will attempt to find a listing of the railroad(s) which served that area. And then, upon your request, we will perform research on the corporate and/or operational history of the particular   railroad(s), as in item (a) above.
 
(c) If you know what job(s) your ancestor performed for the railroad(s), we will supply you with a general description of what that job entailed.   Again, not specific to the particular person in question, but the job duties in very general terms.

    If your ancestor worked for a railroad after 1936, it is possible that the Railroad Retirement Board (the railroad workers' equivalent of the Social Security Administration) might have an entry for your ancestor in their database.   You may contact that agency through their Office of Public Affairs at 844 N. Rush St., Chicago, IL. 60611-2092.   Be advised that there will be fees charged by this agency.
 
    If your ancestor happened to be injured or die in an accident while performing his or her railroad job duties, it is extremely doubtful that we will be able to provide detailed information on such accident.   The accident investigation reports in our collection are summaries of state or federal agency investigations of major passenger or freight train accidents (head-on collisions, derailments, explosions, fires, etc.); additionally, we do not have a complete collection of these reports.   Individual worker's accidents are not detailed in any report in our collection.   Please be advised that railroad work was, and in some ways still is today, a very dangerous job.   Such incidents for railroad workers (loss of limbs and other injuries, and deaths) were all too frequent occurrences in railroad history, and documentation of such incidents by the railroads do not survive in any collection we are aware of.   Perhaps you might find a mention of such specific incidents in the local newspaper(s) for that time period; we suggest you also inquire with a local, county or state historical society.
 
    Now, we have a request of you: if you had received a recommendation from an individual, magazine, library or other organization that the National Railway Historical Society would be able to assist you with specific information on your ancestor, would you please share the above with them for their future information?

    Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

    Very truly yours,

    The Research Staff of the NRHS Library


Contacting the NRHS
    National Office and Library Location:
         National Railway Historical Society
         100 North 17th Street
         Philadelphia, PA 19103
    By Mail:
         National Railway Historical Society
         P.O. Box 58547
         Philadelphia, PA 19102-8547
    By Phone: (215) 557-6606
    By Fax: (215) 557-6740
    By E-mail: services@nrhs.com

 

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