Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Memorabilia, 1883-1969
Collection Number: 5149 MB
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Memorabilia, 1883-1969
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5149 MB
Abstract:
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Memorabilia including plaques, badges, buttons, pendants,
dues receipts, constitution booklets, paperweights, railroad link, pin and spike,
and many other miscellaneous items
Creator:
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (BRT)
Quanitities:
4.5 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English
The Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen was founded in 1883 in Oneonta, N.Y. as a protective
and insurance organization. By the time of its merger with three other railroad labor
unions to form the United Transportation Union in 1969, it had the greatest membership
of any of the operating railroad brotherhoods.
The Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (BRT) was established to represent members'
interests in obtaining a satisfactory contract with management. The first Canadian
lodge was established in Moncton, New Brunswick in 1885, and the first Ladies' Auxiliary
was organized in Fort Gratiot, Mich. in 1889. These records reflect the union's political
and fraternal activities as well as its actions in the areas of collective bargaining,
grievances, and railroad and labor legislation. As the largest of the unions which
merged to form the United Transportation Union in 1969, the bulk of its then current
files formed the basis for the files now held in the merged union's headquarters.
The rail service members of the BRT included conductors and their assistants, dining
car stewards, ticket collectors, train baggagemen, brakemen, and train flagmen. The
yard service members of the BRT included yardmasters, yard conductors, switchtenders,
foremen, flagmen, brakemen, switchmen, car tenders, operators, hump riders, and car
operators. In 1933, the BRT organized interstate bus operators, and included them
under BRT contracts held with U.S. bus companies.
BRT officers were elected at the Grand Lodge Convention of the Brotherhood, held
every 4 years. The principal officers included a president, an assistant to the president,
a general secretary-treasurer, Canadian and national legislative representatives,
a senior vice-president, BRT representative, and National Railroad Board of Adjustment
representative. The BRT had four governing boards: the Board of Directors, Board of
Trustees and Insurance, Board of Appeals, and Executive Board.
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference
archivist for access to these materials.
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and
Procedures for Document Use.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Memorabilia #5149 MB. Kheel Center for Labor-Management
Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections: 5021: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Additional Records 5102: Emergency Board No. 129, Long Island Railroad and the Brotherhood of Railroad
Trainmen, Locals 517 and 1090, Records 5149: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Records 5149 P: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Photographs 5348: W.P. Kennedy as President of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen against the
Long Island Railroad Company Court Documents 5446: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Ledger 5612: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Moosic Tunnel Lodge no.93 Meeting Minutes 5623: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Legislative Board of New York Files 5631: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
General Committee File 5647: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Joppa Lodge (Toledo, OH) Minute Books 5894: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Additional Railroad Booklets 6268 P: Joint Committee of Adjustment for the Rock Island System's Order of Railway
Conductors and Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Photograph 6312 P: Judith Sullivan Kowalczyk Collection of Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
Photographs 6312 PUBS: Judith Sullivan Kowalczyk Collection of Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
Publications 6312m: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Annual Report of the Legislative Board 6405 PUBS: William Sharp Collection of The Railroad Trainmen's Journal 6480 MB: Paul Berger Collection of Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Memorabilia
Names:
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen --Collectibles
Subjects:
Implements, utensils, etc.
CONTAINER LIST
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Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
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| Box 1 | Folder 1 |
BRT - buttons
|
1921 |
|
Scope and Contents
Buttons - "Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen" ; "Dickerson Rund Lodge 632, 1921" ;
"Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, BRT" ; "In Unity There Is Strength. In Strength
There Is Victory. In Victory There Is Peace And In Peace There Is Security"A.F. Whitney,
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| Box 1 | Folder 2 |
BRT - badges
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Badges - All three are two sided, one side red, one black. All three are "Bradley
Lodge No. 719, L.A. to B.R.T., St. Cloud, Minn.". "Warden" has gold crossed axes hanging
from top. "Legislative Representative" has a law scroll hanging on it. "Treasurer"
h
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| Box 1 | Folder 3 |
BRT - badges
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Badges - All three are two sided, one side red, one black. All three are "Bradley
Lodge No. 719, L.A. to B.R.T., St. Cloud, Minn.". "President" ; "Past President w/3
crossed gavels ; "Vice President" w/2 crossed gavels ; "Secretary" w/2 crossed leaves.
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| Box 1 | Folder 4 |
BRT - badges
|
|
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Scope and Contents
Badges - All three are two sided, one side red, one black. All three are "Bradley
Lodge No. 719, L.A. to B.R.T., St. Cloud, Minn.". "Pianist" w/scroll & pen ; "Conductress"
w/crossed batons ; "Chaplin" w/Bible ; "Outer Guard" & "Inner Guard" w/crossed swo
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| Box 1 | Folder 5 |
BRT - badges
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Badges - Two are double sided, one is red/green/white and other side is "In Memoriam"
side and is black. These are for "Member" , "R.E. Knowlton Lodge No. 357, B. of R.T.,
Fond Du Lac, Wis." ; "Denver, Colorado, 1916", has a pendant in shape of train stat
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| Box 1 | Folder 6 |
BRT - badges
|
1935-1960 |
|
Scope and Contents
Badges - "75th Diamond Jubilee, B.R.T., Oneonta, N.Y. Sept. 23, 1958" w/pendant depicting
a railway station ; "Cleveland, Ohio, Souvenir, Second Quadrennial Convention, Brotherhood
of Railroad Trainmen.May 1939" ; "Seventh Annual State Convention, Brothe
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| Box 1 | Folder 7 |
BRT - badges
|
1961 |
|
Scope and Contents
Badges - Three are double sided, green/white/red on one side, second side is black
"In Memoriam". "Foot Board Lodge No. 804, B. of R.T., St. Paul, Minn." ; "Col. B.F.
Haines Lodge, No. 406, B. of R.T., Port Morris, N.J." ; "Northern Central Lodge, No.
413
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| Box 1 | Folder 8 |
BRT - buttons & pendant
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Buttons - BRT service pins for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 45 & 50 years. Differ in shapes.
Other buttons - ""Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen" ; "Past President Trainmen" ;
pendant - "Brotherhood", with the head of an armor on top with working mouth piece,
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| Box 1 | Folder 9 |
BRT - buttons, push-pins, patches
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Push-pins - "B of RT" ; "Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen" ; "-- Years Membership
B of RT" for 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 55, 60 [owned by James L. Karney, Switchman-Eng.,
4-Man AT & SF Ry., La Junta, Colorado; Buttons - "Member, BLF & E, Organized 1873"
; "Memb
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| Box 1 | Folder 10 |
BRT - push-pins
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Push-pins - membership pins of various shapes/styles for the years of service - 10,
15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 ; "Brotherhood.Bus Division" ; "C.R.R. of N.J., Veteran" ;
"Jersey Central Lines, Safety Award, 10 years"
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| Box 1 | Folder 11 |
BRT - badges
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Badges - All three are two sided, one for "In Memoriam". Two are for "Ottawa River
Lodge No. 185, B.R.T. Ottawa, Ont." ; third one is for "F.H. Phillips Lodge No. 37,
B. of R.R.T., West Albany, N.Y.
|
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| Box 2 | Folder 1 |
BRT - comics [The Double-crossing Als!, The Alibi Als]
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Two comics - both about wages
|
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| Box 2 | Folder 2 |
BRT - badges & push-pin
|
1958 |
|
Scope and Contents
Three badges are two sided, one side of each is black "In Memoriam". Two badges are
red/green/white on one side w/lettering - "City Point Lodge, No. 507" one is "Inner
Guard", one is "Outer Guard", both "B.R.T. Boston, Mass." Badge for "L.A., B. of R.R.T.
|
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| Box 2 | Folder 3 |
BRT - pocket protectors, pen and pencil clip
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Pocket protectors, blue w/white flap and lettering "Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen,
It Doesn't CostIt Pays to Belong to the Brotherhood" ; pen - "BrotherhoodCleveland,
Ohio" ; pencil clip - "Brotherhood of Railroad"
|
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| Box 2 | Folder 4 |
BRT - wood and metal 'stamps' of symbols for BRT
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Stamps of the symbols used by BRT, made out of metal and attached to small wooden
blocks
|
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| Box 2 | Folder 5 |
BRT - Delegate credential
|
1968 |
|
Scope and Contents
"Grand Lodge, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Delegate's Credential" - Lodge No.
961 [employers certificate allowing an employee to go to the convention as a Delegate]
|
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| Box 2 | Folder 6 |
BRT - Honor Roll book
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
"Honor Roll, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen" - book full of names of union members
that died in World War II.
|
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| Box 2 | Folder 7 |
BRT - Souvenir Strike Ballot
|
1921 |
|
Scope and Contents
Discussion of issues vs. blank ballot, for or against strike in response to wage reduction
authorized by Decision No. 147 of the US Railroad Labor Board, August 29, 1921.
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| Box 2 | Folder 8 |
BRT - Official Receipt for dues
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Actual receipts for dues paid by members of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.
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| Box 2 | Folder 9 |
BRT - Miscellaneous papers
|
1911-1958 |
|
Scope and Contents
Dues paid receipt, convention name tags for "New York State Association Brotherhood
of Sept. 22-23-24, 1958, Albany, NY" ; copy of "Preamble of Our Constitution" ; invitation
to a union meeting ; union Propoganda ; invitation to "First Annual Ball, Bitte
|
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| Box 2 | Folder 10 |
BRT - Comic books
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Comic books - "Cliff Merritt And the Very Candid Candidate" & "Cliff Merritt Sets
the Record Straight"
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| Box 2 | Folder 11 |
BRT- Constitution booklet
|
1883 |
|
Scope and Contents
"Constitution and General Rules of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen"
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| Box 2 | Folder 12 |
BRT - Decals
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Decals - "Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Bus Division"
|
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| Box 2 | Folder 13 |
BRT- Rosters
|
1922-1968 |
|
Scope and Contents
"Roster of -- Convention, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen" for the following (27th,
32nd, 31st, 22nd, 30th, 23rd, 29th, 26th,28th, 33rd, 25th)
|
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| Box 2 | Folder 14 |
BRT - Paperweight
|
1894 |
|
Scope and Contents
Membership card incased in plastic - "Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Traveling
Card"
|
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| Box 3 | Folder 1 |
BRT - Gold railroad link, pin and spike
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Railroad spike, pin and link painted gold.
|
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| Box 3 | Folder 2 |
BRT - Gold painted (wooden) railroad link and pin
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Wooden replica - Railroad pin and link painted gold.
|
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| Box 4 | Folder 1 |
Charles Pratt Photos
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
3 Railroad photos with Charles Pratt
|
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| Box 4 | Folder 2 |
Charles Pratt papers
|
1890-1969 |
|
Scope and Contents
2 Prayer cards from Charles Pratt's funeral; 2 copies of Charles Pratt's birth certificate;
Comic books - "Cliff Merritt And the Very Candid Candidate" & "Cliff Merritt Sets
the Record Straight;" Acknowledgement letter of Charles Pratts resignation from t
|
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| Box 4 | Folder 3 |
Buttons/lapel pins from BRT
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
Service pins for the years of 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55; Membership buttons/lapel
pins from the BRT
|
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| Box 4 | Folder 4 |
Memory Book - Charles Pratt funeral
|
1969 |
|
Scope and Contents
Book of signatures from Charles Pratt's funeral
|
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| Box 5 |
Large aluminum plaque -- Brotherhood * Railroad * Trainmen
|
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| Box 5 | Folder 1 |
Large aluminum plaque: Brotherhood * Railroad * Trainmen
|
|
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Scope and Contents
snapshot available
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| Box 6 |
Images digitized from the collection.
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| Box 7 |
Images digitized from the collection.
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