Railroad Identifying Telegraph Abbreviation List

Name/Title

Railroad Identifying Telegraph Abbreviation List

Entry/Object ID

x.802a-d

Scope and Content

A list of abbreviations used for railroads/railroad companies originally printed by typewriter on the backs of empty car bills, circa 1962-1975. The list is 4 leafs, 3.5" x 7.5" each, on card stock with four hole punches. The list is titled "Railroad Identifying," with the abbreviations listed in alphabetical order. The list may have been used by a station agent of the Broomfield train depot, possibly for telegraph communication. Each abbreviation is a sequence of 2 to 4 letters. The reverse side of the list shows blank Empty Car Bills, Form 1304, which were likely printed in 1962 based on the printed number in the upper right corner, "2-62-500M." The bills include spaces for the date, initial, origination and destination, class or suitability, authority for movement, and remarks. Fine print at the bottom states that the bills only be used for "movement of empty cars with-out charges." It also states that if a car was loaded while en route, the conductor was to make a note under remarks, then hand the bill to the agent who would pass it on to the Division Superintendent.

Collection

Permanent Collection

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

List

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Other Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials

Telegraph, Keys (Identification), Railroad companies, Railroad cars

Archive Details

Date(s) of Creation

1962 - 1975

Archive Size/Extent

4 leafs in one legal size file folder

Archive Notes

Date(s) Created: Circa 1962-1975 Date(s): 1970 circa Copy/Orig/Other: Original

Provenance

Notes

Custodial History: This list was found in the Broomfield Depot Museum Collections, original donor unknown. It was likely used by station agents at the Broomfield train depot, though this has not been confirmed. The list may be related to items X.803-X.804, as well.