William "Vic" Davidson papers

Title: William "Vic" Davidson papers

Dates: 1910-1952

Collection Number: MS 719

Creator/Collector: Davidson, William "Vic"

Extent: 3 boxes

Repository: California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives

Abstract: Documents relating to the career of Southern Pacific locomotive engineer William "Vic" Davidson.

Language of Material: English

This collection is open for research at our off-site storage facility with one week's notice. Contact Library & Archives staff to arrange for access.

Copyright has not been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the CSRM as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

William "Vic" Davidson papers. California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives

Gift of Billie Wilson, 2010.

Vic Davidson began his career with Southern Pacific May 1, 1902 and retired on September 30, 1952 as a locomotive engineer.

Engineer's trip reports and logbooks from Southern Pacific locomotive engineer Vic Davidson and other documents relating to his career with Southern Pacific. Mr. Davidson completed Engineer's Trip Reports (Form 2301) date between November 1910 through May 1917. TheTrip Reports list the locomotive, the train number, the departure and arrival points and times, the timecard mileage, and delays. The report also the names of the locomotive engineer, fireman, and conductor. The completed report was forwarded to the Division Superintendent after each trip. The fifty-eight trip logbooks kept by Mr. Davidson between March 1912 and September 30, 1952 in small notebooks include detailed information about every trip Mr. Davidson took. The logbooks may also record more detailed information about any difficulties or delays in service. These papers include five Check of train register forms (Form S-2529) for the Fresno station. Each includes the conductor's name, the train number, the station name, when the train arrived, and the signals displayed by the trains. Two booklets of engineer's records (Form 2301) to and from Goshen, Bakersfield, Coalinga, and Hazelton from 1910 may list the locomotive number, train number, departure and arrival times, number of hours on the road, time card mileage, and the names of the locomotive engineer, fireman, and conductor. Each form is numbered and is referenced in the trip logbooks. Dispatcher's train messages were sent to the loconotive engineer giving instructions for transferring mail and stopping on sidings. Mr. Davidson received a letter from a superior on March 4, 1926, praising him for economical fuel performance on freight service between Fresno and Bakersfield during January 1926. This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material, then chronologically. A metal train order holder engraved with Vic Davidson's name and dates of service has been transferred to the Museum's artifact collection ( 387-2055-1).