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Robert B. Watson collection of high speed train images

Creation: 1970s Creation: 1996 Creation: undated
 Collection
Accession: 2013-224

Abstract

Robert Bruce Watson (1931-) was the Coordinator for the Northeast Corridor Project for the Penn Central Railroad. This collection contains photographs and postcards of the high-speed equipment used in the Northeast Corridor Demonstration Project, including exteriors, interiors and details of trucks and other parts. There are several photographs of speakers at a train dedication event in 1996.

Dates

  • Creation: 1970s
  • Creation: 1996
  • Creation: undated

Creator

Extent

69 item(s)

General Physical Description

4 postcards : color ; 3.75 x 7.75 in. (2 copies each). 9 photographic prints : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. 5 photomechanical prints : color ; 8 x 10 in. 2 photographic prints : color ; 8 x 10 in. 1 photographic print : color ; 6 x 10 in. 13 photographic prints : color ; 4 x 6 in. 17 photographic prints : b&w ; 3.5 x 5 in. 12 photographic prints : b&w ; 3.25 x 4.25 in. 1 postcard : color ; 5.5 x 8.75 in. 1 postcard : color ; 3.5 x 5.5 in. (writing on back). 2 letters. 2 envelopes.

Biographical Note

Robert Bruce Watson (1931-) was the Coordinator for the Northeast Corridor Project for the Penn Central Railroad.

Watson was born on June 29, 1931, at Altoona, Pennsylvania, where his father, Bruce B. Watson (1898-1958), was Chief Inspector in the Test Department of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company (PRR). Watson received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State College in 1953 and a Certificate in Transportation in railway operations and economics from Yale University in 1958. He began working as a Junior Engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad while in college and interrupted his studies with two years service (1953-1955) in the Railway Battalions of the U.S. Army at Fort Eustis, Virginia, and in Korea.

Watson returned to the Pennsylvania Railroad in June 1958 and rose quickly through the ranks of the Mechanical Department, reaching the post of Master Mechanic at Philadelphia on February 7, 1966. On September 21, he was chosen to fill the new post of Coordinator of the High Speed Demonstration Project, a post he held until January 1, 1972, when he resigned and was succeeded by Edward R. Stickel (1928-2008). Watson was the railroad's chief field administrator in the cooperative project to develop high speed passenger train service between New York and Washington and the point of contact between the railroad company, the government and the contractors.

Scope and Content

This collection contains photographs and postcards of the high-speed equipment used in the Northeast Corridor Demonstration Project, including exteriors, interiors and details of trucks and other parts. There is a color rendering by the Budd Company for its original Metroliner proposal, with three color renderings of proposed seating designs. There are four advertising postcards for the Metroliners when in service for the Penn Central Transportation Company, and a commercial postcard of Metroliner coach No. 817 in its original color scheme; five 8 x 10 black and white Metroliner publicity photos and about twenty shapshots of Metroliner cars in pre-service test runs at Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and Monmouth Junction, New Jersey; also color snapshots of the ceremony when Metroclub car No. 860 was presented to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania at Strasburg, including Watson posing with the car; also letters from two different friends accompanying the photographs. The collection also includes four 8 x 10 black and white publicity photographs of the United Aircraft “TurboTrain” used between New York and Boston, plus a commercial postcard view of the “TurboTrain” in the red-and-white Amtrak color scheme.

Location

GL Box 1

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Related Material

Robert B. Watson Collection of Pennsylvania Railroad Co. documents (Accession 2421), Manuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library.

Robert Watson collection of railroad photographs (Accession 2010.221), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Separated Materials

Robert B. Watson professional papers (Accession 2577), Manuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library.

Related Names

Subject

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title:
Robert B. Watson collection of high speed train images
Date:
2013
Description rules:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description:
English
Script of description:
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Audiovisual Collections Repository

Contact:
PO Box 3630
Wilmington Delaware 19807 USA
302-658-2400