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Harry F. Brown papers

Creation: 1921-1970 Creation: Majority of material found within 1938-1965
 Collection
Accession: 2340

Abstract

Harry F. Brown (1886-1980) was an electrical engineer and his entire career was devoted to railroad electrification. The collections consists of materials collected by Brown relating to American railroads outside of New England and primarily includes engineering reports and memoranda relating to railroad electrification and electric locomotives and cars.

Dates

  • Creation: 1921-1970
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1938-1965

Creator

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet

Biographical Note

Harry F. Brown (1886-1980) was an electrical engineer and his entire career was devoted to railroad electrification.

Harry Farnsworth Brown was born on August 17, 1886, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in electrical engineering in 1907. He worked in the Test Department of the General Electric Company from 1908 to 1909, and the following year joined the Electric Traction Department of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company, which with Westinghouse, was developing a pioneer system of a.c. electrification.

Brown remained with the New Haven until 1952. In retirement, Brown served as a world wide consultant for Westinghouse International (1952-1953) and for Gibbs & Hill, Inc. (1953-1960). He died on August 7, 1980.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of materials collected by Harry F. Brown relating to American railroads outside of New England and primarily includes engineering reports and memoranda relating to railroad electrification and electric locomotives and cars.

Roughly a third of the collection deals with the Pennsylvania Railroad, including a copy of the 1955 Gibbs & Hill report on the future of electrification, and technical papers on the use of ignitron rectifiers in locomotives and multiple-unit cars. There is also a 1959 report on a proposed electrification of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's mountain lines, and a 1938 paper on railroad electrification by E. Rowland Hill. The papers also contain a plan and profile view of the Pulaski Skyway highway viaduct in New Jersey.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Related Material

Harry F. Brown collection of railroad electrification photographs (Accession 2005.243), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library.

Harry Farnsworth Brown papers (Accession 2447), Manuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library.

Language of Materials

English

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title:
Harry F. Brown papers
Description rules:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description:
English
Script of description:
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository

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