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Operations & Traffic

​​​​​​Train Dispatching


​ResourceFormat​Description​
​NP_Consolidated_Code_Books
​Scanned Books
​The book of rules.  Required by Train & Engine Crews, Train Dispatchers, Operators and Agents, Engineering Department, Mechanical Department employees and anyone working on or around the railroad right of way.  Includes basing operating rules, definitions, forms of train orders, signal names and indications, headlights, whistle signals, hand signals, automatic block signal (ABS) rules, centralized traffic control (CTC) rules, interlocking rules and freight and passenger service rules. The NP rules of 1926 precede the consolidated codes of 1939, 1945, 1959 and 1967 which included several railroads which operated on each other's lines. The books are word searchable.
​NP_List_of_Stations

​​Scanned Books​
​A listing of all the stations on the railroad listed by both alphabetical and numerical. Includes accounting and operating numbers and operating division. Handy for finding station numbers and surrounding stations.​​
​​Station Record of Train Movements
​​Scanned Books
A book used at stations not designated as a train register station to be used to record arrivals and departures by operators or station agents where assigned.
​Train Dispatchers Manuals

​Scanned Books​​Supplemental rules issued to train dispatchers which detailed how train dispatchers would issue train orders, the use of the train order books including clearance records, train sheets, and operation in centralized control territory. The train dispatcher's manuals were updated along with the re-issue of the consolidated codes. The 1945 and 1967 versions are word searchable.
​Train Order Books

​​Scanned Books
​The book used by train dispatchers when issuing train orders. The dispatcher records the train order using ink and writes the train order as it is written and underlines the wording when repeated by the operators of other employees. The back of the train order book contains the clearance records which records the number of orders including slow orders, addressed to each train at specified stations. The time a train order is made complete and the time a clearance is OK'd is recorded in the designated location.
​Train Registers
​​Scanned Books
​A book used at stations as designated in the special instructions for registering signals displayed, time of arrival and departure of trains and other information as may be described. When designated by train order, the train register may be used as evidence of the arrival of an opposing train.
​NP Train Sheets

​Scanned Sheets
​​The record of daily train movements for a train dispatcher's territory. Scheduled and extra trains are recorded in columns and includes the conductor, engineer, brakemen when required, locomotive numbers, the number of loads, empties and tons and the times of arrivals, departures or passings as reported by operators and agents at each location. For each subdivision the stations are listed in a the center of the sheet with eastward movements shown to the right of the station column and westward to the left.​

Train Briefs

Section description


​ResourceFormat​Description​
​NP Train Briefs
List1968-1969 Northern Pacific Train Breifs compiled by Steve Volek.

​

Wheel Reports

Section description


​ResourceFormat​Description​
Wheel ReportsPDF
Wheel reports were prepared by freight conductors and describe each car in the consist, it destination, and contents. This list has been copyrighted by Allen Reuter 2005 who transcribed the material. “The original document was provided by Dick Eisfeller, I have made a best effort to transcribe the original document. I have entered known errors, put in question marks where I can not make things out, and entered comments on what it might be. This copyright reserves all commercial rights, but permits the free sharing and non-commercial use of this document in either digital or printed format.”
Wheel Report Explanation​Web Page
How wheel reports are created by the Northern Pacific conductor's and used by the railroad.  Chris Frissell discusses how they can be used by prototype modelers to improve their train consists and overall modeling.

Lists of Customers

Section description


​ResourceFormat​Description​
1967 NP Industry List
​PDFScanned, searchable, Adobe Acrobat version of the 1967 NP Industry List.
1967 NP Industry List
​XLSX Digitized, sortable, Microsoft Excel version of the 1967 NP Industry List.
​OpSigNP.txt​​Text​Tab delimited version of the Microsoft Excel file. Compatible with OpSIG foratting used by Shenware model railroad waybill software.

Accident Photos & Reports

Section description


​ResourceFormat​Description​
​Accident & Wreck PhotosImage
Sequences of a​ccident & wreck photos assembled from Jim Fredrickson's collection.

​

Schedules, Timetables, and Dispatching

Section description​


​ResourceFormat​Description​
Schedules of NP Time Freight Trains
​Image
Published schedules of NP's time freight trains in 1957. Tables 1 and 2 show only the mainline time freight trains. Tables 3 through 12 show the time freights operated over the more important branch lines on the east and west ends of the NP.
​Train Number Summary​List​This is a composite list of scheduled NP passenger and freight trains. The passenger trains operated by the NP in 1930 were compiled by John F. Strauss, Jr. and the freight train data comes from the NP Train Brief book issued June 23, 1969.
​South Bend Flyer - End of an Era​Web Page​An article by Al McCready and photo essay by Allan de Lay of the last NP passenger train to run on the Willapa Harbor Branch of the Tacoma Division, on March 21, 1954.
Northern Pacific Employee Timetables​PDF​A collection of over 1225 employee timetables and special instructions, scanned from the Baldwin, Beach, Denuty, Fredrickson, Lavallee, NPRHA, Ogle, Perry, Pope, and other collections.
​Northern Pacific Public Timetables
​PDF​​A small but growing collection of public timetables and time cards, scanned from various collections.
​NP Employee Timetables at PNRAList​A listing of all the NP (and subsidiary) employee timetables preserved at PNRA in Burien WA. Note this listing is part of a larger database which includes the listing of timetables from other railroads that served the Pacific Northwest region.
​Northern Pacific Train Briefs​List, HTML

A list of documents which describe the details of the scheduled freight trains on the mainline and within each division. It was created by the NP a few years before the 1970 merger, but reflects information previously communicated by divisional dispatchers.

​Northern Pacific Train Dispatcher Manual 1959​PDF1959 edition of the ​​Northern Pacific Train Dispatcher Manual, from the Ken Zieska Collection.

Officers, Agents & Stations Books

Section description


​ResourceFormat​Description​
July 1968 Officers, Agents & Stations BookPDFThis is a full PDF scan of the July 1968 Officers, Agents & Stations Book. The PDF file is fully searchable and can be downloaded from the NPHRA site.
Station Lists
  		​ListSee also various station lists on this site, in the Track Charts & Station Lists category on the Right-of-Way & Structures page.

Distribution of Power Lists

Section description


​ResourceFormat​Description​
Distribution of PowerPDF​A listing of the location and condition of each active Northern Pacific locomotive for the date indicated in the link at the left of the table. These were scanned from Warren McGee's collection by Rufus Cone and Verne Alexander. Note that Warren used many of the early documents to note the engine numbers that he had photographed by crossing out the number.

Terminal Office Manuals

Section description


​ResourceFormat​Description​
Terminal Office ManualPDFTerminal Office Manual from April 1969, scanned as a PDF file that is fully searchable. 244 pages total. This document includes definitions, a glossary, and sections on Bills of Lading, Demurrage, Diversion and Re-consignment, Yard Office Reports, Handling Car Equipment, Interchange, NP Employment, and many example NP forms including Wheel Reports, Car Cards, Waybills, Switching Orders, etc.
General Superintendent of Transportation Instructions​PDFGeneral Superintendent of Transportation Instructions from 1969, scanned as a PDF that is fully searchable. 250 pages total. This document contains all kinds of interesting data and instructions for the operations of the Northern Pacific railway. Includes some hopper car assignments to customers.

Other Operations Info

Section description


​ResourceFormat​Description​
Coal Dock OperationsDocument
Coal dock locations and capacities on the Northern Pacific along with selected correspondences regarding coaling facilities. This information researched and presented by James Dick.
Movement of Manifest Cars - NP Circular 155
​Document Instructions Governing the Manifesting and Movement of Manifested Cars issued August 1, 1929.
​Operating Divisions of the Northern Pacific​Web Page​This history shows how the division points changed from the start of train operations in 1871 to the 1970 merger. Compiled by J. B. Klassen and presented here by Jim Fredrickson.
​Forms Library
PDF​Library of 750+ scans of Northern Pacific forms, covering freight and passenger operations, employee matters. Northern Pacific Transport, and division-specific matters.
​