A. M. Spratt Railroad Collection, AR454, Box number, Folder number, Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library.
A. M. Spratt was born east of Sanger, Texas, on November 15, 1906 and lived there most of his life. He owned a café in Sanger until he became a brakeman for the Santa Fe Railway Company in July, 1943, working on the line from Purcell, Oklahoma to Cleburne, Texas. Spratt joined the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen shortly after his employment and fought for improved working conditions for most of his career. He remained with the company until 1972 when he retired.
The collection, in two letter-sized document boxes, is composed of material collected and saved by A. M. Spratt over the course of his career as a railroad brakeman.
The collection is organized in six series. The first series is Accident Report and Photographs, which documents a railroad accident on April 14, 1945 (location unknown). The second series is Employee Information, which consists of a variety of material related to employees, such as forms, seniority lists, rules, regulations, and health information. The third series is Labor and Union Material which includes agreements, constitutions, convention information, and printed material relating to several railway unions such as the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, United Transportation Union, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. The fourth series, Operation and Instruction Books, includes railroad equipment operation rules, safety precautions, and instruction booklets. The fifth series is Time and Expense Record Books which belonged to A. M. Spratt. The last series is Time Tables and consists of Santa Fe and Burlington Northern railroad time tables for the public and employees.
The material contained in the A. M. Spratt Railroad Collection is of value to researchers interested in railroads in the South or any technical or historical aspects of the railroad industry in general.
Finding aid prepared by Tara Kirk, March 2005.
The collection was accessioned as 88-1.
These records are indexed under the following headings in the catalog of The University of Texas at Arlington Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
The A. M. Spratt Railroad Collection is organized in six series:
The materials in the A. M. Spratt Railroad Collection were donated to the Special Collections Division, The University of Texas at Arlington Library, by Archie M. Spratt on
Open for research.
Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use by any and all other current or future developed methods or procedures must be obtained in writing from Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards.
Report documenting a railroad accident, including photographs.
Twelve pages of photographs with descriptions documenting a railroad accident on April 14, 1945. Location unknown.
Seniority lists, employee rules, regulations, and health information.
Arranged by document type.
Chain gang cars regulation proposal and time & return delay report for A.M. Spratt.
Booklets created by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway System: Form 1610 Standard
Contains booklets on heath insurance, first aid, and physical examinations for employees.
The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company booklets.
Labor union agreements, constitutions, rules and regulations, convention meeting program, and printed material.
Arranged by document type.
Union agreements between various Santa Fe railroad companies and labor organizations.
Constitutions for the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and the United Transportation Union.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers convention program, an undated Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen letter, and a humorous list of railroad job descriptions.
Official weekly publication, Trainman News, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. November 30, 1964.
Railroad equipment operation rules and instruction booklets.
Arranged by document type.
The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Co., Western Lines, Northern Division,
Railroad time and expense record books for A.M. Spratt.
Arranged chronologically.
Railroad time books for A. M. Spratt which provide his hours worked and miles traveled.
Railroad employees time book and expense records for A. M. Spratt.
Railroad time tables for the public and for employees.
Arranged chronologically.
Public system time table for Burlington Route and employee time tables for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Co. Western Lines, Northern Division and Eastern Lines, Middle Division.