Nostalgia & History > Saving Railroad Stories: Oral Histories, NOW

Thanksgiving is coming, ushering in a few weeks of get-togethers. No matter what or whether you celebrate, you're likely to run into old friends with stories to tell.

Red, in the "Railroad Writing" thread, mentioned the gifted storytellers who have already left us. Their stories are here, at least. How many more aren't?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write down, record or video at least one of the stories you hear this year. You might have to promise not to make it public until the teller has escaped any earthly disciplinary hearing. That doesn't matter. There's a national repository for World War II veterans' stories. Think about that--the youngest surviving vets are in their high eighties. It's way past time to get the stories down. How many times have you told yourself " I ought to ask Uncle Bob about the derailment one of these times," or " One of these days I should ask Mom about working in the yards during the war." Today is the day--or maybe Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or Chanukah. Now is the time. Don't let yourself think " well, all I have is my phone; it'll be crummy video." J.J. Young Jr. said it best--the picture you have is better than the one you could have taken with the better film/camera/angle/lighting you didn't have.

Even if you've heard Grandpa tell that story a million times, set it down in some form. Thirty years from now, someone will need to know, and if you're here to ask, you'll be left saying "Uh...I think it was a Pacific he was on, but...and i can't remember who he said the engineer was ." If you can get video of Grandpa telling the story, so much the better.

When someone offers you a bunch of old newspaper clippings they're going to throw out, or mentions a downsizing yard sale, or God forbid you're sitting in a funeral home talking about the old railroad stuff Aunt Dorothy doesn't know what to do with, at least take a look. History depends on all of us saving what we can. We may not be able to keep every physical object, but we can keep pictures--and make sure we update whatever digital format they're in. Paper is still the most reliable archive, even if it does take more space than most of us have.

Finally, if you're the one with stories, or you're thinking " I should do something with those newspapers about my unit coming home" or " One if these days I ought to see whether my old Lionel stuff runs"-- there's no time like now.

Amen, brother!

I've this year lost a couple of older friends who I had intended to record for posterity, but never did. What a shame in terms of history, but more importantly, the memory of them as men.

As you say, "There's no time like the present."

Regards,
E.O.

Is there a standard or at least generally accepted "release form" that the railroad history community uses so that oral history stories can actually be published?

Good Idea. I've done it with a pocket tape recorder and typed it into my computer and then did very little editing (mostly moved things in chronological order and corrected a little grammar). About half of my Wabash book is in the own words of railroaders. Those who have read my book really enjoy that. (I'm doing the same thing for my Fort Wayne & Jackson book in progress, but it's more difficult to find railroaders still living who worked that New York Central Branch.) If you are looking for guys and gals that worked in the steam era, like WWII Vets, they are becoming fewer and fewer.

As far as a release form is concerned it isn't always necessary to use a form (some are intimidated by that) though I did it with Clarence as his narrative made up a couple of chapters in the book. I wanted to be sure that he was Ok with me getting TV, radio rights etc., and for the use of his photos after he was gone if the book was ever reprinted. (Family members can be a problem later. Also, older folks can run into medical and mental problems who no longer have their minds anymore and can turn against you.) For other interviewees I got it in writing in a letter or email with the specifics of what I was going to use the material for and that it was OK with them. I also let the interviewee see the material before it is published for any corrections or additions.

Getting things in their own words makes it much more fun to read. I am disappointed that many fans just interview and take notes. For publication, even if not everything is in their own words, a quote now an then makes it so much better. Something like this takes a commitment. I interviewed Clarence over a period of years. Clarence became a good friend of mine and was a great interview, but some folks turn out to be duds. It's not their fault. They just might not talk much or remember anything. It's not a good idea to make promises about publication in the beginning of the process until you know it's going to work.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/14 08:21 by wabash2800.

I used to look forward to my Dad's copy of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Journal to show up every month. They had a column in each issue for little short anecdotes from engineers. Good reading.

Especially important as far as speed is concerned when one is interested in USA steam railroading. The timeline of steams demise is basically a decade after the end of WWII and we are loosing the verterans of that war very quickly. So the time is now for those oral histories.

For me, all I know from that generation have already passed.

Jay

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
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> Is there a standard or at least generally accepted
> "release form" that the railroad history community
> uses so that oral history stories can actually be
> published?

Yes, museums should have a signed release form for interviews. The form will outline how the material will be used. Similar to a deed of gift for physical items, the receiving entity should have documented permission from the legal owner.

At History San Jose, we use a oral history form that has been vetted by our legal eyes.

If you are interested in a copy, send me a pm.

Ken Middlebrook
Curator of Collections
History San Jose

Posted from iPhone

The most treasured of my keepsakes, by far, are the hand written stories my dad left me. He was an SP machinist at Bayshore shops, from 1928 to 1980. In 1982-83, he started writing down the stories from his and other's experiences he knew over the years. And, looking back, I think he lived the truly glory years of the SP. He died in 1984, before he could finish them all, so I've tried thru the years to remember the ones he didn't get to...

If you are, or you know someone who has railroad stories to tell, write or record them. Dad/grandpa/YOU won't be around forever. And we have alot of railroading to remember. Just do it.

Thanks

Walter
Sanfranciscotrains.org

I grew up along the Pacific Electric line in Monrovia CA. The line was abandoned when I was 11, so I was just old enough to remember some of the details of the daily action along the railway. I've written an article on "Life along the Pacific Electric Monrovia Glendora Line" for the PE Historical Society. Just click on "Pacific Electric", select "Northern District" and then enter "Life along" in the Search box. Not an old railroader story, but it preserves a bit of Southern California history.

In 2005 I sat down with my brother and asked him about our father (Nels Jones Larson) and his working on the cascade tunnel in Washington. Carl (my brother) said Dad worked at the Royal mine
(Red Mountain) when asked if he would like to work on the tunnel he volunteered. Carl was living with him at the time and moved to the Shanty town for the workers. Since Carl lived in the town he
could be a "Water boy" on the same shift Dad worked. In 1955 Dad and I were up Mill creek and he showed me where the vertical shaft was located so two more faces could be worked. He never talked about these years and I never thought to ask him. After the tunnel was finished he went back to Red Mountain.
My maternal grand father (John Lucan Hazen) moved to Leavenworth in 1911 and worked in the Great Northern round house until it was moved to Wenatchee. He stayed in Leavenworth and went to work for a mill. He moved from Leavenworth to Blewett and worked that mill also.

Hope you find this intestine, I found out strictly by being course. Luckily my brother was a participant..........Swede........Albany,Or.