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Donating
Your Collection
The Museum's collections
are almost entirely the result of individual gifts during OERM’s more
than 55 years of existence. Our archives are located at our main museum
site in Perris, California, along with our large collection of historic
railcars and locomotives. As the number of collections placed in the
Museum’s care has grown, we’ve begun the process of constructing a new
library and archives building to better preserve these collections and to
make them more accessible.
The
Museum’s Collection
Policy defines five “focus companies”; the major railroads
and transit companies which served Southern California; the Pacific
Electric, Los Angeles Railway,
Santa Fe , Southern Pacific and Union
Pacific railroads, as well as predecessor and related companies. We
specialize in materials relating to
the Southern California operations of these companies, with our largest
holdings being materials from the “Red Cars” of the Pacific Electric
and the “Yellow Cars” of the Los Angeles Railway.
If you have materials which you think might be a good fit with our
collection, please contact us. You spent a lifetime assembling your
collection, and it deserves a home where it will be appreciated and shared
with the world. Too often heirs have no idea how to deal with these types
of collections, and all too often they end up scattered without
recognition of their value as a whole, or even disposed of without any
understanding of their importance.
Our archives are also a
major source of information for the restoration of our historic collection
of railcars and locomotives, and so your materials may even contain that
vital piece of information we need to complete one of our restoration or
exhibit projects.
Your donation may also
provide a valuable tax deduction, and we encourage you to speak to your
tax advisor about the benefits of a donation to the OERM archives. If you
have any questions about how OERM’s archives can serve as a future home
for your collection please contact the Education and Exhibits Chair.
Future
Giving
Donors contemplating future
gifts of collections, estate planning and/or naming the Museum in their
will as the ultimate beneficiary of their living legacy are encouraged to contact
the Chair, Education & Exhibits to determine the Museum's
extent of interest in the items which they have.
Our
Wish List:
| Like our rail car collection, the contents of our archives also reflect our
focused interest in the railroads of
Southern California
. The Museum’s Collection Policy
defines five “focus companies”; the major railroads and transit
companies which served Southern California; the Pacific Electric, Los Angeles
Railway,
Santa Fe
, Southern Pacific and Union
Pacific railroads, as well as predecessor and related companies.
OERM
actively seeks photographs, records, drawings, books, timetables,
advertisements and ephemeral materials from our focus companies. Of
particular interest are items pertaining to operations in Southern
California. Contact
the Chair, Education & Exhibits for additional details. |
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We also have an ongoing interest in
primary materials, such as the following periodicals, from the
railroad industry. We also have duplicates available for trade. |
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Periodicals
Wish List
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| Company Publications |
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| Pacific Electric Magazine |
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Southern Pacific Bulletin |
| LA Railway "Two
Bells" Magazine |
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Union Pacific Magazine |
| Santa Fe Magazine |
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Transit Topics (San Diego
Electric Railway) |
| "Az-U-Ride" and
"PERyScope" pamphlets |
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| Transit Industry |
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| Street
Railway Journal 1884-1908 |
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Electric Traction Weekly
1906-1912 |
| Electric
Railway Journal 1908-31 |
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AERA Journal 1912-32 |
| Transit
Journal 1932-42 |
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Brill Magazine |
| Mass
Transportation 1935-59 |
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| Mainline Railways |
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| Railway Master Mechanic |
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Railway Locomotives &
Cars |
| Railway Electrical
Engineer |
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Railway Gazette, Railway
Age Gazette |
| Railway Mechanical
Engineer |
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Railway Age |
| Railway Age Magazine (pre
1950) |
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Railway Track &
Structures |
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Materials
we do not collect:
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- Bus, Airline and Steamship materials*
(excepting subsidiary operations of PE and LARy)
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- Model railroad equipment* (excepting certain
scale models relevant to our collecting focus)
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- Post-1950 newspaper clippings
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- Non-Railroad books & magazines
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| Due to space
constraints, we are also NOT in need of loose "railfan" and
model railroad type magazines. We do maintain a complete set, but in
general do not seek additional copies. |
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Click
here to return to the main
Library
& Archives page
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