Railroad Draughtsman's Letter Includes Chillicothe, Ohio, Machine Shop Layout

E.B. Newcomb was a 19^th century machinist and draughtsman for the railroads. In this 4 pp, 5 x 8, ALS, Chillicothe, Ohio, January 21, 1877, he describes his job to a friend and concludes with a beautiful draft on the verso of a railroad machine shop, something we rarely see.

“…I am in the shops of the Marietta & Cincinnati R.R. [railroad] in this city—with the understanding that I shall do all the draughting that is a necessity for.  In the mean time I work as a common machinist and get a little of the practical knowledge of the business.

“There are simply repair shops so there isn’t need of so many drawings as in a shop where locomotives are build. The job is by no means the one which I shall settle down but it helps me pay my expenses till something better comes up. I think there is an opening now which I shall take the advantage of.

“The Hocking Valley R.R. new road of about 200 miles-running from Toledo to Athens both in the state has no draughtsman on the whole road and the Master Mechanic—who is a nice man to work for and by the way is an old R.R. friend of my Father & Uncle—wants me to go to Columbus and go into his shops and I think I shall make the change. Don’t think I shall have much drawing here whereas if I go to Columbus where the road has been running but for a few weeks, I shall have plenty of drawing and designing for new casting patterns etc. which will of course be required.

“Hope you are not out of a job—would be content to do most anything till something better comes up…Please let me know what you are up to as I have and oblige your old chum Newc.”

He then provides a superb draughtsman diagram of the railroad’s machine shop, blacksmith shop, storehouse, boiler and brass foundry placement and the yard in general.  Very fine 19^th century railroad related letter with a spectacular diagram on the verso.

Folds and light toning.

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