How to "Track" Down Your Ancestor’s Railroad Records
- Kaitlyn Pauley
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
If you caught Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 coming through on its recent tour, you know how impressive it is to see that massive piece of history in person. But watching it roll by mostly got me thinking about the people who actually kept those trains running.
The conductors, engineers, and track laborers left behind a massive paper trail. If you discover you have an ancestor who worked for the railroad, you have just hit a serious genealogical goldmine. The catch is that these records did not all end up in one central archive. Finding them requires some detective work, but it is completely doable if you know exactly where to look.
Small confession: I do not have a railroad worker in my own direct family tree that I have requested records for, so I have not personally requested these exact files yet. I am working on identifying an ancestor to request records for. The catch with requesting these records is that they didn’t all end up in one central archive. Finding them requires some detective work, but it is completely doable if you know where to look. Here is how you can track them down.
Start with the Basics
Before you look at archives, check what your family might already have. Because railroad jobs were a major point of pride, people kept things. Look for watch inspection certificates (railroaders had to have incredibly accurate timepieces) or union pins from groups like the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
If you have old photos of them in uniform, look closely at the buttons. Often, the initials of the specific railroad company were stamped right onto the metal.
The Richest Records: The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
If your ancestor worked for a US railroad after 1936, this is your first stop. The RRB administered pensions, and their files are incredibly detailed. They can include birth certificates, marriage records, physical descriptions, and complete employment histories.
To access them, the worker must be deceased.
For files already transferred to the archives: You can email the National Archives at Atlanta directly or review their NARA RRB Records Guide to see what details you need to submit.
For more recent files (within the last 7 years): You can file a request directly through the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board FOIA Portal.
For the Pre-1937 Workers: Finding Corporate Railroad Records
If your ancestor worked in the 19th or early 20th century, the RRB won't have them. Instead, you have to track down the records of the specific railroad company they worked for.
Because of mergers and bankruptcies, an old 1880 line is likely owned by a merged corporation today.
You just need to look up a "railroad family tree" online to see which modern corporation swallowed up your ancestor's old employer, then find out where that company donated their historical archives. Google or AI can be helpful with finding which records are where.
Don't Ignore Online Records
I know hints get a bad reputation they don't deserve, especially on sites like FamilySearch, but use them. When you're dealing with massive industries like the railroads, a random indexed hint can be the exact link that connects your ancestor to a specific line or local union lodge. Ancestry has some railroad collections too.
Also look for historical societies dedicated to a single railroad line. They often have employee magazines, payroll lists, and newsletters that mention workers by name.
Time to Start the Hunt
Finding these records takes some digging, but there is nothing quite like seeing your great-grandfather’s signature on a century-old payroll sheet, or reading the exact physical description of your great-uncle on his pension application.
Your ancestors left clues to their story. I know where to find them, and you can find them too.
Have you uncovered a railroad worker in your family tree yet? Let me know who you're researching and where you're stuck in the comments.
Comments