America’s railroads have long been the subject of great fascination, having played an important role in the nation’s expansion, development, and economic history, and thereby being firmly embedded in our popular culture and national mythology. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, nearly 140,000 miles of freight rail lines run throughout the United States, not including thousands of miles of abandoned and repurposed tracks along historic routes. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that research into railroad records is one of our most frequently requested services.
Records related to railroads are voluminous and held at a wide array of locations. Some of the records that we rely on most frequently were created by the federal government. For instance, during the 1910s, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) began creating detailed appraisals, studies, and maps documenting and inventorying the American railroad system. These records were regularly updated into the mid-1960s. In addition to providing a rich history of the national rail network, these records contain information that helps TRG’s clients in cases involving matters such as land ownership disputes and right-of-way or easement verification.
For many of our clients, such as surveyors and engineering firms, it is important to know the precise locations of tracks and associated easements, which the ICC records often provide. This can be especially critical for making informed decisions about where to place utilities in proximity to railroad tracks, or how to facilitate rail expansion projects. ICC records can also provide important historical context for projects not directly involving railways but relating to adjacent or nearby industrial operations, utilities, or proposed revitalization projects.
Another important use of historical railroad records relates to the conversion of abandoned railways into walking and biking trails. Attorneys working on rails-to-trails matters rely on ICC records to help document the historic acquisition, ownership, and abandonment status of rail lines. These records are critical in legal proceedings involving proposed trail conversions, where unclear abandonment status or competing property claims may prevent projects from moving forward. TRG assists lawyers involved in these cases by providing accurate historical documentation and timely research support.
The majority of ICC and other federal railroad records, such as those from the Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, and World War I-era U.S. Railroad Administration, are housed at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) facility in College Park, Maryland, one of the repositories within the Washington, DC Metro Area that TRG frequents most. As with all project types, however, TRG’s reach is transcontinental, and we routinely go where the records are. That includes railroad records generated by state and local governments, including real property records, maps, and regulatory records, and sometimes historical records generated by the railroad companies themselves held at public and private archives.
Our nationwide clients, whether they are attorneys, civil engineers, property appraisers, or other professionals, trust TRG to find the railroad-related and other historical records they need in a timely and cost-effective manner.
