[Bill Fowler]

How important is it for the public, former Southern Pacific employees, researchers, and others to have access to an online Southern Pacific archive with a robust search engine?

As president of the Southern Pacific Railroad History Center (History Center), and a thirty year career with the Southern Pacific with assignments which allowed me to travel throughout the Southern Pacific system, I believe it is essential that the history of Southern Pacific should be available online to anyone who has an interest in learning and researching the great legacy of Southern Pacific.

Although many of the high points of Southern Pacific’s history are available through the History Center’s website (https://splives.org/), for those who wish more detailed information immediately, an online archive of Southern Pacific documents, photos, drawings, maps, and more (Documents) is essential.

A question, for many, is what subjects should receive the highest priority and why? Items to consider include people, significant commodities transported by Southern Pacific, expansion and contraction of the Southern Pacific system, subsidiary and jointly owned companies, and the geographic challenges of operating and maintaining Southern Pacific’s lines of railroad.

Responses the questions I have posed are very important to the directors of the History Center. Your candor and thoughtful comments will be appreciated.

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