Frank Julian Sprague Memorial Library

The association maintains an extensive collection of electric railway literature of a research nature at its Frank Julian Sprague Memorial Library. Mr. Sprague, ERA member No. 1, engineered and operated the first practical electric street car line and later invented practical multiple-unit control. The first books and papers in the library were donated to the ERA by Harriet (Mrs. Frank) Sprague and consisted of elements of Mr. Sprague’s personal collection. It is fitting that this vast and growing collection of historical, technical and economic data on electric railways is named in his honor.

Sprague Library Photo Collection
Now Available on 48 CDs

Updated | Monday, July 3, 2006

Thanks to the heroic efforts of ERA member Frank Pfuhler, thousands of historic images from our Sprague Library photo collection are now available on CD-ROM. Mr. Pfuhler has produced 48 CDs of high-quality JPEG scans, and they’re available for only $30 each, including shipping & handling.

To order, write to:

Sprague Library Photo CDs

P.O. Box 3323
Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163-3323

1 | Brooklyn Trolleys

Over 480 Photos

2 | Manhattan-Bronx Trolleys

Over 580 Photos

3 | Queens Trolleys

Over 290 Photos

4 | NYC Rapid Transit

Over 580 Photos

5 | Connecticut Trolleys

Over 600 Photos

6 | New Jersey Trolleys

Over 640 Photos

7 | Pennsylvania Trolleys
Part 1, Philadelphia Region

Over 850 Photos

8 | Pennsylvania Trolleys
Part 2, Pittsburgh Region

Over 560 Photos

9 | Pennsylvania Trolleys
Part 3, Anthracite &
Pennsylvania Dutch Region

Over 890 Photos

10 | Indiana Traction

Over 300 Photos

11 | Illinois Traction
Part 1, Chicago Region

Over 800 Photos

12 | Illinois Traction
Part 2, Hartland Region

Over 260 Photos

13 | Ohio Traction

Over 750 Photos

14 | Massachusetts Traction
Part 1, Boston Region

490 Photos

15 | Massachusetts Traction
Part 2, Eastern Massachusetts Region

774 Photos

16 | Massachusetts Traction
Part 3, Western Massachusetts Region

594 Photos

17 | Empire State Traction
Part 1, Major New York Traction Companies

Over 850 Photos

18 | Empire State Traction
Part 2, Eastern New York Region

Over 700 Photos

19 | Empire State Traction
Part 3, Western New York Region

Over 590 Photos

20 | Minnesota-Wisconsin Trolleys

Over 380 Photos

21 | Washington DC Traction

Over 300 Photos

22 | Delaware-Maryland Traction

Over 700 Photos

23 | Deep South Traction
Part 1, Virginia & West Virginia

Over 700 Photos

24 | Deep South Traction
Part 2, North Carolina & South Carolina

Over 200 Photos

25 | Deep South Traction
Part 3, Alabama & Georgia

Over 380 Photos

26 | Kentucky-Tennessee Traction

Over 400 Photos

27 | Iowa Traction

Over 730 Photos

28 | Missouri Trolleys

Over 370 Photos

29 | Arkansas-Louisiana-Mississippi Trolleys

Over 240 Photos

30 | Florida Trolleys

Over 195 Photos

31 | Michigan Trolleys

Over 190 Photos

32 | Maine Trolleys

Over 680 Photos

33 | Vermont-New Hampshire Trolleys

Over 424 Photos

34 | Rhode Island Trolleys

Over 200 Photos

35 | Mountain Time Traction
Montana, Colorado, Utah, Etc.

Over 450 Photos

36 | Washington State Traction

Over 375 Photos

37 | Oregon Traction

Over 215 Photos

38 | California Traction
Part 1, Northern Region

Over 490 Photos

39 | California Traction
Part 2, San Francisco Bay Area

Over 800 Photos

40 | California Traction
Part 3, Southern Region

Over 680 Photos

41 | Dakota-Nebraska Traction

Over 245 Photos

42 | Kansas Trolleys

Over 315 Photos

43 | Oklahoma-Texas Traction

Over 355 Photos

44 | Canadian Traction
Part 1, Montreal Region

Over 460 Photos

45 | Canadian Traction
Part 2, Toronto Region

Over 560 Photos

46 | Canadian Traction
Part 3, Western Region

Over 375 Photos

Watson-Lonto Postcard Collection

47 | NYC Transit
Trolleys and Elevated Subways
1900-1920s

Over 500 Photos

48 | Massachusetts
Trolleys and Elevated Subways
1900-1920s

Over 375 Photos

Publications

Numerous transit-related books, magazines and newletters are available to members, often at substantial discounts over their cover prices.


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