The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers was organized on May 8, 1863, in Detroit by engineers on Michigan railroads. Organized in divisions, the Brotherhood soon attracted engineers from railroads throughout the Midwest and east. Later in the decade and in the 1870s and 1880s, membership spread to lines in the west. The Brotherhood provided insurance for its members as well as representation in dealings with management. Engineers participated in serious strikes in 1877 and 1888, the latter action resulting in serious setbacks for the Brotherhood.
By the turn of the century it had recovered and in 1916 was successful in obtaining an eight-hour workday. Before the late 1920s, the Brotherhood initiated the sale of Loyalty Certificates to raise money for the financially troubled organization, and since that time it has been involved in labor actions and negotiations as well as in litigation with other railroad unions.
The Pacific Division, No. 110 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers was formed in December 1869 in Rocklin. In June of the following year, the Pacific Division moved to Sacramento where it remained. The records of the Pacific Division in the California State Railroad Museum's collection contain information on the organization's operation, officers, membership, finances, and responses to major labor issues and events, such as the 1894 Pullman strike.