This Boynton Collection consists of three series. Series 1. Train Orders Series 2. Publications and Series 3. Negative Collection. Series 1. Train Orders is a collection of Western Pacific Railroad train orders organized by the station and then date. These train orders used Form 17, 19, 31. Form 31 was a more restrictive order and the conductor was required to stop and sign for the order. Form 19 is not as restrictive and did not require the signature of the conductor. Form 17 is specific to the Western Pacific Railroad, replacing form 19 and Form 31 in approximately 1970.
The train orders are used in conjunction with the Dispatch Sheets and the Employee Time Tables for specific days of the month to get an accurate record and understanding of the movements of a specific train on a specific day.
This collection of train orders includes orders from the Oakland Yard, Carbona, Stockton Yard, Termmous Junction, Thornton, Marysville, Oroville Yard, Bloomer, Belden, Greenville, Mason, Portola, Doyle, Sand Pass, Gerlach and Sulpur.
Series 2. Publications contains publications writen about Boynton. Love Affair with the Iron Horse: Jim Boynton's Life on the Steel Rail edited by Mary Rehwald is a oral history interivew of Jim Boynton. The interview was conducted by David Weitzman in the late Spring of 1983. The Feather River Short Line Railroad: Steam Forever: James Earle Boynton is the Offical Publication of the Feather River Short Line Railroad, dedicated to the life and memory of James Earle Boynton. It includes stories and memories from Ted Benson, Kevin Bunker, Guy L. Dunscomb and Ted Wurm.
Series 3. Negatives is a collection of 13 "shoebox" size boxes of negatives of railroads. The series is arranged alphbetically by railroad name.
History / Biographical
James Boynton was born in Oakland, California on October 3, 1921 and passed away on March 4, 1992 in Plumas, California. After high school he attended the University of Idaho and Oregon State University in Corvallis and studied mechanical engineering. Boynton enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 as an ordnance man and became an aerial gunnery instructor for B-17 and B-29 bombardment aircraft. According to his book jacket biography, he invented a run-away gun eliminator for use on remote control turrets of B-29 aircraft. He received a commendation from the Air Corps for his invention.
Mr. Boynton worked for nearly 32 years with the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific railroads as a locomotive engineer running trains from Keddie to Bieber and back. He authored the popular book,