Research

New York State Public Service Commission Annual Reports of Steam Railroad and Electric Railway Companies


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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:
This series includes annual reports submitted to the Public Service Commission by steam railroad, electric railway, express car, sleeping car, freight, and freight-line companies. The reports provide detailed information concerning the organization of each company and its financial status. Information includes exact name; type of company; location; date of organization; laws under which organized; status; dates of consolidation or merger; members of board of directors; chairman of the board; principal general officers; and stock information.
Creator:
Title:
Annual reports of steam railroad and electric railway companies
Quantity:

224.4 cubic feet

Inclusive Dates:
1883-1976
Series Number:
10093

Arrangement

Alphabetical by company name, then chronological by date of report.

Administrative History

Annual reports were submitted by railroad companies to the Public Service Commission pursuant to Section 46 of Chapter 429 of the Laws of 1907. The reports were previously filed with the New York State Board of Railroad Commissioners as authorized by Chapter 525 of the Laws of 1890. That commission was abolished and its duties, powers and functions transferred to the Public Service Commission by section 80 of Chapter 429, Laws of 1907.

Scope and Content Note

These are annual reports submitted by steam railroad, electric railway, express car, sleeping car, freight, and freight-line companies. The reports provide detailed information concerning the organization of each company and its financial status.

Information pertaining to the company's identity consists of exact name; type of company (corporation, joint-stock association, firm, partnership, or individual); location; date of organization; under what laws organized; status (defunct, consolidated, or merged); dates of consolidation or merger; names, addresses and terms of members of board of directors; name of chairman of the board; names, titles, and addresses of principal general officers; names, addresses, number and total value of shares of stock issued to each stockholder; and value of each share of stock. This information is contained at the front of each annual report.

Data relating to the company's fiscal affairs consist of comparative general balance sheets of assets and liabilities; expenditures for road, equipment, and important projects; investments in intangible property; intangibles owned or controlled through non-reporting subsidiaries; special deposits; prepayments; debits in suspense; capital stocks; funded debt; security for funded debt; equipment trust obligations; receiver's certificates; reserve for replacement of property; yearly profit and loss account; income account for the year; railroad property taxes; operating income derived from other properties; gross rents accrued from lease of road; miscellaneous rents receivable; interest derived from other securities, loans, and accounts; miscellaneous income; miscellaneous rents payable; other interest deductions; sinking funds chargeable to income; name and purpose of sinking fund; description and purpose of other deductions from gross income; appropriations to reserves; name and purpose of reserve; amount and purpose of miscellaneous appropriations; and description of any notable changes which occurred during the past year.

Each report is signed by company officials (usually the comptroller, treasurer, or president) and notarized. In addition, each report usually contains a table of contents listing schedule number, subject matter, and page number.

10093-83: This accretion contains reports only of companies operating subways and street and elevated railways in New York City and vicinity; they cover 1883-1942.

10093-84: These records cover ca. 1900-1962. No reports are present for most of the railroad companies for the years 1958-1963.

10093-85: These records cover 1958-1976. No reports are present for most of the railroad companies for the years 1958-1963.

10093-85A: These records cover ca. 1908-1946.

10093-86: These records cover 1950-1957.

Related Material

B0299 Public Service Commission Annual Reports, and

13345 Annual Reports of Public Utility Companies, contain additional reports filed by companies with the Public Service Commission.

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