The collection contains loose pages and one ledger. There are missing pages and some existing pages are difficult to read due to damage. The loose pages appear to have been part of a ledger in which minutes were kept for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Robert Andrews Dist. 417 . Entries found in the minutes indicate the organization was one that assisted retired and/or injured railroad workers financially. Within the ledger, members names and dues amounts paid each month are listed. The names listed are men who lived in the City of Alexandria or the nearby surrounding area. They worked or were still working for the railroad at time of membership. The ledger used for the names and dues records shows the heading "Virginia Midland Railway" at the top of each page.
The Orange and Alexandria Railroad was established in 1854 and was part of the rail system which ran from Washington, D.C. to Danville, VA. By 1872, and after several mergers with other small railroads, the Orange, Alexandria, & Manassas Gap Railroad and the Lynchburg & Danville Railroad consolidated to form the Virginia Midland Railroad. In 1881, the Virginia Midland Railroad was purchased by the Richmond & Danville Railroad and by 1894 had become a part of the Southern Railroad system.
Organized in chronological order
[Item identification], Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Robert Andrews Dist. 471 Collection, MS204, Alexandria Library, Local History and Special Collections, Alexandria, Virginia.