In a message dated 5/29/01 8:14:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: > http://www.rrb.gov/accessrrbgov/g90c.htm > More specifically: http://www.rrb.gov/geneal.html Here are <A HREF="http://www.rrb.gov/geneal2.html">suggestions</A> for research before 1937. The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board administers a Federal retirement benefit program covering the nation's railroad workers.  The records it maintains deal primarily with the administration and payment of these benefits.  The Board will provide information from its records on deceased persons for the purpose of genealogical research.  However, it will not release information on persons who are still living without the written consent of that person. Effective October 1, 2000, the fee for searching our records increased to $21 for each employee  on whom records are requested.  The fee is payable before any search is attempted. It is not refundable, even if we are unable to locate the information requested or if the file has been destroyed.  Your check or money order should be made payable to the Railroad Retirement Board, and sent to the Office of Public Affairs, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092. The Railroad Retirement Board, like the Social Security Administration, was not established until the mid-1930's, and it began maintaining its own records of all covered rail service in 1937. Therefore, the Board's service records are  limited to individuals who worked in the rail industry after 1936. If a person was not actually working for a railroad after 1936, he or she would not be listed in these records.   Nor would the Board generally have any pertinent records of persons whose rail service was performed on a casual basis and/or was of short duration. Also, the Board's records are only on persons whose employers were covered under the Railroad Retirement Act. Employers such as street, interurban, or suburban electric railways are not covered under this Act. The Board's records are kept by the railroad employee's social security number and a person's social security number often appears on his or her death certificate. In some cases, if that number is not available, having the employee's full name, including middle name or initial, and complete dates of birth and death may be of some help in determining whether we have any records of that person. However, in dealing with relatively common surnames, it is usually not possible to make a positive identification without the employee's social security number. (Here is a <A HREF="http://www.rrb.gov/#Death Index">good source</A> for SSA numbers.) Requests for genealogical information should be sent directly to: U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Office of Public Affairs 844 North Rush Street Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092. Generally, the Board requires at least 30-60 days to reply to genealogical inquiries.

Thank you Marilyn Ruth.... Star ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 9:56 AM Subject: Re: [MISAGINA] RAILROAD Genealogy INFO > In a message dated 5/29/01 8:14:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time, > [email protected] writes: > > > > http://www.rrb.gov/accessrrbgov/g90c.htm > > > > More specifically: http://www.rrb.gov/geneal.html > > Here are <A HREF="http://www.rrb.gov/geneal2.html">suggestions</A> for research before 1937. > The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board administers a Federal retirement benefit > program covering the nation's railroad workers. The records it maintains > deal primarily with the administration and payment of these benefits. The > Board will provide information from its records on deceased persons for the > purpose of genealogical research. However, it will not release information > on persons who are still living without the written consent of that person. > Effective October 1, 2000, the fee for searching our records increased to $21 > for each employee on whom records are requested. The fee is payable before > any search is attempted. It is not refundable, even if we are unable to > locate the information requested or if the file has been destroyed. Your > check or money order should be made payable to the Railroad Retirement Board, > and sent to the Office of Public Affairs, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 > North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092. > The Railroad Retirement Board, like the Social Security Administration, was > not established until the mid-1930's, and it began maintaining its own > records of all covered rail service in 1937. Therefore, the Board's service > records are limited to individuals who worked in the rail industry after > 1936. If a person was not actually working for a railroad after 1936, he or > she would not be listed in these records. Nor would the Board generally > have any pertinent records of persons whose rail service was performed on a > casual basis and/or was of short duration. Also, the Board's records are only > on persons whose employers were covered under the Railroad Retirement Act. > Employers such as street, interurban, or suburban electric railways are not > covered under this Act. > The Board's records are kept by the railroad employee's social security > number and a person's social security number often appears on his or her > death certificate. In some cases, if that number is not available, having the > employee's full name, including middle name or initial, and complete dates of > birth and death may be of some help in determining whether we have any > records of that person. However, in dealing with relatively common surnames, > it is usually not possible to make a positive identification without the > employee's social security number. (Here is a <A HREF="http://www.rrb.gov/#Death Index">good source</A> for SSA numbers.) > Requests for genealogical information should be sent directly to: > U.S. Railroad Retirement Board > Office of Public Affairs > 844 North Rush Street > Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092. > Generally, the Board requires at least 30-60 days to reply to genealogical > inquiries. > > >