Association of the Transportation Officers of the Pennsylvania Railroad

The Association of the Transportation Officers of the Pennsylvania Railroad was a professional organization whose membership was drawn from the Transportation (Operating) Department of the PRR's Lines East Organization. Its goal was to determine, through thorough investigation and frank discussion among those most closely involved, the best methods of operation that could be employed on the PRR.

This included the standardization of rules and equipment, the elimination of faulty practices, and the implementation of the most safe and economical modes of operation. The A.T.O. grew out of the same general movement to systematize the workings of the department that had produced the Grand Division arrangement in 1873. The General and Division Superintendents began meeting regularly to discuss operating problems in 1875, and on May 20, 1879, the A.T.O. was formed, complete with its own constitution and bylaws. However, it was allowed to lapse in 1884.

On June 23, 1893, the A.T.O. was revived on a stronger basis under the direction of General Manager Sutherland M. Prevost. The new organization paralleled that of the Transportation Department. The General Manager as head of the department was president of the A.T.O. while the three Standing Committees -- on Conducting Transporatation, on Motive Power, and on Maintenance of Way -- corresponded to the main functional divisions of the department and were headed by the appropriate staff officers. Additional special committees to investigate specific questions were also set up as the need arose, some of which remained in existence for many years and became standing committees themselves, such as that on Interlocking and Block Signals.

The A.T.O. functioned somewhat along the lines of the professional engineering societies with which its members would have been quite familiar. The members submitted questions or topics for consideration, and these were referred to the appropriate committee for investigation. The committee would examine all aspects of the problem and draw up a report for presentation and adoption at the A.T.O.'s semi-annual meetings. Once adopted, the reports were referred to the General Manager; if approved by him, their recommendations were implemented throughout the PRR Lines East via the normal channels of organization. After the reorganization of 1920, the A.T.O. was expanded to include the former Lines West, and the reports were submitted to the VP in Charge of Operations for approval.

The A.T.O. was allowed to lapse after the onset of the Depression in 1929.