H4643.50

California Pacific R. R., Napa Branch, Conductor's Tally Sheet, 1870. From the History Information Station: Object: Conductor's Report, "No. 28, Napa Valley Railroad," 1870. Conductor's tally sheet, California Pacific RR, Napa Branch, 1870. History: The California Pacific Railroad was one of the many small branch lines established in the first years after the Civil War. It ran from Vallejo to Calistoga with stops at all of the small towns. Suscol and Trubodys were regular stations on the route, as well as the larger centers of Napa, Yountville and St. Helena. A short, one-stop ride cost $.25, while from one end to the other ws $2.50. The conductor sold tickets and collected money from his passengers. He was also responsible for recording this information after each trip. These reprts were turned in to the railroad's central office. The railroad would analyze the information to determine the ridership, and therefore the profitability, of each run. "Tickets, Please, Tickets" The railroads developed many of the management tools we now consider standard. They reported on and examined every bit of information. Ticket receipts and tally sheets were passed from the station agents and conductors to head- quarters, where they were included in the monthly reports. Based on these statistics, railroad managers determined the number of trains, their frequency, and the rates and fares they would charge. The railroads also kept a close watch on the maintenance of their cars, engines and the conditions of the tracks themselves. In order to keep track of their many activities, the railraods created the fi8rst large business bureaucracies. Many lines had three divisions: one for the maintenance of the road itself; another for the equipment; and one for passenger and freight traffic. Information was passed through each unit and merged to form a complete picture of the line's condition.