The Phil Beach Collection materials focus primarily on the Northern Pacific Railroad Company and its successor, the Burlington Northern Railroad Company, with addition materials covering the railroad industry as a whole. Documents include annual reports, timetables, accident investigation reports, employee rule books, Official Guides and Railway Operating Equipment guides. Photographs are primarily of Northern Pacific and Burlington Northern subjects. Also included are books on railroad subjects and a variety of railroad and model railroad magazines.
The Peter N. Halgren collection includes periodical clippings and photographs Mr. Halgren used for research on railroads and railroad modeling. It is organized by railroad, topic, locomotive type, car type and other subjects selected by Mr. Halgren. Circus trains make up the contents of several binders. Much of the collection includes photocopies of commonly available periodicals as well as photographs collected by Mr. Halgren. Many North American railroads are covered, including the Southern Pacific Railroad.
The Paul Williams Collections includes 23 books on railroad subjects, including the Great Northern Railway (U.S.), Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad Company and Canadian Pacific Railway Company.
The Paul Lacombe Collection puts together documents primarily from the Great Northern Railway between 1914 and 1971. Other materials are from the Burlington Northern and SP&S.
The Paul Krueger Collection includes environmental impact study reports and wall hangings, a framed Pennsylvania Railroad advertisement, Pennsylvania Railroad tickets, an Northerna Pacific Railroad letter, 23 Amtrak timetables, a copy of "West Kootenay-the Pioneer Years" and a copy of "Timber Down the Capilano".
