Standard plans for buildings, bridges, and other structures ([188-]-[196-]) created or compiled by the NP administrative unit responsible for locating, surveying, constructing, and maintaining roadways and structures.

Most of the records consist of several series of subject files produced by the chief, assistant chief, division, and district engineers. They include voluminous information on line survey, construction, and maintenance; on the design, contruction, and maintenance of buildings, bridges, yard facilities, and other structures; and on the acquisition and maintenance of equipment and supplies. Standard plans include architectural and engineering drawings for the common types of structures and equipment built by the NP. Accounting records document the detailed costs of building and maintaining line and structures. Track profiles show grade changes throughout every section of rail line in the system.

This series consists of architectural drawings (including elevations, cross-sections, floor plans, and details) of depots, engine houses and other shop buildings, water tanks and other storage buildings, railroad workers' housing, and miscellaneous structures.

The drawings are grouped by size but the series appears to have been assembled from various older series with no apparent logical order. Some of the drawings are standard plans and some are for specific sites.

The depot drawings include passenger stations, combined passenger and freight depots, shelter stations, immigration buildings, remodeling plans, freight houses, platforms, and facilities for cattle, sheep and fruit.

Shop structures include engine houses, wheel houses, power houses, and scrap bins.

Storage buildings include structures for storing supplies and equipment: coaling facilities; tanks for water, oil, and gasoline; buildings for sand and ice; root cellars; and storehouses for tools, hand cars, hoses, and storm sash.

Workers' housing includes section houses, section formen's houses, bunk houses, cottages, and offices.

There are also drawings for:

Privies, toilets and septic systems.

Japanese-style structures for a recreational park at Liberty Lake [in the vicinity of Spokane, Washington?].

Electrical substations, transformer houses, and distribution houses near Spokane, Washington.

Post Office equipment at the Seattle Terminal.

Furniture such as ticket cases, station desks, and telegraph operators' tables.