National Railway Historical Society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The National Railway Historical Society or NRHS is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for, the historical development of railroads . It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and organized into 16 regions and 170 local chapters located in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
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[edit] National organization
[edit] History
The NRHS was formed in Baltimore, Maryland on August 18, 1935, when railfans from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Trenton, New Jersey, and New York City gathered there for a farewell excursion on the then soon-to-be-abandoned Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway. Officers from railfan clubs in those cities decided to merge and form a national organization, which they dubbed the "National Railway Historical Society".[1]
Leon Franks of the Lancaster club was elected the first chairman of the NRHS and William P. Hamilton III of of Trenton was the first NRHS president.
[edit] Currently
According to the NRHS' website, it now has a membership of more than 17,000 and is the largest rail historical society in the U.S.[1]The NRHS is a non-profit section 501(c)(3) organization. Gregory P. Molloy of Cincinnati, Ohio, is currently national president and there are 16 regional vice presidents. Its headquarters address is: 100 North 17th Street, Suite 1203, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
The Society holds an annual national convention, featuring exhibits and excursions using historic railroad locomotives and rolling stock. It also conducts a "Railcamp" each summer at Steamtown in Scranton, Pennsylvania, providing high school-age youth with firsthand experience of rail history and operations.
The NRHS also publishes the National Railway Bulletin, a bimonthly membership newsletter. It consists of articles, photos, and news about railroads, both past and present, as well as covering local chapter activities.
The organization began a "Railway Heritage Grants Program" in 1991, to provide financial grants to "organizations that educate, publish, and preserve railroad history to benefit future generations", according to an NRHS news release.[2] As described by the NRHS, projects assisted by the Railway Heritage Grants Program "range from refurbishing historic railroad stations and restoring vintage steam locomotives for operating and museum display, to the cataloging and storage of historic railroad archives".
[edit] Local chapters
Typically, local NRHS chapters concentrate on railroad history in their specific geographic area. For example, Mid-Atlantic Region chapters are particularly interested in such lines as the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Western Maryland Railway, and the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad, all of which once operated in the region.
In addition to the study and preservation of railroad artifacts, NRHS chapter activities may include periodic excursions using historic railroad equipment, such as steam locomotives. Some chapters are involved in restoration of rail equipment and structures . Others operate rail museums or own locomotives, such as the Central New York Chapter's two former Pennsylvania Railroad EMD E8 diesel locomotives.[3] A few chapters even own and operate entire short-line railroads, such as the New Hope Valley Railway.
[edit] See also
- Black Cat Station
- Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad
- Delaware Otsego Corporation
- Hull Street Station
- Rochester Subway
- Henry H. Rogers
- Ulster & Delaware Railroad Historical Society
- Union County Industrial Railroad
