I have recently joined several (NYC NW PRR BM NH and SP) I have found their quarterly magazines to be really well done and a rich source of modeling info. I am particularly impressed with the central headlight and the arrow. Anyone else out there members if not Id encourage you to take a look
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Member of the PRRH&TS
I am a member of the PRRT&HS and the Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society. Both excellent organizations with great resources.
PRRT&HS
Curt
I am a member of the PRRT&HS. I find their quarterly publication, The Keystone, to be an exceptional source of information and interesting stories. Really, really well done.
George
The best Railroad Historical Society is the Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society.
They are renowned for their journals, photographs, drawings, data, research work etc. and vast array of books.
They also have information on every road absorbed by C&O/CSX and I believe some other railroads.
I've been a member for 30 yrs and I've told my wife she's welcome to throw out every railroad journal and magazine EXCEPT the journals from C&O. They are that good.
You won't regret being a member.
I am a very satisfied member of the Missouri Pacific Historical Society (also covers the T&P) and recommend The Eagle as an excellent example of the RR-specific periodical.
The Frisco enjoys no formal historical society, but those interested in the RR gather at frisco.org, which grew out of the old Frisco Special Modellers Group and the unfortunate wreckage of the Frisco Museum. Still, the archives of the group and its vastly knowledgeable members do yeoman service in keeping the memory of the RR alive and providing an electronic depository for its documents.
@palallin posted:I am a very satisfied member of the Missouri Pacific Historical Society (also covers the T&P) and recommend The Eagle as an excellent example of the RR-specific periodical.
The Frisco enjoys no formal historical society, but those interested in the RR gather at frisco.org, which grew out of the old Frisco Special Modellers Group and the unfortunate wreckage of the Frisco Museum. Still, the archives of the group and its vastly knowledgeable members do yeoman service in keeping the memory of the RR alive and providing an electronic depository for its documents.
While not a member, I have ordered several back issues of The Eagle and ordered reference books from this society. Another good one. They asked me to be a member, but I can only justify dues to so many organizations at a time and my interest in the MOPAC is professional more than personal. I can say the same about the CB&Q society. The Burlington Bulletin is also a great publication that I get back issues of for professional projects.
@G3750 posted:I am a member of the PRRT&HS. I find their quarterly publication, The Keystone, to be an exceptional source of information and interesting stories. Really, really well done.
George
Of all the historical societies for railroads I have read issues of, the Keystone is the largest and most thoroughly researched of any of them. The Pennsylvania Railroad has been extremely well documented and preserved. When you have an entire issue dedicated to F unit betterments you have a very complete, if not sometimes dense publication!
Forgot about this one. My father is a member of the Western Maryland Historical Society and gives me all his back issues of the Blue Mountain Express quarterly publication. A lot of great history.
New York Central, New Haven and Rutland
Recently joined the Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society and coincidentally just received my first quarterly “Warbonnet” journal yesterday. Very well done. Interesting articles and great photos.
The folks at the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association helped with research on the North Coast Limited passenger cars paint and decoration which prompted me to join. Excellent magazine and website-based resources.
I belong to many but three stand out in terms of the quality of their publications:
And top the heap:
Terminal Railroad Historical & Technical Society - their base membership is $40/year. That includes an awesome annual book. This year was 263 pages. Absolute bargain!
The New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association and their publication The Shoreliner are excellent. Articles cover the whole spectrum of the railroad - locomotives, rolling stock, employee stories, history of the region, dining car china, railroad promotional items, etc. They also maintain their own forum, which as far as I can tell is rare among railroad historical societies.
~Chris
Over the years I've joined a few for a year at a time. CNW, Great Northern, Soo Line -- mostly Midwest roads. I just wanted to try them and have their materials to better understand some of their histories. They are all wonderful. I'll probably try C&EI next because Berwyn's has been using them for custom run ideas and I've now bought a few cars and have an engine on order from them based on the CE&I.
Some of the historical societies offer model trains. Most are HO but some like the Western Maryland H.S. and the Cumberland Valley folks have offered O scale cars in the past. Weaver did a lot of cars for hobby shops, historical societies etc.
Don't forget the Norfolk and Western, well worth the money!
I'll add the Conrail Historical Society for publishing some interesting stuff too.
BRHS (Burlington Route Historical Society) member for history of CB&Q and subsidiaries C&S and FW&D. Also covers predecessors like B&MR and QO&KC. Quarterly Zephyr newsletters, annual calendars, & at least one Burlington Bulletin per year. Annual one day Spring Meet in Chicagoland. Annual 2-3 day Fall Meet in different city each year in states served by the BR.
IRM (Illinois Railway Museum) publishes Rail & Wire magazine a couple times a year. Plus unlimited visits to the museum !!!
At train shows, I look through publications from MRHA, CNWHS, RITS, TRRA, & others. When one of these societies’ publications cover a city that was also served by the BR, the articles & maps often include a significant amount of info on that RR’s interactions with the BR.
Another C&EI (Chicago & Eastern Illinois) member here as well as Wabash and Santa Fe. Former C&NW and Illinois Central. As has been mentioned above, I had to thin out the clubs.
PRRT&HS, N&WHS and FEBT(Friends of the East Broadtop) love all of them and all have great publications.
Not a historical society, per se, but am a long time supporter of the B&O Railroad Museum.
UPHS
Member of the PRRT&HS
Member of the NYCSHS. I think the Central Headlight is a very well done magazine. I would love to join more but I am at my limit on how many magazines come to my house per year and of course the cost. I have a hard time throwing out magazines. I don’t think I will ever throw out my copies of the Central Headlight. As mentioned above I have heard from other sources how good the C&O HS is. If I ever join another one I would like to try either the C&O or Conrail.
Long-time member of the Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society and its predecessors. It's a fine organization, very well organized, and the Warboonet quarterly magazine is well-done and informative. The convention is in Kansas City this year, June 14-19.
I am a member of the California State RR Museum and the Nevada Northern RR Museum.
Mikey
Member and recommended: Soo Line Technical & Historical Soc, Burlington Rte Historical Soc, Northern Pacific Historical Soc, Chicago & North Western Historical Soc, Milwaukee Road Historical Soc, Canadian National/CN Lines, as well as the Mid-Continent Ry Museum (publications and calendars).
My home will look like Scrooge McDuck's money-filled swimming pool, except, in my case, my home will be filled with publications, books and O Scale brass boxes !! But I will die happy !!
I was a sustaining member of the Union Pacific Historical Society (UPHS) for many years. It’s quarterly publication, The Streamliner, is a valuable resource for the UP’s history and trains.
New York Central RR Historical Society and the New York Ontario & Western RR Historical Society.....both are excellent organizations with great publications....
Peter
Atlantic Coast Line/Seaboard Air Line Historical Society. I'm fortunate to have every copy of their quarterly magazine Line South.
@20centuryhudson posted:I have recently joined several (NYC NW PRR BM NH and SP) I have found their quarterly magazines to be really well done and a rich source of modeling info. I am particularly impressed with the central headlight and the arrow. Anyone else out there members if not I'd encourage you to take a look
The Rutland RR HS is great, with detailed "Newsliner" quarterly magazine with both how-to modeling and tales from the road, as well as modern projects going on in the Rutland former track. As being closely tied with the NYC, I like it.
Thanks!
- Mario
Hello, as you can see below in my signature, the only real railroad historical society that to which I belong is the Boston & Maine RR.
My brother and I were members of the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society, and while I dropped out, I believe he’s still a member. In addition to a newsletter, they put out a quarterly magazine, The Diamond in color.
Recently, I have stopped memberships in several groups I just wasn't getting out of being a member of, as it all adds up and you simply cannot subscribe/join everything you find interesting (unless you have a great deal of disposable income).
Every now and then, I might buy a copy of the Milwaukee Road group's magazine or that of the Southern RR group, if they have articles I find interesting.
But as for RR historical society memberships, I'm a proud member of the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina RR historical society. It's take a serious economic downturn for me to stop being a member with them. Their magazine doesn't come out very often (I think it's quarterly) but when it does, it's well worth it. They also release a regular newsletter that I really enjoy.
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