This page provides a directory of railroad historical societies, railway preservation groups, and websites offering a history of railroads in Central USA and Canada.
Amazon.com Railroad History Books - Thousands of new, used, and out-of-print railroad history books
American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation (APRHF) - Plans an educational exhibition in La Plata, Missouri, featuring the history of passenger rail in America
Arkansas Railroad Club - North Little Rock, Arkansas
Arkansas Railroad History - Photos and information related to Arkansas railroad history
Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chapter, NRHS - Railroad historical society meets monthly in Springdale, Arkansas
Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Subjects - Information about Santa Fe depots, coaling towers, water facilities, motive power, and rolling stock
Auctions on eBay - 100,000+ collectibles and railroadiana items including vintage ads, maps, timetables, tickets, stock certificates, watches, clocks, signs, lanterns, utensils, locks, apparel, and more
Blackhawk Chapter, NRHS - Studies Chicago and Northwest Indiana's rich railroad history; Lockport, Illinois
Bridges, Stations & Tunnels - Guide to the earliest, longest, highest, and largest railroad structures
British Train Society - Organization of British railway enthusiasts and modelers around Chicago, Illinois
Brodhead Historical Society - Operates a restored 1881 Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul depot with railroad equipment on display; Brodhead, Wisconsin
Burlington Route Historical Society - To preserve and disseminate historical information about the collective Burlington railroads; La Grange, Illinois
Canadian Pacific Railway Heritage Park & Interpretive Centre - Preserving the Portage la Prairie CP Rail Station in Manitoba, Canada
Central Electric Railfan's Association - Encourages the study of the history, equipment, and operation of urban, suburban, and mainline electric railways with a focus on the greater Chicagoland area
Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad Historical Society - Preserves the history of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad and operates a museum in Watseka, Illinois
Chicago and North Western Historical Society - Overview, membership, company store, photos, and more
Chicago Chapter, NRHS - Meets monthly in Downers Grove, Illinois
Chicago Great Western Page - Photos, historical, and technical information about the Chicago Great Western Railway
Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad - History and photos of the North Shore Line, an interurban line that operated between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Chicago Tunnel Company - Information and photos about a 60 mile network of freight tunnels forty feet below the streets of downtown Chicago
Chicago's North Side Switching - Historical organization preserving the history of Chicago's near north side Milwaukee Road and C&NW railroad operations
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad - History of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Choctaw Terminal - History of the Choctaw & Memphis Railroad's terminal in Little Rock, Arkansas
CN Lines Special Interest Group (SIG), NMRA - Covers the Canadian National family of railways with emphasis on equipment and modeling; Winnipeg, Canada
Coal Towers - Photographs of coaling towers from the early 1900s
Copper Range Railroad - History and photos of the Copper Range Railroad on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula
Danville Junction Chapter, NRHS - Danville, Illinois
Duluth Depot - 1892 depot restored as the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center's Historic Union Depot; Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, South Shore, and Atlantic Railway - Stretched from Duluth, Minnesota, through Wisconsin, to Sault St. Marie, Michigan, with branches running to Calumet and to St. Ignace in the early 1900s
Eagle Lake Depot - Documents the history and ongoing restoration of the former Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe Railway depot in Eagle Lake, Texas
Early Railroads - Records and firsts for railroad construction and operation in the U.S. and worldwide
El Paso Streetcars - The Paso Del Norte Streetcar Preservation Society is involved in the preservation of El Paso, Texas streetcars and streetcar history
ERIX RailCar - Restoration of Great Northern streamlined coach-dining car #1146
Fort Worth Tandy Center Subway - Private subway serving the Tandy Center in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, from 1963 to 2002
Fred's Arkansas Streetcars and Trolleys - Photos of the eight streetcar lines that served 13 towns around Arkansas
Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail - Advocates the conversion of the three mile elevated Bloomingdale Line railroad into a mixed-use trail and linear park in Chicago, Illinois
Frisco High Line, The - History of the Kansas City, Osceola, and Southern Railroad
Frisco Library - Discussion of the operations, equipment, and people of the Saint Louis and San Francisco Railway Company
Frisco's Eastern Division - Documents the history of the Frisco line from Pierce City, Missouri to Ellsworth, Kansas
Galesburg & Great Eastern Railroad - History and photos of a former 10-mile coal hauling line in Knox County, Illinois
Galesburg Railroad Days - Annual festival in Galesburg, Illinois
Gopher State Railway Museum - Preserving railroad history by building a railroad museum park in New Prague, Minnesota
Grasselli Tower - Preservation effort of the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum to save the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad tower in East Chicago, Indiana
Great Northern Archive - Photos and rosters of the Great Northern Railway's streamlined passenger trains
Great Northern Empire - Photos, histories, and rosters of the Great Northern and its locomotives, rolling stock, and structures
Great Northern Railway Historical Society - Dedicated to the preservation, study, and history of James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway
GreatThirdRail.org - History of the Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad
Green Bay & Western Lines - History, maps, timetables, rosters, photos, and modeling information from a paper carrying line and bridge route that operated until 1993 between the Mississippi River at Winona, Minnesota and Lake Michigan at Kewaunee, Wisconsin
Gulf Coast Chapter, NRHS - Operates the Houston Railroad Museum; Houston, Texas
Historic Railpark - Historic railroad cars on display at the L&N Depot in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Houston Streetcar History Pages - History and photos of the two dozen former trolley routes in Houston, Texas
Hub City Heritage Corp. Railway Museum - Dedicated to preserving the structures, artifacts, paperwork, and equipment of the railroads of Oelwein, Iowa
Illinois Central Railroad Heritage Association - Preserves and documents the history and heritage of the Illinois Central Railroad, its predecessors, and successors, including the Chicago Central & Pacific, Illinois Central Gulf (ex-Illinois Central lines), Paducah & Louisville, Mid-South Railroad, and Canadian National-operated IC lines
Illinois Central Railroad Historical Society - Dedicated to the preservation of historical and educational information about the Illinois Central Railroad, and the many predecessor railroads that have been part of the Illinois Central System
Iowa Railroad Historical Society - Operates the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad and plans a railroad museum and library in Boone, Iowa
Iowa Traction Railroad - Electric freight railroad operates 13 miles between Clear Lake and Mason City, Iowa
James J. Hill and the Building of the Stone Arch Bridge - Online video tells the story behind the construction of James J. Hill's famous Minneapolis landmark, The Stone Arch Bridge
Jeff Prince's Guide to the Rock Island Lines - Diesel paint scheme guide, photos, and assorted RI subjects
Kansas City Southern Historical Society - Dedicated to preserving the history of the Kansas City Southern Railroad (KCS); Shreveport, Louisiana
Kansas City, Clay County & St. Joseph Interurban Railway - History and photos of the former interurban route between St. Joseph and Kansas City, Missouri
Katy Railroad Historical Society - Preserves the history of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (The Katy)
LeClaireRail.com - Collection of historic rail photos from the Edwardsville Illinois area in the 1950s, including the Nickel Plate, Litchfield & Madison, Illinois Terminal, Wabash, and others
Locomotive Records - Guide to the earliest, fastest, heaviest, largest, and most powerful steam locomotives
Malvern Roundhouse - History and photos of the 1887 Hot Springs Railroad roundhouse in Malvern, Arkansas
Mendota Museums & Historical Society - Promoting the preservation of the history of Mendota, Illinois, its railroads, and also recognizing agricultural heritage through three museums (including the Union Depot Railroad Museum)
Milwaukee Electric Railway & Transit Historical Society - Preserving the memories and artifacts of electric railway history in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee Road - Pictures of Milwaukee Road passenger cars
Milwaukee Road Heritage Center - Preserving the Milwaukee Road history through extensive displays of railroad equipment and a working railroad yard with turntable; Montevideo, Minnesota
Milwaukee Road Historical Association - History and information regarding the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific RR
Milwaukee Road Online - Photos, roster, modeling information, and more about the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad and its predecessors
Mineral Point Railroad Society - The history of the operation and restoration of the Mineral Point, Wisconsin depot - the oldest remaining depot in Wisconsin and on the Milwaukee Road (1856)
Minnesota Railroad Stations Past & Present - Photos and information about train stations throughout the state
Missabe Railroad Historical Society - Railfans, modelers, and rail historians with an interst in the Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railway (DM&IR) and its predecessors
Mississippi Great Southern Chapter, NRHS - Railroad historical society in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Mississippi Rails - Histories and photos of past mainline, shortline, and logging railroads in Mississippi and Alabama
Missouri Pacific Historical Society - Preserving the rich history of the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Railroad Depots - Collection of photos, drawings, paintings, and post card art of more than 1200 railroad depots
Missouri-Illinois Railroad Railfan Site - History, maps, and photos of the Missouri-Illinois and Mississippi River & Bonne Terre Railroads
MOPAC Railroad Screaming Eagles - Photos and history of the Missouri Pacific, Texas & Pacific, C&EI, M-I, KO&G, and predecessor roads
Morrisonville Depot Preservation Society - Restoring the depot at Morrisonville, Wisconsin on the former Milwaukee Road, Madison & Portage line that is now part of Canadian Pacific Railway
Nashville, Chattanooga & St Louis Preservation Society - Preserves the buildings, rolling stock, papers, and motive power of the NC&StL
Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society - Dedicated to preserving and disseminating information concerning the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad and its predecessor railroads
North Arkansas Line - History of the former Missouri & North Arkansas Railroad between Joplin, Missouri to Helena, Arkansas
North Texas Chapter, NRHS - Members from around the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area
Northstar Chapter, NRHS - Saint Paul, Minnesota
Northwest Indiana Railroad Preservation Society - Dedicated to the restoration and future operation of Nickel Plate Road 624 steam locomotive
Oregon Depot Restoration - History and news concerning the restoration of the CB&Q railroad station in Oregon, Illinois
Paducah Chapter, NRHS - Operates the Paducah Railroad Museum; Paducah, Kentucky
Pere Marquette Historical Society - Collects and disseminates information regarding the Pere Marquette Railroad, a Class One road which served Michigan, Ontario, Indiana, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin
Project Depot - Effort by the citizens of Mattoon, Illinois to save and restore their Illinois Central Railroad depot
Queen & Crescent Chapter, NRHS - Fosters the preservation of area railroad history and artifacts; Meridian, Mississippi
Railroad and Transportation Museum of El Paso, Friends of the - Brings together individuals and organizations supporting the concept of a railroad museum in El Paso, Texas
Railroad Artifact Preservation Society - Established to protect, restore, preserve, and display AT&SF steam locomotive number 5000, currently in Amarillo, Texas
Railroad Stations of San Antonio, TX - Photos and history of San Antonio (Sunset Depot, Missouri Pacific Station, MKT Rwy) and other Texas stations
Railroads in Kansas - Kansas railroad history by Stephen Chinn
Railway & Locomotive Historical Society - Southwest Chapter - Restores and preserves railroad equipment in El Paso, Texas
Record Railroad Routes - Guide to the highest, steepest, and longest railroad grades worldwide
Rock Island Technical Society - Preserving the history of the Rock Island Lines; Kansas City, Missouri
S.S. City of Milwaukee National Historic Landmark - Former railroad car ferry that served the GTW, PRR, and Ann Arbor Railroad from 1931 to 1981
Santa Fe Archives: R. L. Crump Library - Collection of AT&SF historical documents now available online
Save the 905 - Dedicated to the preservation and the restoration of Rock Island 4-6-2 steam locomotive #905 in Duncan, Oklahoma
Sedalia Katy Depot - 1896 Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway depot now houses railroad heritage exhibits; Sedalia, Missouri
Shore Line Interurban Historical Society - Railfan group interested in the electric railways of the Chicago area
Shortlines of Chicago Historical Society - Preserving historical information about industrial and shortline railroads in the Chicago metropolitan area
Siouxland Historical Railroad Association - Preserves the Milwaukee Road shop complex in Sioux City, Iowa
Soo Line Diesel Roster - Extensive photo roster for railfans and modelers alike
Soo Line Historical and Technical Society - Includes the Soo Line Railroad; Wisconsin Central; Algoma Central; Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway; Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern; and other Soo Line successors and predecessors
Southern Pacific T&NO Depot Restoration Project - Effort to restore the 1913 depot for use as a museum; Wharton, Texas
St. Louis Chapter, NRHS - Meets monthly in Chesterfield, Missouri
Steam Locomotive Heritage Association (Soo Line 1003) - Preserves and operates a 1913 2-8-2 steam locomotive for special excursions, primarily on the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad
Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis Historical and Technical Society - History of the Terminal Railroad and St. Louis Union Station
Texas & Pacific Railway - T&P maps, ads, timetables, models, photos, rosters, and more
Texas & Pacific Railway Memories - T&P history, photos, and information for railfans and modelers
Texas Transportation Archive - Historic photographs, documents, and genealogy on Texas shortline, mainline, logging, and electric railroads
The 4000 Foundation, Limited - Preserves CB&Q steam locomotive #4000, the Grand Crossing Tower, and a caboose in Copeland Park, La Crosse, Wisconsin
The Alphabet Route - Histories, rosters, maps, photos, timetables, and more about the Midwest and Northeast railroads that joined together in 1931 to compete against the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad, including the Nickel Plate, Wheeling & Lake Erie, Pittsburgh & West Virginia, Western Maryland, Reading, Central Railroad of New Jersey, Lehigh & Hudson River, and New York, New Haven & Hartford
The City Transformed - Railroads and their influence on the growth of Chicago in the 1850s
Train Records - Guide to the fastest, longest, and heaviest trains in U.S. and world history
Train Wrecks - Guide to the earliest, deadliest, and strangest train wrecks, crashes, derailments, and accidents
Trinity Valley Railroad Historical Association - Promoting public interest in the railroad industry through the collection and preservation of historic artifacts, rolling-stock, and locomotives, and through the preservation of local and regional railroad history; Fort Worth, Texas
Unofficial CGW Web Site - History of the Chicago Great Western Railway, merged into the CNW in 1968
Wabash Railroad Historical Society - Dedicated to the collection and preservation of historical artifacts, data, photos, and drawings on the history, operation, and equipment of the Wabash Railroad and its predecessors
Western Kentucky Chapter, NRHS - Meets monthly in Madisonville, Kentucky
Wisconsin Chapter, NRHS - Dedicated to gathering, preserving, and disseminating information, both historic and current, pertaining to railroading in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest; meets monthly in Fox Point, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society - Non-profit educational society preserving electric railway history since 1967
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