Wisconsin NRHS is a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. 

The NRHS was founded in 1935 by a group of rail historians. It has since grown from 40 founding members to include thousands of men and women of all ages and professions in every state and many foreign countries, making it the nation's largest rail preservation and historical society. More information about NRHS may be found at www.nrhs.com.

The Wisconsin Chapter was founded in 1950. Our purpose is to gather, preserve and disseminate information, both historic and current, pertaining to railroading in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest.

The chapter holds membership meetings on the first Friday evening of most months in Fox Point, just north of Milwaukee, and streamed online. Meeting programs are presented by leading local railroad historians, photographers, enthusiasts, and people involved with the railroad industry. Meetings are always open to the public, and no admission fee is charged. If you find yourself aligned with the goals of the chapter, or if you find value in our meeting programs, please consider joining. 

Bookmark the chapter's YouTube channel (youtube.com/@NRHSWis) and follow us on Facebook. 

Wisconsin Chapter meetings are held on the first Friday of every month (except July & August), at 7:30 p.m., in the lower level meeting room of the North Shore Congregational Church, 7330 North Santa Monica Boulevard in Fox Point, Wisconsin. Click here for a Bing map and directions.

Our meetings are always open to members and anyone who has an interest in railroad history or today's railroad operations. No admission fee is charged. 

We stream our meetings via Zoom for the benefit of anyone who cannot attend in-person. To be advised of Zoom connection information, and to receive occasional chapter updates, become a member today. 

Upcoming meetings:

Friday, February 7, 2025, 7:30 PM CST

Annual Chapter Business meeting. And...

Manawa, Wisc., out of service track. Photo by Brian Buchanan.

Fox Valley & Lake Superior out-of-service track at Manawa, Wisc. Photo by Brian Buchanan

Is this track Abandoned?  Many would say so...but not necessarily. It might be Discontinued. Or Embargoed. How do you tell? What's the difference? Does it matter? How does a railroad decide which status to put it in? How do you do it? Does a spur track have to go thru the process? Brian Buchanan will present an informative and entertaining program clarifying what each is and what it means... and where it leads us. Let's go down the rabbit hole. You'll be surprised where it takes us.

Brian worked 41 years for Chicago & North Western, Wisconsin Central, Canadian National and Fox Valley & Lake Superior. He was involved in line studies while at CN, which included starting the embargo/discontinuance/abandonment process on lines. Now in retirement, Mr. Buchanan frequently posts railroad videos on YouTube under the handle KillerBee.
 

If you are able, please attend in person at our regular meeting venue in Fox Point; doors open before 7:00 pm for social time. Those who cannot attend in person are encouraged to download the latest version of Zoom software to their computers (or tablets, or smartphones) to attend virtually. ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED to access this event remotely: connection information will be provided here a couple days prior to the meeting. Contact membership (at-sign) nrhswis (period) org with any questions before 3:00 pm February 7.