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 the first Friday evening of most months in Fox Point, just north of Milwaukee. 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, 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, December 1, 2023, 7:30 PM CDT - The Railroad Photography of Linn Westcott
North Shore Silverliners transition from 6th to 5th Street on Milwaukee's south side. Photo by Linn Westcott
Kalmbach veteran Linn H. Westcott was a legendary model railroader, famous for his long tenure at the helm of Model Railroader magazine. He was also a skilled photographer, training his camera on just about every aspect of the railroad scene, from physical plant to locomotives to railroad workers. Join former Trains Editor Kevin P. Keefe, who worked briefly with Westcott in the mid-1970s, for an entertaining look at this significant archive of Westcott's color and black-and-white images.
Eastbound GN passenger train passes a quarry at Fort Wright near Spokane, Wash. Photo by Linn Westcott
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 wil be posted here a few days before the event. After successful registration, you will receive an email from Zoom with information on how to join the meeting. Contact membership (commercial-at) nrhswis (dot) org with any questions.