Friday, January 2, 2026, 7:30 PM CST - Nona Hill and Clark Johnson present “850,000 Miles by Private Rail Car”

The private railcar Caritas travelled over 850,000 miles throughout North America from its rebirth in 1984 until sold in 2019. Designed to carry 8 guests and a crew of two, it sports an open platform, full kitchen, dining for eight and a lounge with oversized windows. Many of its miles were on freight trains and off scheduled passenger routes. High Iron Travel, which owned the car, focused on “rare mileage” trips – on routes normally inaccessible. High Iron ran seventeen “Explorers’” trips, each extending over 7 days. In addition there were six trips to Mexico and many shorter excursions. In this presentation we will focus on some of the more exotic trips and on the nature of the “mileage collector” clan; our customers who will make enormous efforts to cover the last “100 yards” and how working with the railroads to arrange these adventures has changed (not for the better).

Caritas brings up the markers on a train headed into Hoosac tunnel, April 13, 2021. Photo by Wayne Hills.

Clark Johnson is a physicist by vocation and a railroader by avocation. His interest in private cars resulted from his desire to cover as much railway trackage as possible. Since much of the North American rail network was “freight service only” he envisaged tacking a private car on freight trains. That worked for a while in the 1980s when his car Caritas started traveling. He found a small cadre of fellow mileage collectors that made special trains possible. The Caritas covered over 850,000 miles throughout North America. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and a Fellow of the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers.

Nona Hill’s picture was published in the Wisconsin State Journal before she even had a name. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has served as an officer for both the Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers and All Aboard Wisconsin.  Both groups are advocates for more and better passenger service in that state.  She met Clark Johnson in 1991 on a trip he was operating on the Wisconsin and Calumet Railroad.  By 1992 she was part of High Iron Travel, Clark’s life and countless travel opportunities on planes, trains and automobiles.   She has served as Treasurer for the Center of Railroad Photography and Art since 2013. 

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 participate remotely, via Zoom. ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED to access this event remotely. Connection information will be provided a few days before the program.