Have you been fascinated with trains since childhood?  Do you love watching freight trains maneuvering?  Do you feel a thrill watching the Amtrak passenger train speeding by at 70 miles an hour?  Each Christmas do you feel the tug of nostalgia as you watch an electric train circling a Christmas tree?  Then you might be a prime candidate to be a member of the National Railway Historical Society.

The local chapter is looking for new members.  The Old Dominion Chapter has been around for years and has done many worthwhile things. They are headquartered is The Richmond Railroad Museum at 102 Hull Street, Richmond.  This is the former Southern Railway Station, opened in 1915. 

The Society offers many exciting opportunities for new members, and they strive to involve young people in this fascinating hobby. ODC works with Boy Scouts as they study for their railroading merit badge and take great pride in trying to instill a love of all things railroad.  For people who enjoy working with full sized, real railroad rolling stock, the Society has a large collection at the Hallsboro facility west of Richmond where they restore Pullman coaches and sleepers, cabooses, freight cars and locomotives. The Society currently has the only working steam locomotive in Virginia used as a switcher at Hallsboro. They also have a Davenport, two-engine, diesel switcher locomotive.  In 2014 their Pullman sleeper was used for a scene in the upcoming movie “Ithaca” directed by Meg Ryan.

The Chapter has a large archives room in the basement of the former SCL Headquarters building at 3600 West Broad Street in Richmond. They have a large stockpile of materials left from ‘out of business’ railroads.  SCL, RF & P, C & O and B & O are some of the “fallen flags” represented.  Some members enjoy working with these archive materials, and there is a group actively scanning old photos and slides and assembling them into a database.

Some people gravitate towards staffing the Museum on weekends and interacting with the public touring the old station.  They can always use someone with cash register experience manning the gift shop.  For hobby enthusiasts there is a large room at the front of the Museum devoted to an HO train layout. The ODC Modeler’s have been working on the hillsides and houses and trackage of this display for the better part of three years.  They also welcome new members each Saturday and Sunday morning beginning about 9 a.m.

Another interesting activity at the ODC is spring and fall excursions on the Buckingham Branch Railroad at Dillwyn.  ODC maintains a number of passenger cars there, both open and closed. Members are needed to help maintain these cars and clean them after each trip, plus people must staff the cars during the excursions.  Needless to say, members get a free trip when on staff.

Other events during the year include trips to attractions like The Cass Scenic Railroad and the Western Maryland Railroad.

Chapter meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Hull Street Station.

Meetings are open to the public, and all are invited. There is a short business meeting and presentation of some sort (frequently a slide show about some aspect of railroading).  Light refreshments and conversation follow.

The Museum is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays.  Weekend admission to the Museum is always free.  Donations are gratefully accepted.  For more information check the website at: odcnrhs.org.  The website contains a live webcam view of the model room plus photos of the station.