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:
Annual Chapter Banquet - Saturday, October 5
This is our annual gathering for the purpose of fellowship, good food, and a dynamic speaker. It all takes place on Saturday, October 5, in West Allis, Wisconsin.
Have you ever looked at a passing freight train and noticed the various car types and wondered what are they hauling? Where they are going? Have you ever thought about who owns them? The extra observant person might notice a smaller number of railroad reporting marks or logos on the passing equipment like you would see in previous decades. “If these cars aren’t owned by the railroad, then WHOSE cars are they?!”
Since 1898 GATX have been stepping up to meet the demands of customers across the country and expanding the services we offer. What started as a small fleet of 48 cars, GATX is now one of the largest railcar lessors in North America with a diversified fleet of over 110,000 railcars which serves a variety of industries and customers. In addition to railcar leasing, GATX leases locomotives, operates repair shops, leases railcars in Europe and India, and leases aircraft engines. In this presentation, we will explore GATX’s history and railcar fleet along with the current climate of the North American rail industry.
Ryan Daleen is a Fleet Portfolio Manager at GATX. In his role, Ryan oversees GATX’s fleet of plastic pellet hoppers, intermodal well cars, flatcars, and aggregate hoppers. Ryan has been with GATX since 2021 and has been in the transportation industry since 2016 working a variety of roles. Ryan also volunteers at the Illinois Railway Museum working in the Steam and Operations Departments.
Our banquet will be held at Pallas Restaurant, South 108th Street in West Allis, Wisconsin. The menu: House salad, beef stroganoff and baked chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, veggie blend, ice cream, coffee. Cash bar is available beginning at 5:00 pm; dinner is served at 6:00 pm.
This will be a memorable evening! Price is $60 per person, or $50 each for Wisconsin Chapter members and their guests, and NRHS members and their guests. Click here to order your tickets or use the appropriate button below.
Within a day or two of receipt of your order, we will send you a confirmation email. You will not receive printed tickets. Just check in at Pallas and enjoy the meal! Registration deadline is Tuesday, September 24, 6:00 PM CDT.
If you have any questions, please contact chapter membership chair Mike Yuhas via email at membership [at-sign] nrhswis [period] org.