Nicholas Smith trains is keeping that alive in the Philly area!

And sadly, they are now down to one tenth of the membership they enjoyed back in the 80s and 90s.
I've been a member since 1984 and at this point, I wouldn't bet on it surviving into the 2030s...

Mostly because they haven't done things to keep themselves relevant.

In my experience the NRHS largely still exists to serve the same crowd it did in 1987. Literally the same people.

Meanwhile there are other groups that exist (either official or unofficial) that scratch the same itch for people today.

Maybe it's the gang of guys who don't see the need to incorporate to be the "Official Foamers of St Denis™", or a group of people who share Train Sim stuff together. Those people exist and they're not visible to the NRHS crowd because they run in different circles.

To the NRHS crowd it looks like the hobby is dying, but in reality, it's that the hobby as they participate in it, is.

Our nearest NRHS chapter had no activities during the Covid event. Prior to it they were still sending meeting notices by mail and featuring 35mm slide shows.

In contrast, RRE, Amherst Railway Society, and several other groups are more supportive of electronic presentations and their meeting attendance has been quite good. The NMRA region is also quite active. All of these groups have a focus that encompasses modern as well as historic topics. This makes a wider range of programs acceptable to them.

The last time some of us locally showed 35mm slides was back around 2003. Nowdays nearly everything going into a program or clinic gets scanned to make it easier to catalog and edit.

PC

In large part, because they are now prevented from doing so.

There were chapters that used to do 2-4 mainline excursions A YEAR. Over lines that no longer exist, in many cases. With equipment that, in some cases either literally wore out or was incapable of being maintained for decades. There were Chapters in the South that literally revolved almost entirely around offering a Southern steam special once or twice a year.

The Baltimore Chapter once counted among its members TWO railroad executives, who were more than happy to set up a trip over the B&O or Western Maryland, and might have even been standing in the photo line at the runby themselves or put their own office cars on the back--and invited riders to take turns joining them on that business car!

Even early MARC was wiling and able to do things like an RDC trip out the old WM or a trip to Philly on the Royal Blue Route, or even run a trainset to the Eastern Shore for a run on the Maryland and Delaware. NO MORE.

There are a lot of things you can do--from opening and running a station museum to having tours of the local railroad or transit system shops (if you have one), partnering with other museums for restoration projects, etc. But absolutely NONE of them will have the eye-candy and enthusiast appeal of a train trip.

Even if you try? Have you SEEN what they demand for insurance?

So, I counter you:
What can we offer you that will make you join up, that is humanly POSSIBLE in today's litigation-crazed era?

Hey: Why don't you come forward with that proposal and take the lead? Don't assume we all suffer from "Not Invented Here" Syndrome..........

I was a member of my local NRHS Chapter for a couple years, probably five or six years ago. I let my membership lapse because it offered no incentives aside from the chapter and national newsletter and monthly meeting. They didn't do anything aside from the monthly meetings and the occasional obscenely expensive private car excursions (since no more with the latest Amtrak policies) that only retired people had the time and money for.



My response to when I thought the same thing was why? There are already multiple other local railroad-oriented groups and a museum more established than being a fraternal organization that already do that exact thing: offer what I want out being a member and volunteer. And thats where I decided to spend my time and effort. Its also where I found more people my age (coincidence?). These days if there isn't another group within an hour of you, odds are there isn't an NRHS Chapter either.

My local chapter also didn't own anything for which to do these things that attracted me. No small depot museum to spend a Saturday afternoon at, no rail equipment to maintain, no activities, ect. And they did have these things at one point- but they were sold off for the funds to keep the chapter in existance. Realisitically, they had no source of income except annual dues. And aside from sharing some members, there was almost no relationship with other local groups and museums. They existed, as most chapters have for the last fifteen-plus years, as a fraternal organization for older fellows with a side-role of supportive organization for the other groups and museums. It wasn't worth my time and money, and still wouldn't be even if they magically had the resources to begin offering those things.

And yet all I hear from the NRHS "Boomers" (pardon the term, but it does reflect the age of most nrhs members) is the lamenting of "Where are the young people? Memberships are down, the hobby is dying!" Numerous groups that have been immensely successful and popular have sprouted up in the last decade and existing ones have found themselves success in new, young members, and support from both the public, and local governments. Preservation is more successful now than ever. I'd wager rail-hobbies are bigger now than in the 1980s and 90s. The only thing dying is the way NRHS chapters have participated in the hobby for the last forty years. It's now evolved. It's changed. And for the better.

This isn't a bash of the NRHS, many chapters are successful, and the NRHS is in my opinion, still an important entity. But many chapters are (or were) in the same position as mine. Most of them serve an aging member base, have no role to play aside from a fraternal or supportive organization, and have an outdated business and operating model. Most NRHS chapters just can't compete.

Simply put, the NRHS has been replaced. And that's why young people aren't joining and why I don't think there is an outlook beyond the next 10-15 years for 95% of NRHS chapters. They wont ever be again what they were 25 years ago. Sad but true.

-Sam

There are other successful groups that use the monthly meeting format that NRHS chapter members could visit and learn from. I usually suggest Amherst Railway Society (Massachusetts) as a model, but there are several successful organizations just in my local area. That includes model railroad clubs that host programs that are more "modern" than what you usually see at NRHS chapters.

PC

What a lot of people don't realize is NRHS Chapters and the National Organization are separate corporate entities.

To belong to a chapter, members are supposed to belong to the National; the National does not control what the chapters do; their members do and its been that way for 85 years.

Bob H

It's worth pointing out that, for this very reason, a good number of Chapters parted way with the NRHS during their recent change of administrative structure.

Why bother?
The ONLY benefit most members get from the National is the now-twice-annual Bulletin magazine--and as one former railroad executive openly bellowed at a meeting where he asked National execs what would be done to improve it, "IT'S CRAP!!!!!!"

The NRHS makes noises about the "benefits" it offers to Chapters and National members, but I can't count the number of times I have heard those supposed "benefits" pooh-poohed, even in-person to NRHS officials. Even decades ago, Chapters in the DC area had to have a "Joint Trip Committee" which, in part, consisted of six or eight members who formed the Chesapeake Branch of the Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc. (RRE), and the sole purpose of that was so the trips could secure liability insurance through the RRE insurance program--something the NRHS was unable or unwilling to offer.

I personally know of at least three Chapters that had lively discussions about parting with the NRHS and going solo or affiliating with the R&LHS. In two cases, the serious joke was made privately among members that "it won't happen until the president/VP/treasurer gets his 50-Year Pin--THEN bring it up again!"

I'd say "Sad but true!" but then I'd be that Nattering Nabob of Negativity.

So I ask once again:
Those of you that are not members:
Exactly what can we--the National NRHS or the Chapters--do or offer to attract the under-50 crowd, let alone the under-30 crowd? Keeping in mind that it's mostly completely delusional to ask for a mainline excursion, steam or diesel, on most railroads today.............

(Here's how stupid things have gotten in the rest of railroading:
On behalf of a NRHS Chapter, I recently approached a known tourist railroad about the possibility of a trip using part of their trainset to cover their entire freight railroad, not the usual out-and-back trackage over just the scenic part of it, run before their normal operations on weekend afternoons.
Not only could this railroad's office not comprehend why anyone would want to ride that line, they first insisted the trainset couldn't be broken up even temporarily. Then when I pointed out how it could be done--separating and reattaching PA system and HEP lines--they insisted the cars couldn't get around two curves on that upper part of the line--never mind the cars were shipped in that way.........
I talked with the railroad crews instead of the office. They rolled their eyes and said "they make the rules, not us. We may know better, but they overrule us. Every time.")

What can the National NRHS do to be relevant in 2021?

Actually do historical preservation.

There is a real opportunity in the coming years: many railroad historical societies are going to be facing diminished membership and have the real potential to shrink below the critical mass needed to serve their missions.

The NRHS could be the arms that embrace those orgs and give them a soft landing.

But right now, the way I see it, the NRHS is a social club for older people who like trains. I don't think it's in its DNA to do this type of thing.

It's a shame, but from what I've seen, they're more interested in conventions featuring railroad themed entertainment (like private car trips and slide shows) then actual historical preservation.

It's a shame they've got such a great name locked up.

The lack of any uniformity among chapters in their meeting formats makes it more difficult for the NRHS to attract interesting (and/or well organized) programs. The common NRHS program description ("After the meeting there will be railroad oriented entertainment") is unfortunately just about correct. In whatever short time is left remaining after the unpredictable business meeting is concluded, the guest speaker or presenter will show something of undetermined length that probably had to be shortened to fit the remaining time. If the NRHS had just a little bit of standardization in their meeting program format between chapters they could much more easily attract programs developed for the other groups in the hobby that DO have defined length for a program.

PC

In the time period when NRHS assumed their slogan as the "Leaders in Preservation", I was contacted by an NRHS officer who explained that they were planning preservation conferences and asked if I would consider doing programs based on the heritage locomotive electrical and mechanical classes I had taught over the previous years. I told him I might be able to participate for some events and to keep me informed. Apparently they lost interest, because I never heard another word on the subject from NRHS. In the years since then, I retired, stopped doing locomotive related instruction, and eventually stopped doing event programs too. If they ever get a program going, they will find the technical reference materials at the Barriger Library, but I won't be teaching then.

PC

At one time, NHRS Chapters WERE "Leaderrs in Preservation." Some of the older Chapters started museums that became successful and were reorganized as museums outside the NHRS umbrella.

Phil Mulligan

Why did those organizations need to reorganize outside the NRHS?

For one, to form a free-standing nonprofit consistent with state law in the home state.

Phil Mulligan