Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE:  These FAQ's are for questions that are generally not covered under other sections of this web site or may not be obvious.  In addition to reviewing these questions, you may want to make sure we don't cover your question under a related general topic as listed in the menu system.

1. Question: I ordered tickets for a Chapter excursion or Chapter trip and have not received confirmation or heard from anyone yet.  Should I be worried? 
   Answer: You should allow two - three weeks for us to process your ticket order and send you confirmation if you have ordered more than four weeks in advance of the event.  Otherwise, please allow seven to ten days, depending upon how near the departure date is.  If after waiting the appropriate amount of time you still don't hear from us, then please call or e-mail us.
2. Question: Is a specific trip, event, or event sold out?
   Answer: Check the specific page for your trip on this web site, under trips . If the web site does not list the trip as sold out, then it most likely is not. You can telephone the ticket agent at the phone number listed for the specific trip to double check.
3. Question: Can you help me plan (schedules, fares, etc) an intercity (Amtrak) rail or train trip? 
   Answer: Please call 1-800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak at www.amtrak.com
4. Question: Can you provide me information (or more information) about Washington, D.C. Union Station, including history, transportation, hours, phone number, merchants, services, links, location, parking, etc?
   Answer:  Please see our Union Station Pages. Please note that we are not the owners of Union Station and this pages are provided as a public service only. All the information we have on Union Station has been posted here.
5. Question: Can you help me research information  about a relative who worked for a railroad?
   Answer: No.  However, if your ancestor worked there after 1936, it is possible that the Railroad Retirement Board (the railroad workers' equivalent of the Social Security Administration) might have an entry for your ancestor in their database. You may contact that agency through their Office of Public Affairs at 844 N. Rush St., Chicago, Ill. 60611-2092. Be advised that there will be fees charged by this agency.
6. Question: Can you tell me how much a railroad-related item (railroadiana it is often called) is worth (e.g. ticket stub, picture, lantern, uniform/uniform buttons, clocks, watches, china, glassware, step boxes, office equipment, hats, badges, train orders, timetables, employee manuals)?
   Answer: No.  We suggest you monitor or search on e-bay at www.ebay.com .  There are also quite a few books on railroadiania.
7. Question: Can you help me with a railroad history question? 
   Answer: It depends upon the question:
   For questions concerning  rail history in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, including railroads, locations, events, equipment, etc: please e-mail your question to us using the form provided.
   For questions not related to local Washington, D.C. rail history: please review the Library page on the the National Railway Historical Society's  web site. They have a form that you can use to get research help.
8. Question: I am interested in chartering or leasing the DOVER HARBOR.  Can you give me additional information such as availability, pricing, schedules, etc?
   Answer: Please see our DOVER HARBOR  web site.
9. Question: Could you tell me about the history of the DOVER HARBOR?
   Answer: Please see our DOVER HARBOR  web site.
10. Question: Is there an NRHS Chapter near where I live?
    Answer:  Please visit the National Railway Historical Society web site.  That well done site has a list of all NRHS Chapters world wide.
11. Question: Could you help me with information about MARC, VRE, Metrorail, or other Washington, D.C. metropolitan area transportation systems?
    Answer: Please see our Regional Rail section.  You may also wish to check our Related Links page.
12. Question: Can tell me information about one or more tourist railroads, excursion trains, or railroad museums in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area? 
    Answer: Please see our Regional Rail section for a complete list. You may also wish to check our Related Links page.
13. Question: I am working on a project to save and/or restore a local railroad station.  I don't know where to start or get information. Can you help me? 
    Answer: Please contact The Great American Station Foundation  
14. Question: Would you please place a link to my web site on your links page?
    Answer: We only link to organizations that provide a reciprocal link. We only link to other educational or non-profit efforts, usually railroad or transportation related. We do not link to commercial ventures unless there is a compelling and obvious public service need, such as a link to Amtrak. So, please before you send us a message requesting this, make sure your organization is non-profit and you have a link to our site's main page on your links page.
15. Question: I am an author or publisher of a book or provider of some other rail-related service your members may be interested in. Would you please contact me for further discussion?
    Answer: No. We DO NOT serve as a pipeline or conduit between our members and outside organizations wishing to sell, market, or buy anything. Our mailing lists and membership rosters are not for sale or public use and we do not sell advertisements or provide advertising space in our member publications.
16. Question: Can you tell me what route(s)/train(s) you would have taken by train to go from location XXX to location YYY in the year ####?
    Answer: No. Sorry - we don't have that level of information available and in many cases from forty or more years ago there were tens or hundreds of possible itineraries.  The best source of information for this is a monthly publication called The Official Guide of the Railway and Steam Navigation Lines. It was published monthly by Rand McNally & Company.  Visit your local library and ask for help. Look for the edition from or near the month/year you are asking about.
17. Question: Can you tell me the origins of the width of railroad gauge (4 feet, 8.5 inches)?
    Answer: The short answer is it all got started with Roman Chariots and the distance needed between the wheels on a two-horse chariot. 
18. Question: Can you tell me more information about the Railway Express Agency?
    Answer: The short answer is all the information we have available we have made available on this web site. 
19. Question: Can you tell me more information about the Pullman Company?
    Answer: The short answer is we don't have a lot more information, but if your question is related to the operation of the Company and railcars, we can try.