Our Caboose - 21165
The CRHS doesn't sit on the sidelines and watch Conrail's equipment fall to the scrappers torch (or backhoe). We've successfully acquired a caboose, N7E 21165, among other equipment. We're in the process of restoring 21165, and operating it on the Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad near Hershey, PA.
Learn about our acquisition and preservation of Conrail caboose 21165
Relationship with The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
We know that preserving Conrail's history is not done alone. There are many other groups out there with a desire to preserve Conrail equipment, artifacts and records. We have a great relationship with the world reknowned Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, one of the leading institutions of railroad history and interpretation. This relationship has brought great things, like the first ever Conrail Days at the museum.
Learn more about Conrail Days or visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania's Website.
CRHS Archive Digitization and Preservation
The CRHS has been the recipient of a good number of Conrail artifacts, including documentation and photographs. We believe that the best way to preserve these items is to digitize them and their contents. This makes it easy to back up to prevent their loss in the case of fading or catastrophy. By cataloging and digitizing this material, we're able to preserve, publish and interpret it better. This is no small project, and is an ongoing process. We're already seeing some of the fruits of this process in the equipment information section of this site.
Our Website
We're striving to make TheCRHS.org into the leading resource for Conrail fans and researchers. Our photo gallery is over 20,000 images and growing every day. These photos are organized by collection, equipment type and location for virtual railfanning. Additionally, our site allows our members to connect and communicate with each other to share information and interests. This resource for Conrail enthusiasts is ever growing, with many new and exciting features on the way.
Publishing
The CRHS publishes the Conrail Quarterly, a full color magazine full of Conrail research. Each year we also publish a full color calendar, full of top notch photography from the beginning in 1976 through the end in 1999. We're also busy compiling a book on Conrail's cabooses and are always looking for new ideas for books.
CRHS Events
We host a number of events each year. These include our conventions, train shows, and trackside barbecues. These events bring together Conrail fans to share their love of Big Blue. Our Conventions are opportunities to get together and experience existing pieces of Conrail history, including a tour of Norfolk Southern's Juniata Shops in Altoona and a guided tour of Conrail's Altoona area operations. Our BBQs are great chances to get together and enjoy a day out railfanning and talking with fellow enthusiasts, and always result in memorable stories.
Make sure to see the upcoming CRHS events.
Relationships with Model Manufacturers
We realize it's important for Conrail modelers to have the most accurate models possible. The CRHS's archives contain lots of information that can help model manufacturers produce accurate products. We actively work to establish relationships with manufacturers large and small to help them bring out successful, accurate models.
Putting Conrail's History in Perspective
One of the most important aspects of Conrail's history is it's genesis as a federal bailout of part of the railroad industry. This is something that needs to be remembered as having have worked and made the tax payers money. This is not lost on the world, but we provide a focus for it in our "Conrail in the news" section of our website. Learn about the parallels being drawn between the Consolidated Rail Corporation and the current day Automotive and Banking industries by reading the articles linked up there.
How to Help The CRHS
Join! The CRHS's strength is its active membership. The best way to help the CRHS's efforts is to join up and become active. Learn all about CRHS membership and the specific volunteer positions we're looking for help with.
