Pottstown & Reading Chapter - About Us

THE NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY invites you to enjoy participating in and contribute to the past, present and future of our railroad heritage.

The Pottstown & Reading Chapter is the local chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, an organization interested in railroading, both past and present. Whether you enjoy riding railways, operating trains, taking photographs, restoring vintage equipment, preserving and revitalizing railroad structures, writing books or articles on current events, talking about rail history, watching trains, socializing, trainspotting, railfanning, or anything else, there is certainly a place for you in the NRHS.

The Pottstown & Reading Chapter has an interest in the history of the Reading and the Pennsylvania Railroads, which ran thought the Reading and Pottstown areas, along with other neighboring railroads, such as the Jersey Central, Lehigh Valley, and Erie Lackawanna Railroads. Current railroad interests include Norfolk Southern, Conrail, CSX, Reading & Northern, and other regional, short-line, and tourist railroads in eastern Pennsylvania.

Our chapter sponsors bus trips to points of interest of our members. We have a trip committee that arranges for the bus and the places to be toured. Past tours include visits to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, East Broad Top Railroad, the B&O Railroad Museum, Horseshoe Curve, & the Juniata locomotive shops. Smaller carpool tours of train dispatching centers, local businesses, and local railroad operations also occur throughout the year.

We also sponsor students to RailCamp, a rail-educational camp, at Steamtown in Scranton, PA. The week long camp is designed to provide a rail history preservation background, railroad operations and career opportunities to high school students entering the 9th grade through the 12th grade. It is an excellent forum for young adults with similar interests to learn about the rail history movement while sharing ideas with peers from other parts of North America.

The Chapter publishes a very informative newsletter, “The Colebrookdale Local”, which includes local rail news, articles from chapter members, and articles from newsletters exchanged with other chapters. It is published and sent to arrive before our meetings, and includes a feature article and dates of future chapter and rail-related events.

Our chapter also assists with operating the Grings Mill Model Railroad, which is open to the public during the Holiday Lights festival in December.

Our chapter meets monthly, except May, July, August, and December. The meetings are held at the West Lawn UMC Church, 15 Woodside Ave, West Lawn, PA. The business meeting starts at 7PM, and is followed by a slide program or video presented by one of our members or a guest speaker. Guests are welcome. A Picnic and Banquet are held in lieu of the May and September meetings.

For further information, contact William D. Reber, Jr., after 6:00PM at his home phone at 610-582-3323; or write to: Pottstown & Reading Chapter, NRHS, PO Box 94, Shillington, PA 19607-0094, or email harley87@dejazzd.com - or any of the other officers in our Email links area. - Or - join us at a meeting!