The NRHS, in its mission to preserve our rail heritage and to educate current and future generations about railroads and their history, gratefully accepts both monetary and non-monetary donations and gifts. Questions concerning these or other types of donations should be directed to our National Office.

Monetary Gifts Monetary gifts help us maintain our current programs and expand into new ones.

The NRHS takes two forms of equally safe on-line donations:

Donate Using Your Credit Card

Montery gifts may also be mailed to our our National Office, though we do not suggest that you send cash through the mail.

Other gifts that can help the NRHS:

For purposes of monetary gifts you should make them payable to National Railway Historical Society.

If you have concerns about privacy, rest assured that we frequently handle gifts and donations where the donor has requested to remain anonymous.

The National Railway Historical Society, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Donations to the NRHS are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law.

Your Railroad Estate?

ESTATE - THE DEGREE, QUANTITY, NATURE AND EXTENT OF INTEREST WHICH A PERSON HAS IN REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY - Black's Law Dictionary

If you are interested in railroading you have likely accumulated a collection of railroad books, artifacts, photographs and memorabilia that represent a significant investment in money and time. Many railroad books are out of print and will be of value to future railfans and rail historians. Public timetables of private inter-city carriers have disappeared from the American railroad scene. Original timetables are already so important that many issues are being duplicated for sale.

The time may come when it will be the responsibility of your heirs to dispose of your rare and unique railway collection. It would be a tragedy if your railroad estate is disposed of inappropriately by persons not realizing its monetary value, and more important, its value to the rail historian and railfan. To help make certain that your railroading estate is administered in the manner best for you, your heirs, and for the future of railroad history, we make a few suggestions:

Please remember this: We have not examined the Probate Laws of Descent and Distribution in any particular State or Province. These laws are unique to each State or Province. This essay is not a substitute for legal advice. It only makes suggestions in one area of your estate because of the uniqueness of that area direct applicability to the Society's mission.

1. Make sure you have a current and valid Will. Your Will is the only way that you can direct disposition of your property after your death. If you have a Will, these suggested guidelines may assist you in the matter of estate planning. If you do not have a Will, you should consult your attorney in drafting one.

2. It is not necessary that your Will contain any specifics for the disposal of your railroad estate unless you have an organization or individual to whom you would want to make a gift. Many of us will have an individual or institution in mind - a good railfan friend, a museum or library. Make sure before you leave such a large or unusual collection to a museum, library or other such organization, that the institution is prepared to handle your bequest and can use the gift.

3. Having written a Will, particularly if you do not make a direct gift of your railroad estate to a person or institution, you should provide your heirs an important tool with which to work in the disposal of your railroad estate. This is a document containing an inventory of your railroad collection and the suggested disposition and value of the articles contained in the railroad estate. Be realistic in doing this. Some of the things that you have collected over the years may be "priceless" to you, but have little actual value on the market. On the other hand, some things, such as a collection of passenger timetables of the 1920s and 1930s may look like trash to your executor or administrator, but have both a monetary value to your heirs and substantial value to other rail historians or fans. On the inventory that you prepare, be certain to list each item which you feel to have a value on the open market. Specify on the inventory a description of the item and its "estimated liquidation value".

4. If you feel that your heirs or executors will need some assistance in the appraisal of your railroad estate or in its disposal, make some suggestions on the inventory as to whom might be contacted for such assistance. If you belong to a local NRHS Chapter, it may members with sufficient expertise to help. It might be suggested that your heirs refer to TRAINS Magazine or other railfan or industry publications for the names and locations of dealers in railroad artifacts. Many railroad museums have staffs qualified to appraise a railroad estate and make suggestions for its sale. Assistance in locating these individuals or organizations may be available from the NRHS National Office.

5. You, and only you, are really familiar with your railroad estate, and you are the best judge as to its value. Your spouse, children or other heirs have no conception as to its monetary value or intrinsic value to the world of railroad history. Leave them something to use as a guide in disposing of your railroad estate and in determining its true value so that your railroad estate is not sold for a fraction of its true worth, or worse, thrown in the trash and lost to future generations of railroaders, historians and fans.

5. Because of numerous requests for form examples to make gifts under Wills to the Society, suggestions of form examples for your consideration are at the end of this essay. No form can be a substitute for legal judgment. As a consequence, no form should be used unless, after careful review, it is the professional judgment of a responsible lawyer that use of the form will accomplish the particular objectives and intentions of the testator making the Will. The National Railway Historical Society and its officers cannot assume and do not assume any responsibility for the results of the use of the forms in individual cases. [Notice: read carefully the above comments and instructions regarding the use of these form examples.]

TO LEAVE A GIFT OF CASH TO THE NATIONAL SOCIETY: "I bequeath to the National Railway Historical Society, Inc., a Maryland corporation, NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 100 N 17TH ST, STE 1203, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-2783, the sum of $_________. This bequest is unrestricted and the Society may use and expend the same for the benefit of the Society in any manner that it deems appropriate".

TO LEAVE A GIFT OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TO THE NATIONAL SOCIETY: "I bequeath to the National Railway Historical Society, Inc., a Maryland corporation, NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 100 N 17TH ST, STE 1203, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-2783, (here generally describe the gift to be made, i.e., book library, timetable collection, etc.) in fee".