NRHS Awards $187,000 in 2026 Railway Heritage Grants to 34 Projects Nationwide

Published: July 1, 2026

The National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) has announced the recipients of its 2026 Railway Heritage Grants, awarding a total of $187,000 to 34 organizations across the United States. These matching grants support a wide range of preservation, restoration, exhibit development, and educational projects that keep America’s railroad history alive for future generations.

Selected from 46 applicants who requested more than $334,000 in funding, the 2026 awards continue a program the NRHS has run since 1991. The grants are funded through member donations and are designed to leverage additional local matching funds for maximum impact.

The Stourbridge Line's former Bangor & Aroostook BL2 #54 brings an excursion into Honesdale, Pennsylvania on June 11, 2016. Doug Kroll photo.

Program Background and Leadership Perspective

The NRHS, founded in 1935, is one of the nation’s oldest and largest rail preservation organizations, with more than 100 chapters and nearly 4,000 members dedicated to preserving and interpreting railroad history. Its Heritage Grants program provides critical support for projects that might otherwise struggle for funding—ranging from historic depot repairs and rolling stock restoration to digital archiving and museum security enhancements.

NRHS President Tony White praised the effort:

“On behalf of the NRHS, the Board of Directors, and myself, I extend sincere appreciation to the Heritage Grants Committee for its steadfast commitment to the mission of the NRHS and to preserving railroad history. We also gratefully acknowledge our members, whose donations help sustain this important program. We encourage all applicants to continue their efforts to preserve and share our nation’s rail heritage.”

Top-Tier Awards: $10,000 Grants

Three projects received the maximum $10,000 award this year:

Center for Railroad Photography & Art (Madison, Wisconsin) — $10,000 for its digital preservation program (awarded in honor of longtime Heritage Grants Committee member and IT professional George Hickok).
Virginia Museum of Transportation (Roanoke, Virginia) — $10,000 toward stoker repairs on the museum’s iconic Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 (awarded in memory of longtime committee member Carl Jensen).
Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad (Albuquerque, New Mexico) — $10,000 toward restoration of Denver & Rio Grande narrow-gauge Baggage-Express Car No. 163.

These flagship grants highlight the program’s reach—from cutting-edge digital archiving to the mechanical preservation of legendary steam locomotives and historic narrow-gauge equipment still operating on one of America’s premier tourist railroads.

Other Notable 2026 Recipients

Grants ranged from $2,500 to $8,000 and touched nearly every corner of the country. Here are additional highlights by category:

Depot Restoration & Preservation

Burkburnett Historical Society (Burkburnett, Texas) — $8,000 for repairs to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad depot.
Moffat Road Railroad Museum Association (Granby, Colorado) — $7,500 for restoration of the Dumont Depot.
DeLeon Area Historical Society (DeLeon, Texas) — $7,000 for restoration of DeLeon Depot windows.
Major County Historical Society (Fairview, Oklahoma) — $5,000 for repair of the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient Railway Depot.
Wayne Historical Preservation Society (Wayne, Illinois) — $4,000 for new windows in the Wayne depot.

Rolling Stock & Locomotive Projects

Forney Museum of Transportation (Denver, Colorado) — $7,500 for interior electric and lighting restoration of Pullman Moffat coach No. 1906.
Galloping Goose Historical Society (Dolores, Colorado) — $7,500 for restoration of Denver, Rio Grande & Western refrigerator car No. 45.
Wichita Falls Railroad Museum (Wichita Falls, Texas) — $5,000 for renovation of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy power coach No. 7203.
Mid-Continent Railway Museum (North Freedom, Wisconsin) — $5,000 for restoration of Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad coach No. 64.
Denver South Park & Pacific Historical Society (Denver, Colorado) — $2,500 toward recreation of a South Park Zephyr railcar.
National Museum of Transportation (St. Louis, Missouri) — $2,500 for restoration of Monsanto tank car No. 117.

Museum Exhibits, Security & Infrastructure

Mt. Airy Museum of Regional History (Mt. Airy, North Carolina) — $6,000 for an outdoor exhibit featuring NC Granite Corp. locomotive “Captain Jack.”
Western American Railroad Museum Systems (Barstow, California) — $5,000 for security enhancements.
North Carolina Railway Museum (New Hill, North Carolina) — $4,000 for creation of a Pullman history exhibit.
Museum of Western Colorado (Grand Junction, Colorado) — $2,500 for restoration of the Uintah Railway’s Whiskey Creek Trestle.

NRHS Chapter & Local Preservation Efforts

Harrisburg Chapter, NRHS (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) — $7,500 for repair and historic window replacement at Harris Tower.
Niagara Frontier Chapter, NRHS (Tonawanda, New York) — $5,000 for repairs to GE 25-ton Standard Elevator locomotive No. 1.
West Jersey Chapter, NRHS (Palmyra, New Jersey) — $5,000 toward creation of the Camden & Amboy Railroad Historical District in Bordentown.
Conrail Historical Society Inc. (Wallington, Pennsylvania) — $5,000 for renovation of Conrail caboose No. 21292.

Additional grants went to projects involving streetcar museums, trolley restorations, caboose moves, and more across states including New York, Delaware, Minnesota, Montana, Washington, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and others.

Full List of 2026 Recipients

A complete roster with every organization, grant amount, and project description is available in the original NRHS announcement coverage. The awards demonstrate the breadth of grassroots preservation work happening nationwide—from major museums restoring famous locomotives to small historical societies saving local depots and rolling stock.

Why These Grants Matter

Railroad heritage preservation relies heavily on volunteers, nonprofit organizations, and targeted funding. The NRHS Heritage Grants program has become a vital lifeline, helping projects move forward that directly benefit railfans, historians, museum visitors, and communities. Many of the recipient organizations operate sites that welcome the public, host educational programs, and keep historic equipment operational or on display.

How to Support the Effort

You can help sustain and expand this work by:

Becoming a member of the NRHS (nrhs.com)
Making a designated donation to the Heritage Grants program
Visiting the museums, depots, and tourist railroads supported by these grants
Volunteering with or donating to local preservation groups

The NRHS continues to accept applications for future grant cycles. For the latest details on the 2026 awards or to learn more about the program, visit the official NRHS Heritage Grants page.

These 34 projects represent another strong year for railroad preservation in America. Thanks to the dedication of countless volunteers and the support of NRHS members, pieces of our railroading past will continue to inspire and educate for years to come.

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