Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society

The Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society, Inc. is composed of individuals who share a common interest in the history and operations of the Boston & Maine Railroad. Benefits of membership include the B&M Bulletin, the bi-monthly newsletter, and Modeler's Notes, and the use of our archives at U. Mass. Lowell. All members are welcome at and encouraged to participate in our monthly meetings, also movies or slide presentations by members can be scheduled with the Program Chairman. Our society depends on the active participation of its members to continue to grow and expand. Please consider volunteering some time to help the society reach its goals. Articles and photos are actively sought for our publications, as is the donation of materials or volunteer time to the archives. We are a recognized non-profit educational organization, and all donations are tax deductible. We look forward to welcoming you to the Society and hope that you will be an active member.

http://www.bmrrhs.org/

As the plans for my WN&P-based model railroad begin to take shape, I'm starting to look for more detailed sources of information about the lines my "what-if" system is going to lay claim to. Naturally, that search is bringing me toward the B&M's historical society, but I am reluctant to blindly join it.

Back in the 1990s, I was modeling a different railroad and was a member of its historical society for several years (and the NRHS, too). I ended up leaving it because I felt that I wasn't getting my money's worth out of that local. While they had an excellent and extensive archive, accessing material from it was near impossible, and the annual publication was typically late (by years, not months), and was sometimes substituted just to give us something, anything in return for our dues.

I bring this up as a preface to an inquire about the B&M's historical society because I noticed that their website, in parts, is four or more years out of date. This makes me wonder if the real-world side of things - newsletter, sales, archives, etc. - is handled as slowly as website updates, or if it's an active RHS which under utilizes its website. Or, to be more blunt, is it worth my money to join, or would my money serve me better by investing in various other sources of B&M history? I'm in New York City, so I know that attending membership meetings is out of the question and that does not factor into the value of the membership for me (I could never attend that other society's meetings either as it would have meant an overnight hotel stay).

Thanks

~AJ Kleipass