URHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization which preserves, restores, and operates historic railroad cars and locomotives. With these artifacts, URHS aims to educate the public about he history and importance of transportation in the birthplace of the railroad industry: the State of New Jersey. This is done through restoration and exhibition of stationary exhibits in our yard in Boonton, NJ, operation of Hudson River Rail Excursions in New York City, and operation and exhibition of historic equipment on a special event basis wherever possible. URHS’s long-term vision is to build a permanent museum in New Jersey to do all of the above on a full-time basis.

Our Story:

In the 1980s, NJ Transit sought to retire much of its historic equipment, dating back to as early as the 1910s. Recognizing the importance of these artifacts, several NJ-based railroad organizations formed the United Railroad Historical Society of NJ. Their goal: provide a way for concerned preservationists to be able to speak with one voice to save these artifacts to educate the people of New Jersey in the state and region's railroad heritage. The pieces that were saved became New Jersey's core collection of historic equipment and are preserved and maintained by the URHS team.

Who We Are:

URHS is a predominantly volunteer organization made up of community members and rail enthusiasts. They come from all walks of life from creatives to mechanics to lawyers and everything in between. The organization is fortunate to have full-time management in the form of an Executive Director. URHS also partners with several industry professionals and contractors who perform specialty work to keep our equipment operable and available to the public. URHS is governed by 4 other railroad non-profits. Each organization receives one vote on the board of directors, and assigns a group of delegates to represent its members. The board of directors is elected from this group of delegates.

What We Do:

Boonton Yard

URHS’s base of operations is at Boonton Yard, a facility leased to URHS by NJ Transit. There, URHS keeps its more than 60-pieces collection of historic cars and locomotives along with items on-loan from URHS’s member organizations. Also there are URHS’s office and 8000-square foot restoration shop utilized by the organizaion’s 80+ volunteers.

Hudson River Rail Excursions

URHS’s primary public program is Hudson River Rail Excursions. These trips utilize the New York Central Hickory Creek and Tavern-Lounge No. 43 to operate excursions between New York City and Albany, NY along the Hudson River. These trips aim to be the most authentic recreation possible of rail travel in the “golden age” of the mid-20th Century. These trips have become exceedingly popular, have been widely published, and have made URHS’s lounge cars the two busiest Amtrak-certified private cars in America.

Member-Organizations

Black River and Western Historical Trust

A not-for-profit organization which manages the public passenger trains and events on the Black River & Western Railroad.

Liberty Historic Railway

An advocate and funding organization for the transportation preservation field in New Jersey.

The New York, Susquehanna & Western Technical & Historical Society  

Preservation organization and excursion train operator which recognizes the history of the NYS&W.

Tri-State Railway Historical Society

Organization dedicated to the preservation of New Jersey's rich railroad heritage through restoration of equipment, and publishing of written railroad history.