Wichita Valley Chapter -
National Railway Historical Society
About
Wichita Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS), is an organization dedicated to preserving railroad history. Our chapter is focused on bringing people together to exchange ideas, information, participate in group activities, discover ways to support the preservation and restoration of our history, and simply enjoy the lore of railroading.
Who Are We?
Our Mission
Our mission is to preserve the railroad history of North Central and West Texas including portions of Southwestern Oklahoma, through a family of five affiliated shortlines coined 'The Wichita Valley Lines'. These affiliated lines were constructed in stages between 1890 to 1922 primarily financed by the Colorado & Southern Railway ultimately operating as feeder lines for the Fort Worth & Denver Railway. Trackage totaled 266.5 miles from Waurika, Oklahoma to Wichita Falls, Texas onward to Abilene, Texas connecting many communities in between. Most of these lines operated independently until the Fall of 1942. Our mission is to preserve the related artifacts, information and resources linked to that history.
Chapter Objectives
Our objective is to provide a complete history of railroads and their importance to towns along the Wichita Valley Lines by offering insight into why this is important for you to know. Learning about our history and understanding the value that railroads may have played in your family is a focus of our chapter. Our aim is to provide an appreciation for the value of trains then and now. Our Chapter Territory includes the following rail lines in the following eleven (11) county areas:
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Wichita County - Archer County - Baylor County - Haskell County - Jones County - Taylor County
Wichita Falls Holliday Seymour Weinert Stamford Abilene
Mankins Bomarton Haskell Anson
Dundee
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Clay County - Jefferson County, OK - Stonewall County - Kent County - Dickens County
Dean Waurika, OK Sagerton Jayton Spur
Petrolia Aspermont
Byers Peacock
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Respectively each town is a location along the various shortlines of the Wichita Valley Lines:
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Wichita Valley Railroad
Wichita Valley Railway
Abilene & Northern Railway
Stamford & Northwestern Railway
Wichita Falls & Oklahoma Railway
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This Chapter will assist all railroad, researchers, historians, groups and museums along the
Wichita Valley Lines and surrounding areas to:
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1) Provide researchers and historians a one stop spot to access historical items, ephemera, photographs, information, documents, lists, maps, oral histories, stories, articles, local resources and more
2.) Offer historically accurate data for restoration and preservation of railroad rolling stock via established connections and research, including restoration to original paint schemes
3.) Lend guidance to gain financial support for restoration and thus preservation of local depots and railroad related buildings and equipment
4.) Active engagement in documenting today's railroading, teaching Operation Lifesaver railroad safety courses and advocating for train travel across the United States
5.) Planned Excursions to experience rail travel, destinations, museums, and fun events
6.) Further commitment to education and immersive experiences for high schoolers including annual scholarships to RailCamp, USA.