Program: Heritage Grants
Heritage Grants
Since 1991, the National Railway Historical Society has been giving away annual matching grants for projects which preserve, research, educate, or publish railway history.
The Heritage Grants Committee is pleased to announce the 2024 Heritage Grants Awards.
Railway Heritage Grants
Since inception in 1991, the NRHS has awarded 398 grants totaling $1,253,080 to NRHS Chapters and other organizations not affiliated with the NRHS.
The NRHS Railway Heritage Grants Program provides financial support to projects that contribute to preservation of, and education about, railway history. This includes grants for stabilization and restoration of railroad equipment like steam locomotives and steam trains and diesel locomotives, railway buildings and for the preservation and archiving of historical records and train pictures. Although most grants in the past have been made for preservation activities, we also encourage projects in research, education, and publications.
The largest numbers of grants have been for preservation of:
- Rail equipment – locomotives (both steam and diesel), passenger cars, freight cars, cabooses and electric streetcars
- Railway depots and towers
- Archival documents, photographs and pictures (train pictures, railway pictures, photos of trains, etc.)
How to Apply for an NRHS Railway Heritage Grant
The NRHS’s primary concern is the quality and historical significance of the rail preservation project and the ability of the organization to carry it out, including ability to secure matching funds and volunteer labor.
The maximum amount that may be requested for a rail preservation project is $5,000. The amount of funds available each year is variable. An organization may receive rail preservation grants in two consecutive years, but then must wait a year before submitting an application.
The following .pdf gives instructions on how to apply and shows examples of some recent awards.
Applying for a Grant
The deadline to apply for 2024 Heritage Grants has passed.
Application forms for the 2025 NRHS Heritage Grants program will be available on the website in mid-November. Applications will be due by 1/31/2025 at 8PM EST via our website.
Questions? Please contact Grants@NRHS.com.
Past Grant Awards
Here are downloadable .PDFs of current and past grant awards. Please click on the link to view/download.
2024 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards
2023 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards – Part 1
2023 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards – Part 2
2022 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards
2021 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards
2020 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards
2019 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards
2018 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards
2017 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards
2016 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards
2015 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards
2014 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards
2013 NRHS Heritage Grant Awards