Railroad Museum of the Niagara Frontier

A Glimpse into Our History

In 1986, the Buffalo Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society published a scrapbook titled “History of Buffalo Chapter National Railway Historical Society – 1938 to 1974,” written by Chapter Historian Harold J. Ahlstrom. The excerpts below are drawn from this publication, © 1986 by the Buffalo Chapter, now known as the Niagara Frontier Chapter NRHS Inc.

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The Founding Years

The Buffalo Chapter owes much of its formation and early growth to its strong leader and founder, Russell H. Shapely, who led the chapter until his passing in 1946. Information for this account was provided by John Prophet III, one of the chapter’s charter members.

On April 8, 1938, Russell Shapely hosted a gathering at his home for individuals he knew shared a passion for railroads. At the time, Russell worked as a collector for a credit clothing store, covering Buffalo’s east and south sides. Through his work, he connected with both current and former railroad employees, as well as rail enthusiasts.

At that first meeting, a group of sixteen individuals came together to form a local division of the Railroad Enthusiasts, a national organization for railfans.

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Early Activities and Growth

Weekly meetings were initially held at Russell’s home. By May of 1938, the group organized their first trip—a rail excursion on the New York Central Railroad to Cleveland. The Central offered regular excursion fares that generated significant interest, and thanks to Russell’s efforts, two extra cars were added to the regular train departing Buffalo. These cars were detached at Collingwood Shops for an inspection tour, after which an electric locomotive took the group into Cleveland. From the original sixteen founders, the chapter’s first fan trip attracted around seventy participants.

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This success sparked a tradition of monthly excursions.

• June 1938: A special train operated on the Arcade and Attica Railroad.

• July 1938: A trip via the New York Central to Westfield included chartered cars on the Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern interurban line.

• August 1938: Special cars were arranged on the Niagara, St. Catharines, and Toronto interurban system.

• October 1938: A special journey took place on the Pennsylvania Railroad day train to Emporium and back.

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In May 1939, the Collingwood trip was repeated. That same year, several key members—including Albert D. Kerr, Charles Erler, Lawrence Burke, and Harold Ahlstrom—began participating in chapter fan trips, officially joining between 1939 and 1940.

These early years laid the foundation for what would become a vibrant chapter dedicated to preserving and celebrating railroad history.