Midwest Rail Rangers is a non-profit organization specializing with on-board educational programs to railroad passengers in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

with information regarding history, ecology, and geology. Guides with Midwest Rail Rangers provide interpretive programs on-board the

South Shore Line The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend International Airport in ...

between

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...

. The organization is based in

Barron, Wisconsin Barron is a city in Barron County (of which it is the county seat), in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,423 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Barron. History Originally named Quaderer's Camp after local ...

History

The Midwest Rail Rangers was officially chartered on July 20, 2015. The organization is modeled after Trails & Rails, a formal partnership between

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

and the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

. In 1999, The

established the Trails & Rails program. Docents associated with the park service travel aboard select

long-distance passenger trains to provide educational commentary. Docents would point out interesting landmarks along the way to passengers, including the history of various towns the train was passing through, ecology, and geology of the landscape. A Chicago-based Trails & Rails program was established in 2000. The Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor sponsored a Trails & Rails program on Amtrak's

Texas Eagle The ''Texas Eagle'' is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak between Chicago and San Antonio in the central and western United States. Prior to 1988, the train was known as the ''Eagle''. Trains #21 (southbound) and 22 (northbound) ...

between

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and Saint Louis, Missouri that ran through 2004. The following year, Trails & Rails decided to move volunteers to the

Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...

Between 2005 and 2010, volunteers presented programs in the lounge car between

Chicago Union Station Chicago Union Station is an intercity and commuter rail terminal located in the Near West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The station is Amtrak's flagship station in the Midwest. While serving long-distance passenger trains, it is also ...

and either Winona,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

or St. Paul, Minnesota. In September 2010, Trails & Rails ended all Chicago based programs. In late 2012, the American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation (APRHF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit rail history organization, approached Amtrak and the National Park Service about establishing a new Trails & Rails program on the

Southwest Chief The ''Southwest Chief'' (formerly the ''Southwest Limited'' and ''Super Chief'') is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a route between Chicago and Los Angeles through the Midwest and Southwest via Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Flagstaff ...

between Chicago and

La Plata, Missouri La Plata is a city in Macon County, Missouri, Macon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,257 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. La Plata is located next to the Adair County, Missouri, Adair County line and is on a main ...

. Since there were no National Park Service units along the route at the time, it was agreed that the APRHF would manage the day-to-day operations of the program, with additional oversight provided by Trails & Rails National Coordinator James Miculka, who was based in

College Station, Texas College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East-Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley, towards the eastern edge of the region known as the Texas Triangle. It is northwest of Houston and east-northeast of Austin. ...

. A group of 30 Chicago-based Trails & Rails volunteers were chosen, and the first program took place on May 18, 2013. During its two-and-a-half year run, the APRHF-sponsored Trails & Rails program through Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri reached out to over 50,000 Amtrak passengers, with more than 200 programs given. In June 2015, Trails & Rails National Coordinator Jim Miculka informed the APRHF Board of Directors that he wished the end the partnership agreement. The final Trails & Rails program on the Southwest Chief between Chicago and La Plata took place on July 19, 2015. After the elimination of Trails & Rails program on the Southwest Chief, the American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation announced the creation of the APRHF Rail Rangers. Trails & Rails holds an exclusive agreement to provide narration services on Amtrak trains, the APRHF Rail Rangers decided to focus its efforts on providing interpretive programs on non-Amtrak passenger trains, group charters, and at railroad museums. The name Rail Rangers pays homage to the organization's roots with Trails & Rails, as Rail Rangers was slated to be the original name of Trails & Rails before a last-minute change by Amtrak. In December 2018, it was announced that the Rail Rangers would be splitting off from the APRHF in order to form an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The name was officially changed to the Midwest Rail Rangers on December 14, 2018. On-board educational programs on both the

and private rail excursions continue to operate.

South Shore Line

Midwest Rail Rangers provides on-board educational programs on select departures of the

between Chicago's

Millennium Station Millennium Station (formerly Randolph Street Terminal; sometimes called Randolph Street station or Randolph/South Water Street station) is a major commuter rail terminal in the Loop (downtown), Chicago. It is the northern terminus of the Metra E ...

and

South Bend Airport station South Bend Airport is a commuter train station on, and the eastern terminus of, the South Shore Line. Servicing South Bend International Airport, the station is northwest of Downtown South Bend, Indiana. In November 1992, the Airport station r ...

. Programs feature live narration in a designated car, free route guide sheets, route guidebooks (for purchase), and a junior ranger program for kids and teens aboard. Programs takes place on various train departures year-round. In partnership with the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, the Midwest Rail Rangers have published a 120-page route guidebook for the

."Rail Rangers Return to the South Shore Line"
''New Carlisle Gazette''. Retrieved 2018-04-05.

External links

Midwest Rail Rangers
the official website of the Midwest Rail Rangers.
Midwest Rail Rangers Store
the official store of the Midwest Rail Rangers.
TrainPodcast.com
download informational train route guide podcasts from the Midwest Rail Rangers.
Midwest Rail Rangers @ Trainweb
the Midwest Rail Rangers @ TrainWeb Page.
Pacific Parlour Car
information from the Midwest Rail Rangers about Pacific Parlour Cars.
Amtrak Dome Car #10031
information from the Midwest Rail Rangers about Amtrak's Last Dome Car.
Railroad Lounge Cars
information from the Midwest Rail Rangers about Railroad Lounge Cars.
Park Badges
information about the Junior Midwest Rail Rangers Program for Kids

References

{{reflist * October 7, 2015, Mendota Reporter,
Learn BNSF Rail History at Rail Rangers Program
* November 7, 2015, Galesburg Register-Mail,
Latest 'Outside the Rails' Book Includes Glimpse of Galesburg
" * March 1, 2016, Alton Telegraph,
Historic Rail Tour Includes Stop in Alton
* March 7, 2016, Springfield State Journal-Register,
Piece of Railroad History Will Rumble Through Springfield
* July 5, 2017, TrainWeb News Article,
APRHF Rail Rangers on the South Shore Line
* July 10, 2017, Trains Magazine Online,
New Educational Talks Planned for South Shore Line Trains
* July 11, 2017, Lakeshore Public Radio,
Rail Rangers To Join South Shore Line Passengers For The Ride
* April 5, 2018, New Carlisle Gazette,
Rail Rangers Return to the South Shore Line
* August 5, 2019, The Chicago Daily Herald,
Get tickets for historic train rides aboard 1950s observation car
* September 30, 2019, The Spooner Advocate,

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