North America Railway Hall of Fame (NARHF) is a

not-for-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

housed in the recently restored

Canada Southern Railway Station The Canada Southern Railway Station (CASO) is a former railway station in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. The station was built by the Canada Southern Railway (CSR) in 1873 as both a railway station and its corporate headquarters.Ontario Heritage ...

St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada St. Thomas is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It gained its city charter on March 4, 1881. The city is also the seat for Elgin County, although it is independent of the county. At the time of the 2021 Census, the population of the city ...

. It was founded to maintain, preserve and honor railway history with the induction into the Hall of Fame of people, events, structures, railway art forms, rolling stock, technical innovations, railway workers and trains, and inventions in the railway history. Incorporated in 1996North America Railway Hall of Fame: Policy Manual: "Introduction & Brief History" its goal is to educate the public about the impact of

railway transportation ''Railway Transportation'' was a Sydney based monthly trade magazine covering rail transport in Australia. Overview ''Railway Transportation'' was established in October 1951 by Frank Shennen. Shennen Publishing already published ''Truck & Bu ...

in the categories of "

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

," as well as "National", specific to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and "

Local Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States * Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...

" ( St. Thomas.)

Mission statement

The

mission statement A mission statement is a short statement of why an organization exists, what its overall goal is, the goal of its operations: what kind of product or service it provides, its primary customers or market, and its geographical region of operation ...

of the North America Railway Hall of Fame is to: *To recognize and establish an enduring tribute to men and women of the past who have made significant contributions or achievements relating to the railway industry in North America *To likewise honor significant railway organizations, railway related innovations and technical accomplishments, railway rolling stock, railway buildings and other construction feats, railway cultural contributions and historical railway events. *To provide a facility for the preservation and display of a collection of library materials and railway heritage artifacts related to the Hall of Fame inductees *To educate the public about the impact of railway transportation on the history and the continuing development of communities, nations and international relations throughout North America. After the acquisition in 2005 of NARHF’s permanent home (the Canada Southern Station) further goals were added to mission statement. *To preserve and restore the truly historic and significant Canadian Southern Railway Station in St. Thomas, Ontario *To establish a

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural b ...

to support economic development, and to provide a facility that will meet the needs of the community.

History

The North American Railway Hall of Fame was incorporated in 1996. There were ceremonies in 1999 and 2001 before the

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

bought their current home, the

at 750 Talbot Street, St. Thomas, Ontario,

. Since the acquisition of the Station as a home for NARFH, there have been induction ceremonies in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 with additional inductions every two years. Originally, the first induction ceremonies of 1999 and 2001 took place at the St. Thomas Public Library. After the purchase of the Canada Southern Station, the destinies of the Hall of Fame and the former railway station became intertwined. Fundraising projects were needed for both housing artifacts and creating and exhibiting the displays recognizing the Hall of Fame inductees, but also for the restoration and maintenance of the historic building which houses NARHF.

Canada Southern Station

In 2004, the North America Railway Hall of Fame purchased its permanent home, the Canada Southern Railway Station (CASO Station) from a non-profit railway group called ONTRACK. In 2005, ownership of the building was turned over to NARFH. The CASO Station, once near ruin, is almost completely restored. While the station was finished in 1873, the historical restoration point is approximately from 1914 to the early 1920s. It was a significant stop for

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mid ...

passenger trains mid-way on their Ontario route from Buffalo to Detroit. Tours are self-guided or provided depending on availability of staff. Visitors explore the history and unique design of the CASO Station as well as an array of station related period objects on display. The second floor houses the displays and exhibits for the North America Railway Hall of Fame. Revenue is provided to The Hall of Fame through the renting of 2nd floor offices as well as Anderson Hall (the main dining hall) and the Ladies Waiting Room for meetings, weddings, receptions and more. The

not only provides a home for the North American Railway Hall of Fame, it was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001 in the "Facilities & Structures" category in the "Local" group. The CASO Station also enjoys the status as an Ontario Heritage Trust Building. Ontario Heritage Trust
The St. Thomas CASO Station

Induction process

Hall of fame categories

The induction process begins with a nomination. Anybody can make a nomination to the Hall of Fame by either contacting the Hall of Fame at the

or using the online nomination form a
Hall of Fame website
The categories include: *Communities, businesses, government and organizations *Facilities and structures *Railway art forms and events *Railway workers and builders *Rolling stock *Technical innovations The nominees judged as to whether they are significant on a local, national, or North American level. Of course, all nominees need to have somehow made a significant and appropriate contribution to the world of the

trains In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often know ...

and

rail transport Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

Selection process

The induction process is open to the general public and the public may make nominations to NARFH at the

at 750 Talbot Street in St. Thomas, Ontario or online at the Hall of Fame Website Once the nominations are closed, a panel composed of experts make the final selections. There were ceremonies in 1999 and 2001 before the Hall of Fame bought their current home, the Canada Southern Railway Station at 750 Talbot Street, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. Originally, the first induction ceremonies of 1999 and 2001 took place at the St. Thomas Public Library. Since the acquisition of the Station as a home for NARFH, there have been induction ceremonies in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 with additional inductions every two years.

Inductees

Inductees into the North America Hall of Fame can take the form of people, events, art forms equipment or a facility or structure. It could be the first (the first engine built in Canada) or the last (the last spike)... of something or a defining work of art that contributes to the world of the railway. Inductees include the Toronto No. 2—the first engine built in Canada, American railroad tycoon

Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...

Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...

and Toronto's

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

. Canadian singer-songwriter

Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960 ...

shares a place of prominence in the Hall of Fame with the Brotherhood of Porters and Redcaps and Sir

John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald (January 10 or 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, he had a political career that sp ...

. All inductees are displayed virtually on the NARHF website. Inductees will be on display within the brick and mortar facility at the

in St. Thomas, Ontario.where tourist can visit both the Hall of Fame and the restored railway station. NARHF also has an interactive virtual device to learn more about those inducted into the Hall of Fame. A complete list of inductees is available at the

List of North America Railway Hall of Fame inductees This is a list of the inductees of the North America Railway Hall of Fame. The North America Railway Hall of Fame (NARHF) was founded in 1996 to maintain, preserve and honor railway history with the induction into the Hall of Fame of people, eve ...

References

External links

Official North America Railway Hall of Fame website

— ''St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada''.
London Heritage: Beyond the Blackboard
— ''educational website: article & photos''.
Ontario Heritage Trust: Plaque Dedication & article
{{DEFAULTSORT:North America Railway Hall of Fame Railway halls of fame Halls of fame in Canada History of rail transport in Canada History of rail transportation in the United States Railway museums in Ontario Buildings and structures in St. Thomas, Ontario