New York Central System Historical Society in Statewide (mailing address in Berea, Ohio), New York

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Statewide (mailing address in Berea, Ohio), New York · Updated October 19, 2026 · 11 min read

Rail preservation groupNo public museum; archives, publications and an annual convention

The New York Central System Historical Society is a volunteer run nonprofit that preserves the story of the New York Central, the railroad of Grand Central Terminal and the Water Level Route, and shares it with historians, model railroaders and anyone curious about it.

  • Volunteer run historical society
  • Free NYCentral Modeler magazine
  • Online digital archive
  • 2027 convention in Springfield, MA

New York Central System Historical Society at a glance

Hours
No public museum; archive and publications are online
Admission
Not applicable; membership and products sold through the society
Seasonal events
NYCSHS Annual Convention (May 20 to 23, 2027, Springfield, MA)
Best for
Rail historians and New York Central modelers

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to New York Central System Historical Society? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Statewide (mailing address in Berea, Ohio).

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

Keeping the Water Level Route on the record

The New York Central System was a Class 1 railroad that stretched from St. Louis in the west to Boston in the east, north into Canada and south to New York City, where Grand Central Terminal served as its premier station and its corporate headquarters stood. Its best known line, the Water Level Route, ran north from New York City to Albany, then west through Buffalo and Cleveland to Chicago. Amtrak still uses that route today.

Over the years the Central absorbed many other railroads, including the Boston & Albany, the Michigan Central, the Peoria & Eastern and the Big Four, while others such as the Rutland and the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie came and went from the system. All told, its lines reached Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and part of West Virginia. The railroad itself is gone, but the society's leaders put it simply: the NYCS is not forgotten.

The society exists to preserve that history and make it available to historians, model railroaders and the wider public. Its work is done by volunteers: a board of directors led by president Alex W. Schneider, an archivist, editors for its two publications, a passenger car expert and a knowledge coordinator who fields questions about the railroad. They also look after the Collinwood Shop, which sells books, DVDs and models, and they keep members informed about events such as the recent movement of New York Central Mohawk 3001.

How to explore the society's collection

The NYCSHS does not run a museum building with posted hours. Its collection reaches people in other ways. The online digital archive holds electronic copies of photographs, maps, valuation maps, structural drawings and timetables, with a table of contents to help you find things. The society publishes Central Headlight and the NYCentral Modeler, a free online quarterly magazine aimed at people who model the New York Central.

The website's resources page gathers prototype information on predecessor railroads, electric locomotives and steam classes such as the H7 and H10 Mikados, along with links to forums, videos and other museums. The Collinwood Shop sells New York Central books and DVDs, a Water Level Route schedule board, yearly calendars and an exclusive HO scale depot kit based on a Lake Shore & Michigan Southern station design.

Don’t miss

  1. The NYCSHS digital archivePhotographs, maps, valuation maps, structural drawings and timetables, available online for researchers and modelers.
  2. NYCentral ModelerA free online quarterly magazine for people who build New York Central layouts and models.
  3. Central HeadlightThe society's publication on the history of the New York Central System.
  4. Lake Shore & Michigan Southern HO depot kitAn exclusive HO scale kit made by RailScale Models, based on depots once built along the line between Buffalo and Chicago.
  5. The annual conventionThe 2027 NYCSHS Annual Convention is set for May 20 to 23, 2027 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

For families who build layouts together

There is nothing to climb or ride here, so this is not a day out with small children. Families who build model trains together, though, can use the free NYCentral Modeler magazine, the HO depot kit and the society's videos as a shared project, and older kids interested in history can explore the online archive's maps and timetables.

Plan your visit: tips for New York Central System Historical Society

  • Send general history questions to the NYC-friendly forums the society lists, since volunteers cannot answer every inquiry quickly.
  • Mail goes to P.O. Box 397, Berea, OH 44017.
  • The Collinwood Shop carries books, DVDs, calendars and models.

Volunteers with a long memory

The society is run by volunteers, from its board of directors to its archivist, editors and knowledge coordinator. You can support it by becoming a member (the membership chair is listed on the contact page), buying from the Collinwood Shop, picking up a calendar, or attending the annual convention.

Rail history to visit in and around New York City

If you want a museum to walk through, the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn is about 4 miles away, and the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum on Long Island is about 28 miles away. Across the Hudson, the Whippany Railway Museum is about 26 miles out. For more ideas, see our guide to train museums in New York.

Every train museum in New York

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of Rally the corgi looking out an arched train window at the ocean and a white bird
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

A railroad line called the Water Level Route makes me picture passengers spending the whole ride with their noses against the glass. In our book, Rally gazes out an arched window at the ocean and says hello to a white bird. My mom loved that kind of quiet looking, and she would have liked the sound of a railroad named for the water. You can read about her on our story page.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at New York Central System Historical Society?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

New York Central System Historical Society: 20 questions

What is the New York Central System Historical Society?

The NYCSHS is a volunteer run nonprofit that preserves the history of the New York Central System, the Class 1 railroad that ran from St. Louis to Boston and New York City. It shares that history with historians, model railroaders and the public through an archive, publications, a shop and an annual convention.

Is the New York Central System Historical Society about Central New York?

No. Despite the similar name, the society studies the New York Central System, a railroad company, not the Central New York region of the state. The railroad did run through upstate New York on its Water Level Route from Albany west to Buffalo, but its lines reached eight states in all.

What was the New York Central System known for?

The New York Central was known for its Water Level Route, which ran north from New York City to Albany and then west through Buffalo and Cleveland to Chicago, a route Amtrak still uses. Its premier station was Grand Central Terminal in New York City, where the company also had its headquarters.

Which states did the New York Central System serve?

The railroad and its affiliated lines covered Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and part of West Virginia, and they also reached north into Canada. Its western end was St. Louis and its eastern ends were Boston and New York City.

Which railroads became part of the New York Central System?

Over time the New York Central consolidated lines such as the Boston and Albany, the Michigan Central, the Peoria and Eastern and the Big Four. Other railroads, including the Rutland and the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie, came and went from the system. The society's resources page offers a narrative outline of these predecessor companies.

Does the New York Central System Historical Society have a museum?

The society does not operate a public museum with regular visiting hours. Its collection is shared through an online digital archive, its publications and its annual convention. For a museum visit in New York, look at nearby options such as the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn.

Where is the New York Central System Historical Society located?

The society's mailing address is P.O. Box 397, Berea, Ohio 44017. Its directors and volunteers live in several states, which fits a railroad that once spanned eight states. Because it has no public building, contact happens by mail, email or through the website.

How do I contact the New York Central System Historical Society?

The contact page at nycshs.org lists each director with an email link, and some with a phone number. President Alex W. Schneider can be reached at awschneider@nycshs.org. Postal mail goes to P.O. Box 397, Berea, Ohio 44017.

Can the NYCSHS answer my New York Central history question?

The society tries to respond to all inquiries, but it says volunteers receive so much mail that they cannot answer general questions quickly. It suggests posting general history questions in the NYC-friendly forums listed on its resources page. For specific topics, it lists a knowledge coordinator and a passenger car expert.

What is in the NYCSHS digital archive?

The online archive holds electronic copies of materials from the society's collection, including photographs, maps, valuation maps, structural drawings and timetables. A table of contents has been added to make it easier to find things, and links to the older browsing method are at the bottom of the contents page.

What is the NYCentral Modeler?

NYCentral Modeler is the society's free online quarterly magazine for people who build models of New York Central equipment, buildings and scenes. The fourth quarter 2026 issue is listed on the society's homepage, and back issues and other modeling resources are linked from its website.

What is Central Headlight?

Central Headlight is one of the society's publications, edited by Richard L. Stoving, and it covers the history of the New York Central System. Check the publications section of nycshs.org or ask the membership chair how to receive it and how it fits with a society membership.

When is the next NYCSHS convention?

As of October 2026, the society has announced its 2027 Annual Convention for May 20 to 23, 2027 in Springfield, Massachusetts, with details to follow. A convention flyer is linked from the homepage, so check nycshs.org for the schedule, registration and hotel information as they are released.

What does the Collinwood Shop sell?

The Collinwood Shop is the society's store for New York Central books and DVDs, including a New York Central System Diesel Locomotives DVD. Recent offerings also include a Water Level Route schedule board, 2027 calendars and an exclusive HO scale depot kit. Prices and stock are listed in the online shop.

What is the NYCSHS HO scale depot kit?

The society announced a new HO scale depot kit crafted by RailScale Models and offered only through the NYCSHS. It is based on a Lake Shore and Michigan Southern depot design, examples of which stood along the line between Buffalo, New York and Chicago, Illinois.

What is the NYCSHS news about New York Central 3001?

The society's news page has followed New York Central Mohawk 3001, including its move from Elkhart to New Haven, footage of it on the Norfolk Southern Marion Branch, street running in Warsaw, Indiana, and its arrival at the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society. A video called Welcome Home, 3001 is featured on the homepage.

How do I join the New York Central System Historical Society?

The society lists a membership chair, Paul N. Stoving, on its contact page, and he asks callers to leave a message. You can also email pnstoving@nycshs.org. Membership supports the archive, the publications and the volunteers who keep the railroad's history available.

Is the NYCSHS useful for model railroaders?

Yes. Model railroaders are one of the groups the society serves directly. It offers the free NYCentral Modeler magazine, prototype information on locomotive classes such as the H7 and H10 Mikados, structural drawings and timetables in its archive, and an HO scale depot kit.

Does the NYCSHS have a YouTube channel or Facebook page?

Yes. The society has a YouTube channel under the handle NYCSHS, where it shares videos such as Welcome Home, 3001, and a Facebook page that lists it in Berea, Ohio. Both are good places to follow news, product announcements and convention updates.

What train museums can I visit near New York City?

The New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn is about 4 miles away, and the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum on Long Island is about 28 miles. In New Jersey, the Maywood Station Museum is about 18 miles away and the Whippany Railway Museum about 26 miles. Check each museum's own schedule before going.

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