Norfolk & Western Historical Society Archives in Roanoke, Virginia

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Roanoke, Virginia · Updated October 19, 2026 · 11 min read

Rail preservation groupArchives open Mondays and Thursdays, 10 am to 3 pm, plus monthly multi-day sessions

The James N. Gillum Archives of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society preserves more than a century and a half of N&W and Virginian Railway history in Roanoke, from locomotive drawings to dining car menus, with over 200,000 items cataloged by volunteers.

  • Over 200,000 items cataloged
  • More than 177,000 items digitized
  • Started in June 1995
  • Open Mondays and Thursdays
  • Run by volunteers

Norfolk & Western Historical Society Archives at a glance

Hours
Mondays and Thursdays, 10 am to 3 pm, plus monthly archives sessions
Admission
Not posted; call (540) 342-5506
Seasonal events
Monthly archives sessions at Salem Ave
Plan for
A few hours for research
Best for
Researchers, modelers, writers and serious rail fans
Best ages
Teens and adults

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

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Norfolk & Western Historical Society Archives? 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 Roanoke.

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.

From a box of shop drawings to 200,000 cataloged records

The archives began in June 1995, when a large batch of mechanical drawings and related files from the Roanoke Car Shops became available to the Norfolk & Western Historical Society. The following year the Society leased a strip mall storefront on Orange Avenue in Roanoke, and it did not take long for more drawings and documents to fill it.

In January 1999 the Society bought a 7,400 square foot masonry building at 2101 Salem Avenue SW, refinished the front offices and moved the collection in that April. Material kept coming. A large shipment from Norfolk Southern's Capital Accounting Department in early 2000 meant finishing a second section of the building, and a haul from the Norfolk Southern Roadway Material Yard pushed the Society into a leased building next door and an old auto repair shop known as Charlie's.

In April 2009 Norfolk Southern agreed to let the Society use 5,000 square feet in its General Office Building East, on the grounds of the historic East End Shops. That space took in archive collections donated by the Virginia Museum of Transportation and the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, and opened access to the N&W Railway Collection formerly kept at the Virginia Tech Library.

Through it all the work has been done by volunteers. They cataloged item number 100,000 on October 11, 2014, after 18 years of effort, and reached 200,000 on April 20, 2021, less than seven years later.

What is on the shelves

This is a working research archive rather than a display museum. The collection centers on mechanical and engineering drawings and photographs in many formats, and it also holds books, magazines, newspaper clippings, maps, reports, rulebooks, timetables, menus, annual reports, publicity material, ledgers, contracts, correspondence, operating manuals, test results and dispatchers' logs.

Those records cover the Norfolk & Western and Virginian railways, their predecessors and the towns they served. Researchers use them to build museum exhibits, write books and articles, and design accurate models, and modelers come looking for the exact details of a car or structure. The catalog is searchable on the Society's website at nwhs.org/archivesdb, sorted by rolling stock, structures, towns, divisions, people and company documents, and more than 177,000 items have been digitized for viewing online.

Don’t miss

  1. The online archives databaseSearch more than 200,000 cataloged items, from steam locomotives and tenders to cabooses and maintenance of way equipment, before you visit.
  2. Mechanical and engineering drawingsThe heart of the collection, beginning with the Roanoke Car Shops drawings that started the archives in 1995.
  3. Virginian Railway recordsThe archives cover the Virginian as well as the N&W, including its steam, diesel and electric locomotives.
  4. Timetables, menus and rulebooksEveryday paper from the railroads that brings passenger travel and railroad work to life.

Best for older kids with a project

The archives are a research room full of drawings and documents, not a hands-on museum, so they suit teens and older kids working on a school project, a model or a family history question more than toddlers. A good way to start is at home: search the online database together for a favorite locomotive or hometown station, then plan a visit to see the originals.

Families with young children may prefer to start at the Virginia Museum of Transportation, also in Roanoke, and save the archives for an older rail fan.

Plan your visit: tips for Norfolk & Western Historical Society Archives

  • Search the online database at nwhs.org/archivesdb before your visit so you know what to request.
  • Call (540) 342-5506 ahead to confirm hours and let volunteers know what you are looking for.
  • Check the Society's schedule for multi-day archives sessions, held about once a month.
  • The archives are at 2101 Salem Ave SW in Roanoke.

Volunteers and members around the world

The Norfolk & Western Historical Society, founded in 1974, runs the archives with volunteers, and its roughly 1,000 members live all over the world. The Society welcomes donations through its website, and members support the archives and its publications program; write to membership@nwhs.org to join.

Round out a Roanoke rail day

The Virginia Museum of Transportation and the O. Winston Link Museum, are both in Roanoke. The C&O Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge is about 38 miles away. Plan more stops with our list of train museums in Virginia.

Every train museum in Virginia

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of Rally the corgi dreaming about his toy turtle, green bone and yellow ball
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Somewhere in these archives are dining car menus and timetables that real families once tucked into their bags for a trip. It makes me think of Rally packing his suitcase in our book: a turtle toy, a green bone and a yellow ball, the important things only, before he sets off with Mom and Dad. Little lists like that are how families remember a journey. You can read how our story began 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 Norfolk & Western Historical Society Archives?

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.

N&W Historical Society Archives: 20 questions answered

What is the N&W Historical Society Archives?

It is the James N. Gillum Archives of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society, a research archive in Roanoke, Virginia. It preserves more than a century and a half of records from the Norfolk & Western and Virginian railways, their predecessors and the communities they served, mainly drawings and photographs plus a wide range of paper records.

Where are the Norfolk & Western Historical Society Archives?

The archives are at 2101 Salem Ave SW in Roanoke, Virginia, in a 7,400 square foot masonry building the Society bought in 1999. The Society's website has a map to the archives. Call (540) 342-5506 if you need directions or want to confirm someone will be there when you arrive.

What are the N&W Historical Society Archives hours?

As of October 2026, the archives list hours of Monday and Thursday, 10 am to 3 pm. The Society also holds multi-day archives sessions at the Salem Ave building roughly once a month, such as November 12 to 14, 2026. Call (540) 342-5506 before you go to confirm.

Is the N&W archives open to the public?

Yes, during its posted hours, Mondays and Thursdays from 10 am to 3 pm. It is a research archive, so visitors usually come with something specific in mind, such as a locomotive, a structure or a town. Searching the online catalog first and calling (540) 342-5506 ahead will make your visit much more productive.

How much does it cost to visit the N&W Historical Society Archives?

The Society does not post an admission fee or research fee online for visiting the archives. Call (540) 342-5506 or email archives@nwhs.org to ask about any charges for research help or for copies of drawings and photographs before your visit.

Can I search the N&W archives online?

Yes. The catalog is on the Society's website at nwhs.org/archivesdb, with more than 200,000 items cataloged and over 177,000 documents digitized. You can browse by rolling stock, structures, cities and towns, divisions and districts, events, people and company documents, covering both the N&W and the Virginian.

What is in the N&W Historical Society Archives collection?

Mostly mechanical and engineering drawings and photographs in many formats. The collection also includes books, magazines, newspaper articles, maps, reports, rulebooks, timetables, menus, annual reports, publicity material, forms, ledgers, contracts, correspondence, specifications, operating manuals, test results, engineering sketches and dispatchers' logs.

How many items are in the N&W archives?

Volunteers cataloged the 200,000th item on April 20, 2021, and more than 177,000 documents have been digitized. A directory listing for the Society describes the full archive in Roanoke as holding over 500,000 items, so cataloging continues. The 100,000th item was reached on October 11, 2014.

When did the N&W Historical Society Archives start?

The archives began in June 1995, when a large number of mechanical drawings and related files from the Roanoke Car Shops became available. The Society leased a storefront on Orange Avenue in 1996, then bought its current building at 2101 Salem Avenue SW in January 1999 and moved in that April.

When was the Norfolk & Western Historical Society founded?

The Norfolk & Western Historical Society was founded in 1974 as a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the history of the Norfolk & Western Railway and its predecessors, and of the Virginian Railway. Its archives, started in 1995, are a key part of that mission and supply material for the Society's own publications.

Who is James N. Gillum?

The archives carry his name: they are formally the James N. Gillum Archives of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society. The Society's website does not give further biographical details on the archives page, so ask the volunteers or the Society directly if you would like to know more about him.

Can modelers use the N&W archives?

Yes, and many do. The Society says the archives serve manufacturers making historically accurate commercial models and hobbyists recreating N&W and Virginian scenes at home. Mechanical drawings, photographs and specifications are especially useful, and the online database lets you find a car or structure before you visit.

Does the N&W archives have employee or genealogy records?

The archives page does not describe employee or personnel files as part of the collection, which focuses on drawings, photographs and railroad documents. If you are researching a relative who worked for the N&W or the Virginian, email archives@nwhs.org or call (540) 342-5506 to ask what might help.

Is the N&W archives good for kids?

It is best for teens and older kids with a specific interest, such as a school project or a model. It is a research archive rather than a hands-on museum. Families with younger children may prefer the Virginia Museum of Transportation, also in Roanoke, with the archives saved for a grown-up or older rail fan.

What are the N&W archives sessions?

The Society schedules multi-day archives sessions at its Salem Ave building about once a month, with upcoming dates including November 12 to 14 and December 10 to 12, 2026, and January 7 to 9, 2027. Check the schedule of events on nwhs.org for the full list and call ahead about visiting.

What collections were donated to the N&W archives?

The archives received drawings and files from the Roanoke Car Shops, material from Norfolk Southern's Capital Accounting Department and Roadway Material Yard, and archive collections donated by the Virginia Museum of Transportation and the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. It also gained access to the N&W collection once held at Virginia Tech.

How can I volunteer at the N&W Historical Society Archives?

Volunteers do the cataloging and digitizing that made the 200,000-item milestone possible. To ask about helping, email archives@nwhs.org or call (540) 342-5506, and plan to come during posted hours or a monthly archives session, when volunteers are working at the Salem Ave building.

How do I join or donate to the Norfolk & Western Historical Society?

Email membership@nwhs.org to ask about joining. The Society has about 1,000 members around the world, and membership supports the archives and its publications. The archives website also has a Donate link for gifts toward preserving and digitizing the collection.

How long should I plan to spend at the N&W archives?

Plan on a few hours if you are researching, and keep in mind that the archives close at 3 pm on open days. Arriving with a list of catalog numbers from the online database saves time, since volunteers can pull exactly what you need instead of searching from scratch.

What train museums are near the N&W archives in Roanoke?

The Virginia Museum of Transportation and the O. Winston Link Museum are both in Roanoke. The C&O Railway Heritage Center and the Historic C&O Depot in Clifton Forge are about 38 miles away, and the Hinton Railroad Museum in West Virginia is about 59 miles.

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