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The Museum is open weekends through October.

C&NW Archives Research Center to be located at IRM

Union, IL – The Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with the Chicago & North Western Historical Society (C&NWHS) to locate a new building housing the Society’s historic archives on the IRM campus in Union, Illinois.

The building will be located on IRM’s Main Street, where it will join other historic and new-build structures along a replica 1950s street scene. It will formally be known as the C&NWHS Archives Research Center. The Society’s goal for the building is to provide a long-term home for its preservation and education efforts relating to the Chicago & North Western and associated railroads.

“The goals between both organizations are the same, the preservation of railroad history,” said Tim Coyle, President of the C&NWHS. “Our locating at IRM is a natural fit. There are synergies provided by both groups that will allow each to enhance the railroad experience and increase educational and preservation activities.”

“This is an important milestone in IRM’s history,” stated Marcus Ruef, President of the IRM Board of Directors. “This will add a significant feature to our campus. It will help our organization and the C&NW Historical Society to work together towards our shared goal of historic preservation.”

There is not yet a timeframe for completion of the C&NWHS Archives Research Center but the next step will be to progress towards the construction phase of the new building.

About the Chicago & North Western Historical Society:
The Chicago & North Western Historical Society is an independent not-for-profit educational Illinois corporation 501(c)(3) with approximately 2,000 members. Established in 1973, the society’s purpose is to foster interest, research, preservation and distribution of information concerning the Chicago & North Western and its subsidiary roads including: Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha; Chicago Great Western; Minneapolis & St. Louis; The Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern; Des Moines & Central Iowa; and the Litchfield & Madison. Membership activities include an annual convention, regional meets and the quarterly publication, North Western Lines, one of the top-rated railroad historical magazines. The society’s new archives and research center will be constructed on the campus of the Illinois Railway Museum located at Union, Illinois. The society’s website address is: www.cnwhs.org

About the Illinois Railway Museum:
The Illinois Railway Museum, a “Museum in Motion,” is the largest museum of its kind in the United States. The museum was founded in 1953 and is located 35 miles northwest of O’Hare in Union, McHenry County. It encompasses all aspects of railway history including steam and diesel locomotives, electric streetcars and elevated cars, and historic passenger and freight cars which are operated on the museum’s 150-acre main campus and 4.5-mile long railroad. The museum, a nonprofit educational organization, is owned and operated by volunteers and relies entirely on visitors and donors to fund its preservation efforts. For more information on the Museum and its special events scheduled throughout the year, visit www.irm.org.