2013 National Railway Historical Society Convention in Anchorage

All aboard! (For the 2013 National Railway Historical Society Convention, that is).

This year’s convention will take place in Anchorage, Alaska from Sept. 18 to Sept. 22. The event will provide many opportunities for individual tourism. There will also be pre-convention activities in Fairbanks, with the program featuring nine days of events.

There will be six days of special train trips on the Alaska Railroad, with many on lines that don’t see regular passenger service. Charter trains on the Alaska Railroad will travel around the Anchorage area and south into the Kenai Peninsula, passing through some of North America’s most spectacular scenery.

Additional events in Anchorage will include visits to several museums, like the Museum of Alaskan Transportation and Industry. The convention will also feature tours of the Alaska Railroad shops and Operations Center, the NRHS Annual Membership Meeting, NRHS Advisory Council Meeting, and NRHS Annual Banquet, among a variety of rail history seminars.

In addition, there will be a full-day bus tour to Girdwood and Portage on Sept. 18. On Sept. 20, before the banquet at Hilton Anchorage, expect an Alaska Railroad charter train Anchorage terminal tour, covering some hard-to-ride branch lines and the freight line through Anchorage.

The convention hotels are now taking reservations. Registration for the event is available for download, and tickets are on sale online.

I strongly encourage you to attend this national event in Anchorage. Conventions like these help drive up the tourism industry in Alaska, which gives others a taste of the beautiful place we call home.