Monthly Chapter Meetings

The Blue Ridge Chapter hosts monthly meetings for members and guests on the second Wednesday of each month.  Dinner begins at 6:00 pm and the official chapter meeting begins at 7:30 pm.

  In the first half of our meetings, we conduct chapter business, share announcements about events and opportunities relevant to the rail fan hobby, and enjoy fellowship with one another. 

In the second half, a slide, video or PowerPoint program is presented by a chapter member or an official invited guest.  Topics vary over a wide range of specific railroad subjects, but all are relevant to railway history and preservation and often focus on Lynchburg and the central Virginia region.

Guests and friends of our chapter are always welcome at our monthly meetings!  Check the Departure Board for up to date information about upcoming Monthly Chapter Meetings, including dates, location, and program info. Also, consult the events page for annual and other special events hosted by our chapter.

"Fun Meetings"

The Blue Ridge Chapter also hosts frequent "fun meetings" throughout the year on the fourth Wednesday of every other month.  Dinner is at 6:00 pm and the picture sharing begins at 7:30 pm.  Check the Departure Board for Fun Meeting dates.

These "fun meeting" gatherings are informal by design, such that no official chapter business is conducted and no specific program is planned. Instead, members and friends of our chapter are invited to bring any of their slides and photographs to share with the group.  You add to the program by what you bring that night!  Guests are always welcome to attend.

Chapter Picnic

Picinic 2010 by Dale Diacont

Each September, the chapter hosts a family picnic at the English Park in Altavista, Virginia (map). With food and friends, a good time is had by all.  Check the Departure Board for specific information about this year's picnic.

The Altavista English Park sits adjacent to the former Virginian main line between Roanoke and the Tidewater region.  Today that line is the Altavista District of the Norfolk Southern and features many trains a day, mostly loaded coal drags moving eastward to Lamberts Point.  English Park is the perfect spot for an NRHS chapter picnic!

Chapter Christmas Banquet

During each Christmas season, the chapter hosts a banquet on the first Saturday evening in December.  Chapter members and their families and guests gather at the former Southern Railway train station in Altavista, Virginia (map) for an evening of good food, fellowship, and presentations to wrap up the year.  Check the Departure Board for information about this year's banquet.

The Southern Railway station in Altavista was built in 1910, but the original structure burned and was replaced by the railroad in 1936.  No longer used by the Norfolk Southern, the building was renovated in 1985 and is owned by the Town of Altavista.  The former freight room serves as a meeting area and thus the location for our annual Christmas banquet.  Just outside, the Norfolk Southern's Lynchburg-Danville main line, double-tracked through Altavista, features more than a dozen trains a day, including Amtrak's #19 and #20, the Crescent.