Railroad Crew

Railroad Crew volunteers educate the public on the National Park Service's history with America's railways

Ride in Amtrak or East Troy railcars and interact with visitors while riding through historic sites

Learn interpretive and communication skills while helping to enhance train rides for passengers

 

Rails & Trails volunteer

Jon L. Hendricks / NWI Times

Trails & Rails

A partnership program between the National Park Service and Amtrak, the Trails & Rails program provides Amtrak passengers with educational opportunities to foster an appreciation of a selected region's natural and cultural heritage and renews the long tradition of associating railroads with National Parks. The Wolverine has a Trails & Rails program operating from Chicago, Illinois to Niles, Michigan and is operated by staff and volunteers of the Indiana Dunes National Park.

Volunteers ride alongside passengers and provide historical information and visuals as they pass through national park land. To learn more about the program and what volunteers do, visit the National Park Service's information page and Amtrak's Trails & rails web page.

 

Photo of Volunteer at East Troy Railroad Museum.

Credit: Joyce Scully

East Troy Railroad

The National Park Service and East Troy Railroad Museum, in East Troy, Wisconsin, host a joint interpretative program in July each year featuring historic South Shore Railroad Cars during the Museum’s annual "Chicago Day" event.

Nineteen historic South Shore Railroad Cars were conveyed to the National Park Service in 1984 after they had been decommissioned by the Chicago, South Shore, & South Bend Railroad. In 2010 East Troy Railroad Museum was chosen by the National Park Service as the recipient of eight of the historic cars, because they demonstrated the ability to preserve, maintain, and operate the cars through a large contingent of dedicated volunteers.

Volunteers and Rangers will travel to Wisconsin for the annual "Chicago Day" event to assist with the Interpretation of the history of Indiana Dunes National Park, the South Shore Railroad, and East Troy Railroad; all while riding on historic rail cars. The train route, seven scenic miles through the Kettle Moraine countryside, is the last segment of electric interurban railroad in Wisconsin. East Troy’s annual visitation is around 25,000. Learn more at https://easttroyrr.org/, and contact us to volunteer for the next Chicago Day event!

 

The Park Connection

"Connecting People To The Park"
To start volunteering or for any questions, contact The Park Connection Office by calling [phone] or sending us an email. For emergencies, please call 1-800-PARK-TIP (1-800-727-5847).