| The Suncoast chapter was organized in 1989. There are presently more than 170 chapters of the National Railway Historical Society in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
The Suncoast has a rich history of rail service and present day Bradenton, Sarasota and Venice owe much to the early railroads. During most of the twentieth century the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line railroads provided service for the Suncoast to the rest of the country. Celebrities such as Bertha Palmer and John Ringling used the trains for business and pleasure. The Ringling circus wintered in Sarasota and Venice for over 60 years by using the railroad as the means of transportation. A railroad labor organization provided the financial backing for the city of Venice in the 1920's and the concept remains much the same as it was then. While the historical significance of the railroads is great on the Suncoast they still play a large part in our everyday lives. Rather than the goods coming to us in box cars they now come in trailers that have been unloaded at intermodal ramps in Tampa, Jacksonville or Miami. Likewise new vehicles come from the assembly plants in the north to Florida ramps and are then trucked to our area. Come join us in learning about and exchanging information on railroads on the Suncoast past, present and future. |
| Chapter Background |