Basic RailCamp is a six-day summer camp that provides an in-depth introduction to rail history preservation background, railroad operations and career opportunities to high school boys and girls entering the 9th grade through the 12th grade. It is an excellent forum for young adults with similar interests to learn about the rail history movement while sharing ideas with peers from other parts of North America. Opportunities include experiences with:

• Train dispatching
• Railroad Operations
• Steam Locomotive Operations
• Steam Locomotive Repair & Restoration
• Modern Railroad Operations
• Railroad History Interpretation (learning how to tell the story of railroad history to the general public

Class Size 

• 24 students per RailCamp Session at Steamtown
• 12 student per RailCamp session at the Nevada Northern

Tuition includes lodging and meals, throughout RailCamp, as well as student materials needed in conjunction with the official camp activities.

Camp Staff: Instructors will be National Park Service personnel at the well-known Steamtown National Historic Site. Counselors and assistant Instructors for RailCamp are volunteers from the ranks of the National Railway Historical Society, which has more than 17,000 members and 170 chapters in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Facilities, Meals, & Lodging:

Steamtown - Attendees will be housed in dormitories of the University of Scranton, a Jesuit university located in downtown Scranton, PA. Meals will be provided in the dining hall. Counselors are on site 24 hours daily. After-hours social activities may include visits to area attractions at both sites.

Nevada Northern - Attendees will be housed in a modern local hotel. Meals will be provided by a caterer at the Nevada Northern facility. Counselors are on site 24 hours daily. After-hours social activities may include visits to area attractions at both sites.

Recommended and Required Items:

Steamtown - Bedding and linen are provided by the University of Scranton. RailCampers should bring an extra bath towel or two as well as a cake of bath soap. The NRHS will provide all safety equipment necessary for training for use during the duration of the program. Students, however, are responsible for and are required to have sturdy footwear with good soles (sneakers may not be worn on site). Additionally, overalls are recommended as this is a working environment and you will get dirty! Sunscreen is also a good idea.

Nevada Northern - Bedding and linen are provided by the hotel. RailCampers should bring an extra bath towel or two as well as a cake of bath soap. The NRHS will provide all safety equipment necessary for training for use during the duration of the program. Students, however, are responsible for and are required to have sturdy footwear with good soles (sneakers may not be worn on site). Additionally, overalls are recommended as this is a working environment and you will get dirty! Sunscreen is also a good idea.

Transportation:

Steamtown - Students are responsible for their own transpiration to and from Scranton. Pick-up and drop-off information will be coordinated for those arriving at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, which is served by Delta US Airways, and United Connections. Pick-ups can also be arranged for those arriving in Scranton via Greyhound or Martz Trailways buses.

Nevada Northern - Students are responsible for their own transpiration to and from Ely. More information will be available later about travel options. The nearest airport is in Las Vegas with service by major airlines.

Additional Information: Students will be required to fill out and return a detailed registration form, to include transportation arrangements, medical and contact information, prior to coming to camp. Subsequently the NRHS will detailed camp information, including transportation information, before camp begins.

Course Agenda:

Day 1 (Sunday) : At 12 Noon, registration begins at University of Scranton in Scranton, PA or at the motel in Ely Nevada. At 5 PM, over a group dinner, the campers will participate in an orientation session. Camping staff will provide actual program at both sites will be released closer to the RailCamp week.

Day 2 (Monday): Monday will involve an orientation session and tour of the facilities. The orientation will include a mandatory safety lecture by staff at either museum. A tour of the facilities will follow. A Park Ranger or a Museum docent will brief campers on the site. Following lunch, campers will learn about the equipment restoration, how it's defined and accomplished. At the Scranton location, the group will tour an abandoned coal mine. In Nevada, the group will tour a copper mine.

Day 3 (Tuesday) : Campers will spend the full day at site. Each group will alternately visit the Locomotive Shop and the Roundhouse, learning both operations. Wear overalls or other clothing you can get dirty, because you will! Sturdy shoes are required too-- NO SNEAKERS.

Day 4 (Wednesday) : Campers at Steamtown will board a chartered bus to take us to a major local rail facility, where you will interface with employees regarding rail operations and careers. You'll receive an Operation Lifesaver presentation during the day, since most students are at or near driving age. As part of the day, Campers will visit and photograph one or two historic railroad engineering landmarks. At Nevada Northern, Campers will work on restoration projects at the museum.

Day 5 (Thursday) : Steamtown campers will participate in metalworking session in the shops. restoration. Following lunch, the groups will rotate so everyone will have an equal experience. Nevada Northern campers will participate in a related educational activity.

Day 6 (Friday) :

Steamtown - This exciting day will be full and provide a wonderful culmination to the week. Students will experience a complete day of covering railroad operations on a "behind the scenes" basis. At 8:30 AM the entire group meets in the Steamtown Theater to hear Mark Brennan, Supervisor Railroad Operations, brief the excursion train crews. At 9:00 AM, we will divide into our two groups, with each learning about railroad operating rules and dispatching, as well as conducting various railroad field training exercises, where you will learn how to switch cars. During the day you'll ride one of the regular excursion trains to Moscow, PA, and while enroute practice taking Form D's (train dispatcher orders) and other exercises with the train crew. This will be a busy day, filled with plenty of exposure to railroad operations, and has been the highlight of prior Basic RailCamp sessions. At Steamtown, there will be an awards ceremony followed by a cookout at 6:00 PM. Parents are cordially invited to attend both events.

Nevada Northern - Details of this day are not firm at the Nevada Northern Museum.

Day 7 (Saturday) : At 9:00 AM, the closing ceremony will be held at each location with groups of RailCampers giving reports on what they have learned and observed during their week of RailCamp. Parents are encouraged to attend this session, which will end at approximately 11:00 AM.