Permanently Preserving Northern Ohio's Railroad and Transit History
A Lifetime Interest in Railroads
Many of us in the Northern Ohio area have engaged in, as our life's interest, the collection and preservation of railroad and rail transit materials. As we get older one question looms above all others - what can be done to assure that the materials are kept safe, are appreciated, and will go on to assist future historians in the continuing quest to properly display and interpret rail history.

Memberships in Various Railroad Organizations
Some of us carry memberships in several of the many organizations in the area which are dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of railroad and rail transit history. These groups range from those who build and collect models to those who restore, maintain and operate railroad and transit equipment. Included are those who either take or collect photographs, collect, draw or research maps, write histories, amass reports on railroads or restore artifacts of railroads. There are also those who are actively involved in the operation and upkeep of today's railroads and rail transit systems and the labor unions representing them, or who have retired from them and want to keep active.

One Organization to Network All the Organizations
All of these groups or clubs have publications, activities, work sessions, banquets and special events. They also all are involved in "train shows" and in attracting or sponsoring conventions respective to the interest of some aspect of railroading. Still other associations are involved in producing written or visual material of rail interest or history.

There has long been a need in the northern Ohio area for a bonding society to help knit together all of the various railroad organizations and to help promote and coordinate those interests to the community and the region.

The Northern Ohio Association of Railway Societies (NOARS) has been formed for these purposes. First, a blanket organization with a desire to help all area `rail groups' communicate with each other and to promote their common interests in the community. Second, to help eliminate the common problem of seeing railroad collections hopelessly dispersed by providing a safe and centrally located alternative for accessibility and perpetuation of railroad collections.