As you may have already heard, the GNRHS Board has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Willmar convention. We know that this may come as a disappointment to many of you, particularly those who have been regular attendees of past conventions. You, as well as GNRHS staff, committee persons and board members look forward each year to the long standing tradition of gathering in person to renew friendships, share stories and continue to celebrate the Great Northern Railway legacy.

We all know how the scourge of Covid has altered, rearranged and generally interfered with most aspects of our daily lives. That fact and the general unknown about how long it will take to return to some kind of normalcy was certainly one of the factors in our decision.

As you might imagine, the preparation, planning and execution of a successful convention involves many moving parts. – not to mention the countless hours of volunteer time that it requires. The committee who had formed to host the Willmar event experienced a set of unforeseen difficulties and complications, which led them to choose not to go forward. We thank them for their efforts and acknowledge their willingness to host the 2021 convention.

We are exploring options to coordinate an online experience that, though not as socially rewarding as an in-person event, would allow us to gather virtually in a way that might be more inclusive for those who have not been physically able to attend in the past.

Please stay safe as we all go about our daily lives! Stay tuned for updates and news about the GNRHS via our various media platforms. And as Rocky would say ….
Go Great Northern!

We know that many of you are missing your December GOAT. Though GNRHS met all deadlines for submitting the GOAT to our printer, the mailing was delayed by two weeks due to Covid challenges at SpectraPrint. The GOAT was delivered to the Post Office in Stevens Point WI on December 14. As you all know, the Postal Service has reported significant delays in delivering mail during this holiday season. Furthermore, the GOAT is mailed at bulk rate which does not move nearly as quickly as first class mail. Please give the Post Office a little more time to catch up on deliveries. If you have NOT received your GOAT by January 10, please contact Mary McGlothlin by clicking HERE and selecting “Membership Secretary.”

We thank you for your patience.

Have You Renewed Yet?

It’s easy – just click here. Don’t miss out on more issues of the Goat, Modeler’s Pages, Reference Sheets, the annual calendar, store discounts and more! And of course your membership supports the Society’s ongoing research, preservation and educational mission. Please consider a Sustaining membership or heritage fund donation.

More Online Archives Material

The GNRHS Archives has posted the following new collections on the GN-NP Joint Archive site at http://gn-npjointarchive.org

• James A Turner photograph collection. This Greater Puget Sound and Cascades focused photo collection contains 450 items. These photos can be sorted and seen online. Medium resolution copies can be downloaded.
• Jackson Street Roundhouse Map and Blueprint Collection has 4700 maps and drawings indexed which can be sorted by state, location, year and various other elements.  In addition, nearly 11,000 records of blueprints from GN AFEs (Authorization For Expenditure files) are now online. The images are not posted due to their large size.  People interested in a specific item can contact the GNRHS Archives at: archives@gnrhs.org
• Walt Ainsworth Great Northern Diesel Slides Collection.  This set contains 400 color slides of GN diesel locomotives taken from the late 1950’s to 1970. Sorting by year, location, number and other subjects is provided.  Medium resolution copies can be downloaded.

These are the fruits of many hundreds of hours of scanning and data entry effort by volunteers at both the east and west end archive facilities. 

Modeling Content Needed!

Rich Remiarz has volunteered to be the new Modeling Pages Coordinator/Editor for the GN Goat.  He is looking for content.  There is a lot of great modeling being done that he would like to feature in future issues of the Goat.  We need photos and/or articles on layouts, structures, motive power, rolling stock, etc. as well as content on modeling GN-based operations.  Please contact Rich via this form (select Goat Modeling Editor) if you’d like to discuss a potential submission.

Visit The New Store & Enjoy Member Discounts

All-new software and layout makes it easier to use on all devices. Checkout is streamlined and you can use any credit card OR PayPal.

However, you will need to create a new account and password, and prior purchases made on the old system are not available.

You’ll find new products to peruse including rolling stock, structure kits, and high-quality DIGITAL versions of our Reference Sheets and Modeler’s Pages, including various bundles by category (depots, box cars, passenger trains, etc)

To Get Your Discount:

This process no longer requires your member number. A special discount code was sent to all members recently. At checkout, simply enter the code into the “discount code” box to get a 10% discount on all merchandise, publications and apparel. Your discount will appear after entering the code. 

If you have not received your code, please click here and select “Store” to contact the store manager.