Memberships - Donations - Registrations - Other

All payments made to the B&O Railroad Historical Society (BORHS) are processed though the Company Store. Besides paying for your Store orders, you can also pay for memberships, donations, registration fees, and any other monetary obligation due to the Society. If you wish, you may pay the total of all the payments with a single check or credit card specification but be aware that for tax-deductible donations you may wish to use a separate payment. Many payments other than for Store purchases will have an associated form, such as membership, donation appeal, convention or meeting registration, or an Archives Research invoice. If a form supplies information which is not available with the Store item, be sure to include the form with your mail-in order.

You may make a donation to the Society by means of a Store order, regardless of your payment method, even if you are not ordering any other items. However, for larger donations you may alternatively use the form available at Donations. Include the donation amount with the Store order or make a separate payment, but you may include the form in the same envelope with a Store order.

If you want or need to send in an order using a manual order form, there is one provided through a link on the Store Specials page.

Please read the INSTRUCTIONS below for each type of transaction.


INSTRUCTIONS for making a Membership Payment: First, determine your category of membership. Then, click the Add button in the far right column one time. The quantity of "1" should be displayed in the Item Total box. If you made an error, click Subtract to reduce the quantity back to "0". NOTE: Do NOT attempt to manually enter the order quantity. There is no specific provision for paying for someone other than yourself. If you wish to pay for someone else, you must include the application form or renewal card with the Store order form so that the payment can be credited to the proper member.

At any time, you may view the items you have ordered by clicking "Shopping Cart" in the Navigation Bar at the top of the page.

Each NEW membership must have a membership application included with the order form. A web copy of our membership application is provided at the Join Us link on the Home Page. (Here is a direct link to the Membership Application Form.) This form may be filled in while on-line if it is opened in an appropriate PDF reader program, such as Adobe Reader DC. Select the desired level of membership from the items below. Membership entitles you to receive our quarterly magazine, The Sentinel, by mail or digitally. New members should mark their delivery choice on their membership application. New members may choose to receive the magazine by both options for an additional fee. For those who wish to receive both options, see item 01019 below.

All membership RENEWALS being paid for with this order should include the membership number and, if there is any change in information, the renewal notification card received from the Society. Include the notification card in the envelope with the order form to ensure that the membership renewal is being credited to the appropriate person. Select the level of membership from the items below. At present, we do not accept multi-year renewals. Please do not submit your renewal until you have received your renewal card. If you have questions about your renewal status or renewal date, please contact our membership chair by clicking this icon:Email membership director. Renewing members may change their option for receiving The Sentinel by marking the renewal card appropriately. For those who wish to add the dual media option, see item 01019 below for payment.


01010 Regular Membership, USA Resident
Please indicate on your order form your choice of printed or digital copy of The Sentinel magazine. If you want both versions, see Item 01019 below for that extra-cost selection.
55.00

Item Total:
01012 Sustaining Membership, USA Resident. Sustaining Membership includes a FREE Society calendar for the next year IF the Sustaining level is retained as of September 30.
Please indicate on your order form your choice of printed or digital copy of The Sentinel magazine. If you want both versions, see Item 01019 below for that extra-cost selection.
75.00

Item Total:
01013 Sustaining Membership, Non-USA Resident. Sustaining Membership includes a FREE Society calendar for the next year IF the Sustaining level is retained as of September 30.
Please indicate on your order form your choice of printed or digital copy of The Sentinel magazine. If you want both versions, see Item 01019 below for that extra-cost selection.
100.00

Item Total:
01015 Regular Membership, non-USA Resident
Please indicate on your order form your choice of printed or digital copy of The Sentinel magazine. If you want both versions, see Item 01019 below for that extra-cost selection.
81.00

Item Total:
01019 Additional fee - For Dual Media of The Sentinel magazine - New Membership or Annual Membership Renewal

This option is for new members and for members who are renewing their yearly membership. Dual delivery of The Sentinel magazine is an option that is only provided at the time of initial membership in the Society or when a membership is renewed. At present time, if the dual delivery option is desired, it is suggested that members renew both their membership (by checking the appropriate category as shown in items 01010 through 01015), as well as this additional fee item, and that both be done on the same order.

By selecting this option, you must ensure that your current membership number, address, and email are accurate on the order form that will be prepared by this ordering process. As soon as Membership can validate your standing, you will be provided download instructions by email. This process could take up to 30 days.
10.00

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INSTRUCTIONS for making a Donation: First, determine your best way to make a donation by reading the NOTES FOR DONATIONS below. Donations can be made at this page even if no other purchase is being made from the Company Store by clicking on the amount in the far right column of the item selected. Donations made though the Store are made in increments of $20 or $25, depending upon the fund. The value shown on the right is the unit value of your donation. For example, if you desire to donate $60.00 to the General Fund, then click the Add Button 3 times until the quantity "3" appears in the Item Total box. To contribute $100.00, click the Add Button 5 times. If you click the button too many times, click the Subtract button until you reach the number you desire. NOTE: Do NOT attempt to manually enter the order quantity.

At any time, you may view the items you have ordered by clicking "Shopping Cart" in the Navigation Bar at the top of the page.

NOTES FOR DONATIONS: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Historical Society exists for the purpose of preserving the history of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company. As the Society is a non-profit, qualified 501(c)(3) Corporation, charitable donations are tax-deductible. If you have any specific questions in this regard, please consult with your tax advisor.

Membership dues and donations, as well as Company Store Sales, from any and all who are interested in the preservation of the history of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, are the life-blood of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Historical Society. Without all of these elements, we cannot exist and preserve the history of our favorite railroad. Donations can be made as part of a member's renewal, as part of a regular order from the Company Store, or as a larger cash donation that is the result of a direct appeal. A Company Store order form can be used if you simply desire to aid the Society in its mission without ordering a product or renewing a membership. Any donation is greatly appreciated.

Potential donors interested in contributing to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society should refer to the Donations page where there is detailed information regarding donations. The Store items listed below are generally for smaller donations which can be added to a merchandise order. Donations of $100 or more will be acknowledged with a letter. If you wish other recognition for larger donations, you should make your donation from the Donations page where you will find the detailed Donation Policy and the appropriate Donation Form. You may request an acknowledgement letter for donations of less than $100.

If you desire to use the Donation Form and to make a purchase from the Store, you may include both that form and your Store order in the same envelope mailed to the Society. You may make your payment with one check or credit card, but for a larger donations, if you itemize contributions, you may want to pay your donation separate from the Store order.

The B&O RHS has grouped its various donation objectives into the major funds listed below:

  • General Fund: This is an unrestricted fund shown as Item 01020. Donations to this fund may be used for any purpose just so long as that purpose assists the Society in accomplishing its mission.

  • Archives Projects Fund: This is a restricted fund shown as Item 01110. Donations to this fund are used only for the purchase of archival material or for equipment, supplies, and software to be used to develop and catalog archival material.

  • Building Fund: This is a restricted fund shown as Item 01210. Donations to this fund are used only for the purpose of purchasing, improving, and maintaining real property used by the Society to accomplish its mission.

To make a donation through the Company Store, please choose from the items below:


01020 Donations to the General Fund of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Historical Society. The core functions of the Society are financially supported by membership dues and sales from our Company Store. Requirements over and above our core functions are supported by donations by members, friends of the Society, and other philanthropists who wish to help support our efforts.

Frequently, needs arise that are beyond what can be supported from membership dues or Company Store sales. This necessitates establishing programs that rely on designated donations from the generosity of others. Such designated donation programs may be so critical to the future of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Historical Society that they will be given their own designated account numbers. But there are other areas of a more general nature that are in their infancy or are really small but important programs that need donation support to ensure survival. These type of efforts are supported through donations to our Society General Fund. An example of such a program is an effort to expand our outreach to connect with others who are not a member of our Society but who have expressed an interest in railroad history. Another example is the development of an Oral History Program to document through video and/or audio the work experiences of retired former B&O Railroad employees. As former B&O employees age, it is critical that we as a historical society make contact with these former B&O employees while they are still able to remember and talk about their experiences while working on the B&O Railroad. Further development of these two examples and more rely upon donations to our General Fund.

If you decide that you wish to use the Donation Form instead of adding an amount to a Store order, click on the icon in the upper left. You may make a separate payment for the amount on the Donation Form or include it with your Store purchase. You may include both the Donation Form and your Store order in the same envelope mailed to the Society.
20.00

Item Total:
01110 Donations to our Archival Acquisition Fund. The B&O Railroad Historical Society maintains an archive of historical documents, images and artifacts related to the B&O Railroad. These items have been used by authors, researchers and members to help educate people about the history of the B&O Railroad. Our collection is ever growing as new books are written and new collections of images and documents are made available for acquisition. You can help us preserve, protect and share these items by making a donation to our Archives Acquisition Budget. You may see results of your donation with issues of The Sentinel you read and the annual calendar. For donations that result in procurement of equipment and other materials, such equipment and materials become property of the B&ORHS and the donor relinquishes all rights and control of them.

If you decide that you wish to use the Donation Form instead of adding an amount to a Store order, click on the icon in the upper left. You may make a separate payment for the amount on the Donation Form or include it with your Store purchase. You may include both the Donation Form and your Store order in the same envelope mailed to the Society.
20.00

Item Total:
01210 A Building Fund to House Future Archives, Research, and Company Store functions. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Historical Society has been a continuously functioning educational society for more than 30 years. The Society's photographs, maps and charts, books, and documents are now secure in our 9,600 square foot building in Eldersburg, Maryland. The building is a masonry block structure built in the 1950s. To make the building suitable for Society use, there have been structural repairs, both inside and out, as well as extensive refurbishing required to get the building up to a lever that permits productive use. These basic upgrades were completed in summer 2017, but there will be continuing maintenance needs, some being major in cost. Contributions from members and others are greatly appreciated and will help to defray the costs involved with our building.

If you decide that you wish to use the Donation Form instead of adding an amount to a Store order, click on the icon in the upper left. You may make a separate payment for the amount on the Donation Form or include it with your Store purchase. You may include both the Donation Form and your Store order in the same envelope mailed to the Society.
20.00

Item Total:

INSTRUCTIONS for making a Registration or Other Payment: First, determine which event you want to pay for. Then, click the Add button in the far right column one time. The quantity of "1" should be displayed in the Item Total box. If you made an error, click Subtract to reduce the quantity back to "0". NOTE: Do NOT attempt to manually enter the order quantity. You may select a quantity greater than one if you are registering more than one person.

For Other Payments, the amount can be added to any purchase made from the Company Store by clicking on the amount in the far right column of the item selected. Payments made though the Store are made in increments of $5 or $1 depending upon the service provided. The value shown on the right is the unit value of your payment. For example, if you are to pay $30.00 to the Society for a service paid in a $5 increment, then click the Add Button 6 times until the quantity "6" appears in the Item Total box. If you click the button too many times, click the Subtract button until you reach the number you desire. NOTE AGAIN: Do NOT attempt to manually enter the order quantity.

If you want or need to send in an order using a manual order form, there is one provided through a link on the Store Specials page.

At any time, you may view the items you have ordered by clicking "Shopping Cart" in the Navigation Bar at the top of the page.

One or more registrations may be submitted per order. Similarly, other items may also be paid for.

The ANNUAL CONVENTION registration form is provided with the Third Quarter Sentinel. It will list multiple events to be paid for individually, some will have a meal selction. You will choose the event(s) and selections you want. The completed form must be mailed to the Society address noted on the form with your check. Due to the number of selection options, the cost is variable for each registrant; thus, the cost of the convention cannot be entered on a Store order.

The MINI-CON registration form will be provided with the appropriate issue of the Sentinel. It may list more than one item to be paid for individually. You will choose the one(s) you want and pay the total by selecting the appropriate item below. If the form contains more than just the registration fee, the completed form will have to be mailed to the Society address noted on the form. For the Eastern Mini-con, see item 01920; for the Western (Ohio) Mini-con, see item 01930.

The FOUNDER'S DAY DINNER registration form will be provided with the appropriate issue of the Sentinel. It may list selections. You will choose the one(s) you want and pay the total by selecting the appropriate item below. If the form contains more than just the registration fee, the completed form will have to be mailed to the Society address noted on the form. For the Founder's Day Dinner, see item 01940.

An OTHER PAYMENT example provided below is for Archives Research. Your invoice will provide the total amount due for one or more categories. You pay the total by selecting the appropriate item below. For Archives Research, see item 01510 at the bottom of the page. [This category is not in numeric sequence.] Of course, you may pay the exact amount of the invoice by sending a separate check.


01920 Eastern Mini-con registration 16.00

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01930 Western Mini-con registration 15.00

Item Total:
01940 Founder's Day Dinner registration See the flyer on the Home page. No meal selection is available. Amount shown is final for 2019. 38.00

Item Total:
01510 Archives Research. Pay the total (rounded up or down to nearest $5) on the invoice provided by the Archives research group. 5.00

Item Total:

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