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AAR Online FAQ (Research FAQs)

Thank you for your interest in the AAR’s AAR Online Help Desk (Research FAQs). Please review the options below and select a subject area to be directed to information which may help answer your question.

AAR Members and Associates can access member-protected industry services pages in the Members Area of the AAR web site.

Non-members are directed to the resource guides and links listed below. Non-members are encouraged to explore AAR membership options discussed here.

AAR Legislative Priorities and Policy Positions

AAR legislative and policy positions are available by clicking here.

News Media

AAR press releases and statements are available by clicking here.

Direct any questions to twhite@aar.org

Current AAR Publications

Publications of the AAR and its subsidiaries, Railinc and the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) are listed in AAR’s publications catalog, searchable at: http://www.aarpublications.com/.

Circular letter subscriptions can be accessed and prurchased by clicking here. Questions about circulars can be directed to Kathy Pacheco-Trujillo at TTCI.

Prices, order instructions, and contact points for more information about each of the publications are provided in the catalog. For international orders, please note that you may need to contact AAR, Railinc or TTCI for shipping and price information. For AAR, phone: 202-639-2102; fax: 202-639-2356; email: pubsrvcs@aar.org . For Railinc, phone: 1-800-544-7245; fax: 919-651-5410; email: csc@railinc.com. For TTCI, phone: 877-999-8824; Fax: 719/584-7157; e-mail: pub@aar.com.

Out-of-Print AAR Publications

For older, out-of-print, AAR publications, the following major libraries have extensive holdings of AAR materials and you may be able to obtain photocopies or borrow the items on interlibrary loan. Consult your organization’s library or contact the interlibrary loan department of your nearest public or academic library to request material on interlibrary loan. Each library has a searchable web-based online catalog which may assist you in identifying and locating the AAR title sought. Libraries should check OCLC’s WorldCat for additional libraries which own the requested title.

Northwestern University Transportation Library
University of California at Berkeley, Institute of Transportation Studies Library
John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, St. Louis Merchantile Library, University of Missouri at St. Louis
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
U. S. Department of Transportation Headquarters Library

Class I Railroad Web Sites

For a complete listings and links of North America's Class I railroads click here.

Short Line and Regional Railroads

For a complete listings and links of North America's short line railroads, visit the ASLRRA or Shortline Data Web Page

Commuter Railroads

For a complete listings and links of North America's commuter railroads, visit the APTA web page

Economic and Financial Information: Railroads

Class I Railroad Statistics (PDF)
Shortline Financial Data
The Surface Transportation Board
The Intermodal Transportation Database
FRA's Data Central
Railway Association of Canada
Canadian Transportation Statistics

Career Development

Jobs opportunies in the railroad industry are announced by the individual railroads. Refer to the AAR web page listing railroad industry jobs by clicking here.

Information about careers in railroading is available from The Federal Railroad Administration’s 'Careers in Railroads'

Canadian rail career information is available at Railway Association of Canada

Education

The AAR offers free information for schools and youth groups as well as a paid-membership club for those interested in trains. Teachers looking for educational resources about railroads should e-mail Janet Williams at jwilliams@aar.org.

Also, teachers are welcome to download the PowerPoint show "An Introduction To Freight Railroads," for classroom use. This presentation gives a broad overview of the freight rail industry in America. Click here to download the presentation.

The Federal Railway Administration (FRA) also offers information at FRA’s Rail Education page.

Boy Scouts Railroading Merit Badge

Many scouts have experienced the thrill of accomplishment by earning a merit badge in railroading. The Railroad Merit Badge Info Pack file contains valuable information about the rail industry, jobs, history and other information that can help the scouts on their way to earning this exciting merit badge. Please feel free to download and make as many copies as you need. Also, please enjoy the video, "Tomorrow. Arriving By Rail," for more interesting information about North America's freight rail industry.

Scouts and troops are also welcome to download the PowerPoint show "An Introduction To Freight Railroads." This presentation contains valuable information about the North American freight rail industry. Click here to download the presentation.

Railroad Merit Badge Info Pack (PDF)
Tomorrow. Arriving By Rail (MPG)

Genealogy

Railroad Retirement Board offers records of individuals employed by railroads from 1936 to date.

National Archives and Records Administration offers records of military personnel who have been discharged from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard in the period 1700s to date.

Research

Research on current and retrospective railroad industry issues includes published resources (books, journals, and trade and government publications) in print and electronic format, in as well as web sites and virtual libraries. Some major research tools:

Transportation Research Information Service (TRIS); a bibliographic database developed and maintained by the Transportation Research Board and maintained on the Internet by the National Transportation Library. TRIS covers includes economics, electronics, engineering, public policy, safety, and intermodal aspects of rail transportation from about 1970 to date. TRIS can be accessed at no charge at http://ntl.bts.gov/tris . Search assistance can be found online.

Railroad industry business and financial data in current business and financial sources is covered from an industry and individual railroad basis in a number of business bibliographic databases. Recommended electronic databases include ProQuest/ABI Inform; Standard & Poor’s; LexisNexis; Ebsco’s Expanded Academic Index , OCLC’s FirstSearch and Gale’s InfoTrac Business databases. These are subscription databases searchable in academic, special and public libraries, and are often accessible remotely by using your library card ID. Check with your local library for assistance in locating and using these resources. The Promt database, which is searchable using codes for different industries and business activities of the industry is recommended .

Sources of Information in Transportation is a bibliography series developed by the Transportation Division of Special Libraries Association and covering the literature of the 20th Century to date. The most current edition is maintained online by the National Transportation Library at http://www.ntl.bts.gov/ref/biblio/. Print editions of the bibliographies may be borrowed from the libraries listed in the "Out of Print AAR Publications" section. Each edition is arranged by mode and includes bibliographies, journals, trade magazines, reference material, statistical sources, web sites, and major published works in each modal area. Coverage is heavily North American, with key international works included.

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