Volunteer With Us and Save Railway History
Railway history is disappearing across the country.
In abandoned sidings, on rusted-out tracks, and in quiet forested fields, there are locomotives slowly decaying. Passenger cars that once ferried thousands of people across the country every year are being cut up and sold for scrap. These artifacts of the American railway need to be preserved — and you can help.
Plenty of people have donated money or equipment, and if you want to do that as well, we'd welcome it. But there's something else we need — something you can do no matter how much money you have:
We need volunteers. Please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Amanda Resnick at 405-424-8222 or amanda@oklahomarailwaymuseum.org to volunteer.
The Lifeblood of the Oklahoma Railway Museum
The Museum runs on volunteers. From the people who cut the lawns to the people who crew the trains, most of our staff volunteers to be here. There are a variety of jobs you can do here at the Museum that will help us further our goal of preserving this history in motion.
Docents (Museum Guides)
Docents bring life to Oklahoma's fascinating railroad history by guiding tours, answering questions, and providing information to museumgoers. If you're already a railway history expert, that helps — but you don't need to be. We provide information sheets to help you do the job.
This position is available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays with shift availability including 9:00-1:00 p.m., 1:00 – 5:00 p.m., or both shifts.
Car Hosts
Car hosts serve on train trips. They guide the guests where they need to go, assist them on and off the train and ensure safety when the train is moving. They also interact with guests during the train ride.
This position works on days when train rides are running (the first and third Saturdays of every month), and may also serve on special events. Contact us for more information on availability.
Mechanical and Restoration
Prefer to work with your hands? Our Mechanical Department helps restore railroad history and keep it running. If you've ever wanted to work on real train equipment, this is your chance! Mechanical and/or electrical experience is always great, but not necessary — if you have a can-do attitude and a willingness to get your hands dirty, we can teach you.
Mechanical and Restoration projects happen every Saturday.
Other Positions
Grounds
The plants never stop growing, and the Oklahoma Railway Museum's grounds require constant upkeep to provide a pleasant experience for our visitors. We always need mowing, hedge and tree trimming, weeding, and new planting help. If you have time and a green thumb the museum can use you.
Newsletter Editor
Know how to write, edit, and lay out newsletters? We could use your help. We're also constantly looking for contributors to The Dispatcher. This newsletter goes out every month, and we can always use help.
Social Media Marketing
Every organization needs consistent social media marketing — the Museum is no different. We're looking for a good communicator who's familiar with social media and would like to help us stay in touch with our visitors. If you or someone you know can help, please contact us.
Data Entry
Are you organized and detail-oriented? Do you have access to a computer? We have visitor logs and magazine inventory that need to be entered into our database, and we'd love your help.
Newsletter Archive
Are you a tech-savvy organizer? The Oklahoma Library graciously scanned our old newsletters from 1992 to 2008 that were not in digital format. The images need to be cropped, named and sorted into folders.