Railroading Merit Badge
Program Information

The Boy Scouts of America have recognized a Railroading Merit Badge since 1952. During 2008, the Pacific Locomotive Association will sponsor merit badge study sessions at the Sunol Depot, as well as some day-long programs at the Niles Canyon Railway maintenance facility to help Scouts complete the requirements and get sign-off for the Railroading Merit Badge.

Scouts interested in participating should sign up by sending their contact information and troop number. Schedule changes and reminders will be sent by email. Scouts are strongly encouraged to review the Railroading Merit Badge Requirements on the Internet (including the topical links at the bottom of that web page). Scouts should also consider buying or borrowing a current (2004 revision) of the Railroading Merit Badge Handbook. The handbook is a great resource to start learning what a Scout will need to know to meet the requirements for this merit badge. Information also is avalable from Wikipedia about both railroading and merit badges.

The NCRy program can help with Requirements 1-7 of the Railroading Merit Badge, but Scouts will need to work on Requirements 8a or 8b on their own.  Study Guides are available for some requirements.
•   Requirement 1-C Study Guide
•   Requirement 2-B Study Guide
•   Requirement 4 Study Guide

The Merit Badge Research Center (MBRC) website has a Railroading Merit Badge Worksheet avalable in both MS Word DOC format or in Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF format. While it is not a requirement to use this form, the worksheet is a good way to organize notes to be prepared for the sign-off session.

The study sessions are a drop-in format, and we will work on one or two requirements during each session. There may also be time for scouts to sign off other requirements on that day, if they come to the session prepared. The schedule for these sessions will usually be on Sundays from 12-4 pm, on these dates:

APR 13; May 17(*); JUN 22; JUL 27; AUG 17; SEP 13
(* May 17th is a Saturday session, at the Brightside yard.)

The day-long sessions are currently only open to scouts who have signed off at least 4 of the 17 requirement parts towards their Railroading merit badge, because of the limitied seating. The more requirements the scout has signed off, the higher his position on the waiting list. These sessions are meant to help a scout add depth to the learning he has already started. The all-day session begins with a safety briefing at the maintenance yard at Brightside. The morning is spent discussing the various requirements for the merit badge. After lunch, there is a walking tour of the yard to see the equipment, to visit some of the departments that make the railroad and museum work, and to observe some of the jobs that the Scouts have been studying. After the tour, we focus on requirements sign-off. The event lasts about 7 hours.

We will make our best effort to sign-off the requirements of all of the Scouts that visit, but it is still possible that time may run out at Brightside (since trains run on schedules). If this occurs, sign-offs may continue after the train returns to the the Sunol Depot. Otherwise, arrangements may be made to meet with the remaining Scouts on an operating Sunday or at an upcoming troop meeting. Priority for sign-offs at the end of the day will be given to the Scouts who have come from farther away.

Send email to RRMB@ncry.org to:

Meetings with a Railroad Merit Badge counselor may be scheduled for a troop meeting, or at the Sunol Depot during regular NCRy operating Sundays (check the Schedule for operating dates). We also participate in the Mission Peak District's quarterly Merit Badge Extravaganza in Fremont, CA

When a Scout confirms that he is able to participate, he will be sent an information packet, including a Waiver of Liability form that must be signed by the Scout's parent or guardian. The safety of the Scout is of paramount concern, but any railroad operating area can be a dangerous place, and the Scout (and their parents) need to be aware of this and discuss it before they come for the program.

Please email RRMB@ncry.org if you have any questions.

There are currently 120 active merit badges that can be earned by Boy Scouts today, and scouts can find information about all of these on the Internet at the Merit Badge Research Center (MBRC) website, including the Railroading merit badge requirements. The MBRC has worksheets for most of the current merit badges.