American Railroad Association (ARA)

Industry Organizations
Predecessor trade organization to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

History:

  • 1872: Time Conventions formed
  • 1875: Renamed to General Time Convention
    • 1883: Established the system of standard time
  • 1892: Renamed to American Railway Association (ARA)
  • 1917: Two days after entering World War I, the US Government seized control of American railroads.
  • 1919: At the direction of the Director General Railroads of US Railroad Administration on 1/10/1919, the American Railway Association was renamed to American Railroad Association and absorbed several other organizations, including[1]:
    • Section I - Operating
      • Association of Railway Telegraph Superintendents[3]
    • Section II - Engineering
    • Section III - Mechanical
      • American Railway Master Mechanics' Association (1868-1918)
      • Master Car Builders' Association (1867-1918)
    • Section V - Transportation
    • Section IV - Traffic
      • The Freight Claim Association
    • Section VI - Purchases and Stores
    • Section VII - Freight Claims (formed 7/31/1919)[4]
  • 1920: American Association of Freight Agents (1888-1920) became part of the  the American Railroad Association
  • 1934: American Railroad Association merged with several other trade groups to become the Association of American Railroads (AAR) on 10/12/1934, including[2]:
    • Association of Railway Executives
    • Bureau of Railway Economics
    • Railway Treasury Officers Association
    • Railway Accounting Officers Association (1888-1934)
    • Bureau for the Safe Transportation of Explosives and other Dangerous Articles (1906-1934)
    • Association of Railroad Telegraph Superintendents (1882-?)
    • American Chief Special Agents and Chiefs of Police Association (1919-?
  • 1939: Railway Fire Protection Association became part of the Association of American Railroads