irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $19KConvention England: Group trip to study and visit electric railway operations. light rail and tram operations, electric trolley bus operations and tramway and railroad museums
- #2 $32KPub Sales Brooklyn Vol 3. approximately 81 books sold (68 to book dealers and 13 to members) and approximately 700 books distributed to members as part of their 2025 membership
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Annual Convention
Domestic conventions featuring transit system tours, historic operations visits, shop tours, and briefings with transit executives, such as the 2024 Edmonton-Calgary convention and planned 2025 Kansas City–St. Louis event.
ERA Bulletin
Monthly bulletin reporting on current events and historical studies in electric railway systems, distributed in print and digital formats to members.
ERA-TV
YouTube channel hosting recordings of live Zoom presentations and educational content, expanding access to meetings and lectures globally.
Headlights Magazine
Annual or semi-annual publication focused on electric railway history and operations, produced in-house with content contributions from members and associates.
International Inspection Trips
Biennial international tours to study electric railway operations abroad, such as recent trips to Spain, Japan, Poland, and planned tours to Scotland, Northern England, and the Isle of Man.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
-
Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 2 activities
- Produce and distribute publications on electric railway historyProduces and distributes the monthly ERA Bulletin and annual or semi-annual Headlights magazine, publishes and sells reference books such as the Elevated Railways series, and improves quality and timeliness of materials under editorial leadership.
- Provide digital and physical membership cardsIssues digital and printable membership cards, including high-resolution downloadable versions from 2016 to 2023, and released a 2023 card featuring a photograph from a 1990 article on East German Traction.
-
-
Transportation Policy Advocacy & Infrastructure Reform 1 activity
- Advocate for rail transit improvements and expansionsEngages in advocacy efforts including pushing for the electrification of the Montclair Connection, extending the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, planning weekend service on the Montclair-Boonton Line, and addressing deficiencies in the ARC tunnel through public presentations and collaboration with passenger associations.
-
-
Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
- Digitize and archive historical materials for public accessDigitizes and posts historical issues of the Bulletin, Electric Railroads, and Headlights as downloadable PDFs; uploads Zoom presentations to ERA-TV on YouTube to preserve and share historical and educational content.
-
-
Professional Networking Events 1 activity
- Organize regional, national, and international tours and conventionsHosts biennial international tours and conventions, such as the 2024 Edmonton-Calgary event and the 2018 co-organized convention, featuring transit system tours, historic operations, shop visits, and executive briefings; also organizes regional trips and inspection visits to electric railway facilities and museums.
-
-
Uncategorized 2 activities
- Conduct historical research on electric railwaysProduces in-depth historical documentation and research to support publications such as The Elevated Railways of Manhattan and Brooklyn, and authors feature articles on the development and conversion of light rail systems.
- Host monthly and annual meetings with educational presentationsOrganizes monthly and annual in-person and live Zoom meetings featuring presentations on electric railway history and current events for members and global presenters; records and archives most meetings for member access.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$206K
Contributions & grants$63K31%
Program service revenue$129K63%
Investment income$5K2%
Other revenue$9K
expenses
Total expenses$130K
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$367K
Cash$318K
Investments$0
Liabilities$43K
Net assets$324K
Liquid reserves29.5 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -8.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
board members · 7
- Andrew Ludasi — Director
- Jeffrey Erlitz — First Vice President
- Michael Glikin — Treasurer
- Robert Colorafi — Third Vice President
- Robert Newhouser — President
- Subutay Musluoglu — Second Vice President
- Yury Maller — Membership Secretary
relationships · 14
Who they work with
- Bob Newhouser Partner — Participated in ERA tours, conventions, and events with John Pappas.
- Eric Oszustowicz Partner — Contributed personal recollections and photographs for the ERA's obituary of Bernard Linder.
- LRTA Partner — Long-term subscription partnership enabling ERA members to receive reduced-price digital subscriptions to Tramways & Urban Transit and Tramway Review.
- Lexington Group in Transportation History Network — Phil Craig was a member of this prestigious professional group focused on transportation history.
- Light Rail Transit Association Network — Phil Craig was a member of this UK-based professional association focused on light rail systems.
- Metro-North Partner — Collaborated with ERA to operate fan trips over Metro-North territory.
- Metropolitan New York Bus Association Partner — Co-founded and organized trips through the Metropolitan New York Bus Association, which collaborates with the Electric Railroaders Association.
- Michael Glikin Partner — Co-organized ERA events and participated in tours and conventions together.
- N.Y. Division of the ERA Network — Ray Berger served on the board of the N.Y. Division of the Electric Railroaders Association.
- New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers Partner — Phil Craig served as vice-president and contributed to multiple transit advocacy initiatives through this organization.
- New York City Transit Authority Partner — Employer of James Mattina, where he held various positions including in Maintenance of Way.
- North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society Network — Phil Craig was a member of this regional historical society dedicated to electric railway preservation.
- Sandy Campbell Partner — Collaborated on the “Rails to Rubber to Rail” series and other Headlights magazine content.
- Sasha Ivanoff Partner — Co-organized the 2018 ERA convention and collaborated on association activities.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Education Through Member Engagementmethodology: education-through-engagementBy combining expert-led meetings, domestic and international study trips, and regular publications, the organization advances public and member knowledge of electric railways because immersive, experience-based learning reinforces technical understanding and historical context.
- Immersive Documentation and Firsthand Experiencemethodology: immersive_documentationBy organizing railfan excursions that emphasize firsthand observation and detailed visual and narrative recording, the organization preserves the history and operation of electric rail systems because direct engagement produces richer, more accurate documentation than secondary sources.
- Institutional Knowledge Preservationmethodology: institutional-knowledge-preservationBy systematically documenting and stewarding historical records and specialized libraries like the Sprague Library, the organization ensures long-term continuity of expertise on electric rail systems because structured archival practices enable reliable knowledge transfer across generations.