Railroad Retirement Board Records at NARA Chicago Close October 13
Archive News · Railroad Retirement Board records
The National Archives has announced that all Railroad Retirement Board records (Record Group 184) at the National Archives at Chicago will close temporarily to prepare for a move to the National Archives at Boston. NARA estimates the closure on October 13, 2026, and availability in Boston on January 15, 2027.
What changed
The move is part of the planned closing of the National Archives at Chicago. Earlier in 2026, NARA also moved Railroad Retirement Board records from Atlanta to Boston. Both dates for the Chicago records are estimates and may shift, so check the Researcher Updates page before you plan a request.
Why it matters for Polish-American research
Polish immigrants and their sons worked in large numbers in railroad yards, shops and track gangs, especially around Chicago, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. If your search involves Railroad Retirement Board material at NARA, expect a gap of about three months while the Chicago records are in transit.
What you can do now
- Send any request for these Chicago records before October 13, 2026, or wait for the reopening in Boston.
- Remember that NARA holds only part of the Board’s records; our guide explains what the Board itself can provide.
- Keep the employee’s full name, dates and any Social Security number together for the request.
Sources and research tools
How we can help
When a change opens a new record for your family, we can fold it into a research project: we order or read the record, compare it with your other documents and follow the trail to the parish in Poland. See the research projects for scope and prices.
