Tom's Train Station — You Just Got to See It

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Museums and Tourist Railroads in North Carolina

Aberdeen RR Museum

Aberdeen Railroad Museum
100 East Main Street
(Corner Main & Sycamore Streets)
PO Box 785
Aberdeen, NC 28315

Phone: (910) 944-5902

Hours: Mon–Fri: 8:00am–5:00pm

The Union Station Railroad Museum in Aberdeen seeks to preserve the Union Station Depot and to preserve and exhibit artifacts and memorabilia collected from the community, the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad Company, and other railroad enterprises that passed through Union Station or operated in the surrounding region.

Built circa 1900, Union Station features Victorian architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum features one of only two inspection cars left in the U.S. A renovated caboose sits on tracks nearby.

Admission is free. Free guided tours are available for groups.

Charlotte Trolley

Charlotte Trolley
Charlotte Trolley Museum
2104 South Boulevard
Charlotte, NC

Phone: (704) 375-0850

Connect to the Trolley's web site: http://www.charlottetrolley.com/.

Chalotte Trolley Car

Charlotte's trolley line runs from the Charlotte Convention Center, along the old Southern RR line (parallel to South Boulevard) to the Atherton Mill shopping center, which is also the location of the maintenance facility and the Charlotte Trolley Museum. The fare is $1.00 each way; accompanied children under 12 are free. Check with the Charlotte Trolley for schedules, and for other special events such as the Wednesday Trolley Crawls.

Trolley car #85, at left, an original car from Charlotte, has been restored and is used for most runs. Since there is no trolley overhead beyond the immediate area of the shop, a Cummins diesel generator rides on a dolly attached to the north end of the car.

A smaller trolley car, #1, has been restored and will shortly operate on the same track. It also will be powered with a diesel generator.

Other trolley cars on hand are Philadelphia (Red Arrow) #13 (restored), Asheville #117 (not restored) and Richmond, VA #407 (cosmetically restored, via Fort Collins, CO).

Directions to the Charlotte Trolley:
From Interstate 77 take Exit 9 to Interstate 277. Take Exit 1 to South Boulevard. Go south on South Boulevard for four stop lights to Tremont. Take the first right after Tremont into a parking lot at the Atherton Mill. The Charlotte Trolley is located at the back of the lot.

ECRM Logo

East Carolina Chapter, N.R.H.S.
New Hope Valley Railway
North Carolina Railroad Museum
PO Box 40
New Hill, NC 27562-0040

Phone: (919) 362-5416

Connect to the NHVR web site: http://www.nhvry.org.

As well as a museum, the New Hope Valley Railroad operates over 6.5 miles of track. Equipment includes several diesel locomotives, a Heisler steam locomotive, several motor cars, and passenger and freight cars.

Some of the restoration projects are still in their early stages. It is not a slick, commercial-looking operation but a gem for preservationists and purists.

Train Ride Days are the first Sunday of each month from May through November. Halloween trains operate the Saturday before Halloween. Christmas trains operate on the first two weekends (both Saturday and Sunday) in December. Trains leave every hour beginning at noon until 4:00pm.

For a $75.00 donation, you can operate a locomotive for 1 hour on the main line track on a non-operating Sunday. Advance reservation required — call the number at the left.

Work sessions are held every Saturday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. There is lots of work to do, and volunteers are welcomed. Skills needed include carpentry, painting, woodworking, welding, mechanical, electrical, heavy equipment operator, graphics, historical research, fund raising, accounting, secretarial, writing and public relations.

Directions from Raleigh: Take US 1 south to exit 89, the Jordan Lake/New Hill exit. Turn right and go 1 mile to New Hill. Turn left and go 2.5 miles south on old US 1. Turn left onto Bonsal Road just before going under the two railroad bridges. Parking is on your right before crossing the railroad tracks.

All Aboard

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
P.O. Box 397
Dillsboro, NC 28725-0397

For information and reservations, call 1-800-872-4681
or
connect to the GSMR web site at http://www.gsmr.com
or
send an email to traininfo@gsmr.com.

Directions to Dillsboro:
From Interstate 40 Exit 27 follow the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway (Highway 74) to Dillsboro.

Frequencies: 461.575 & 463.250 MHz

The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad is now in its eleventh year of providing a full season of over 836 tourist railway round trip excursions. On passenger schedules, the railway operates four diesel-electric locomotives and one Baldwin steam locomotive (No. 1702, ex-US Army). Passengers ride comfortable, reconditioned coaches, crown coaches, club cars, dining cars, cabooses and open cars which are ideal for viewing and picture taking. Scenic excursions take you through a beautiful section of western North Carolina with views of the magnificent Great Smoky Mountains, winding rivers and lakes, and white-water rafting.

The GSMR operates 53 miles of former Southern Railway track and right-of-way between Dillsboro and Andrews, NC. Depots are located in Dillsboro, Bryson City and Andrews, NC. Excursions run from Dillsboro to Bryson City, Bryson City to the Nantahala Gorge and Dillsboro to Andrews.

From April through December the GSMR operates a Twilight Dinner Train — a romantic dining experience (departing from Dillsboro). Dinner includes an appetizer, choice of three entrees, fresh vegetables, salad, dinner rolls, dessert and coffee or tea. Cocktails and wine are available. Advance reservations required.

Special excursions include Murder Mystery trains, the Santa Express, Cottontail Express, Dogwood Special and Raft 'n Rail.

Over the last several years the GSMR has played a part in several motion pictures: "The Fugitive," starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones; "My Fellow Americans," starring Jack Lemmon, James Garner and Dan Aykroyd; "Digging to China," with Kevin Bacon; "Paradise Falls," with Sean Bridges and Nick Searcy; and "Forces of Nature," with Sandra Bullock and Ben Afleck. Steam Locomotive 1702 starred in the movie: "This Property is Condemned," with Robert Redford, Natalie Wood and Charles Bronson.

National Railroad Museum and Hall of Fame (Seaboard Museum) 2 Main Street Hamlet, NC	The museum, the National Railroad Museum and Hall of Fame, occupies a portion of the old (1900) passenger station at the diamond. There is a Seaboard SDP35 (#1114) and a caboose. In the station are nicely done exhibits and a gift shop. There is plenty of modern action outside -- the largest CSX yard in North Carolina is nearby, and nearly all the traffic passes within sight of the museum.
Visiting hours are Saturday, 10am - 5pm and Sunday, 1pm - 5pm. Free.

NC Transportation Museum

NC Transportation Museum
Southern Railway Spencer Shops
411 S. Salisbury Avenue
(Exit 79 on Interstate 85)
PO Box 165
Spencer, NC 28159

Phone: 1-877-628-6386
Phone: (704) 636-2889
Fax: (704) 639-1881

Connect to the museum's web site at: http://nctrans.org

Directions: After exiting Interstate 85 at Exit 79, there are several signs directing you to the museum. Exit 79 is about 40 miles north of Charlotte and 50 miles south of Greensboro.

While this state-owned museum attempts to cover all forms of transportation relevant to NC, railroads are the primary focus. The site was a Southern Railway heavy maintenance shop for much of this century, located halfway between Washington and Atlanta.

The roundhouse is the largest surviving roundhouse in the south, and enables the proper display of much rail equipment, including a Shay (Graham County #1925), Seaboard 2-10-0, ACL 4-6-0, SR 2-8-0 #604 (ex BC&G #4), SR GP30 #2601, N&W GP9, ACL E3 #501, SR FP7 #6133 and SR E8 #6900. Some of these locomotives pull a weekend train on a 3 mile trip around the 57-acre grounds. Check the museum's web-site or call for train ride schedules.

The restoration job done on the roundhouse and passenger station, and the working equipment, is first class. This museum is among the finest. Definitely worth a day trip if your are within 200 miles.

Hours are 9 -5, Mondays - Saturdays and 1 - 5 Sundays, April 1 - October 31. Hours are reduced and the museum is closed Mondays during winter. Admission is free.

Tweetsie Railroad

Tweetsie Railroad
P.O. Box 388
Blowing Rock, NC 28605

Phone: (828) 264-9061
Toll Free: 1-800-526-5740

Connect to the Tweetsie web site: http://www.tweetsie-railroad.com

Email to the Tweetsie at: info@tweetsie-railroad.com.

Located on Highway 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock, NC.

Off the Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 291 at the Boone exit.

The Tweetsie Railroad is North Carolina's first theme park, and offers a trip back into the days of the Old West. Hop aboard the train for an unforgettable three-mile journey through the scenic mountains . . . but watch out for train robbers and marauding Indians! There are also amusement rides for all ages and live entertainment throughout the park, including the musical show and Can-Can girls at the Palace Saloon. Walk down Main Street, and chat with the cowpokes and gunslingers. Ride the chair lift to Miner's Mountain, where you can pan for gold and stroll through the Deer Park.

There is a special Halloween Festival and Ghost Train in October.

The railroad operates two steam locomotives. 4-6-0 Engine No. 12 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1917 for the original ET&WNC railroad. 2-8-2 Engine No. 190, the "Yukon Queen" was purchased in 1960, brought to the Tweetsie Railroad from Alaska and restored for operation. An authentic ET&WNC wooden coach remains and runs regularly, usually on the rear of the train.

Wilmington Railroad Museum
501 Nutt Street
(Red Cross and Water Streets)
Wilmington, NC 28401

Phone: (910) 763-2634

Hours
Monday-Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 1 - 5pm
Call for Winter hours

Connect to the museum's web-site: http://www.wilm.org/railroad/

Located in part of an old ACL warehouse complex, now mostly shops, close to the Cape Fear River front. The local model RR club has HO and O scale layouts upstairs. There are a variety of exhibits that include folklore, ghost stories, railroad advertising, railroad police, railroad accidents and disasters, and various equipment and gear used by railroad workers. Outside are various items of rolling stock (RF&P boxcar and 2 cabooses) and a steam locomotive (ACL 4-6-0 #250).

Hours are 10:00am - 5:00pm Monday through Saturday and 1:00pm - 5:00pm on Sundays.

Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for senior citizens and military, $1.50 for children 3-12, free for children under 3.

YVNRHS Logo

Yadkin Valley Chapter, N.R.H.S.
North Wilkesboro, NC 27562

Phone: (336) 838-2754

The Yadkin Valley chapter of the N.R.H.S. was chartered in November, 1995. Its goal is to preserve the rail history of Wilkes and surrounding counties, and to have fun. The Chapter will occupy what is currently the Wilkes Art Gallery later in 2001, under a long term lease, and will begin construction of a large HO scale layout.

The Chapter meets the second Thursday of each month at 7:30pm at the Wilkes Art Gallery. Some months the Chapter meets elsewhere so check before attending.

The Chapter sponsors two steam excursions each year from Dillsboro to Andrews on the Great Smoky Mountains Railway.

Connect to the Yadkin Valley Web-Site: http://yadkinvalleynrhs.com.

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North Carolina Sponsored Passenger Trains

NC Passenger Trains The State of North Carolina is served daily by twelve passenger trains along six routes. Two of the routes — the Piedmont and the Carolinian — are sponsored by the state. Four other Amtrak national system long-distance trains also serve the state — Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Silver Palm, Crescent. All trains are operated by Amtrak. Click here for Amtrak reservations.

Click here for more information about traveling by train in North Carolina.

The Carolinian Trains 79, 80

The Carolinian provides daily service between Charlotte and New York City with stops at Kannapolis, Salisbury, High Point, Greensboro, Burlington, Durham, Cary, Raleigh, Selma, Wilson and Rocky Mount in North Carolina, Richmond, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Meals, snacks and beverages are available, as is Business Class and Railfone service. Checked baggage and bicycles are handled at staffed stations.

Volunteer train hosts serve daily on the Carolinian between Charlotte and Rocky Mount assisting passengers and providing information about rail passenger service and points of interest in North Carolina.

Click here for schedules and a train diagram. Train 79 is southbound and Train 80 is northbound.

The Carolinian connects with the Amtrak Silver Palm (Trains 89/90) to and from Florida at either Wilson or Rocky Mount, NC. At Greensboro a connector service is provided for passengers traveling to/from Winston-Salem.

The Piedmont Trains 73, 74

The Piedmont provides daily round-trip service between Raleigh and Charlotte with stops in Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury and Kannapolis.

Meals, snacks and beverages are available in the food service car. Electric outlets are available for computer hookups.

Volunteer train hosts serve daily on the Piedmont between Raleigh and Charlotte assisting passengers and providing information about rail passenger service and points of interest in North Carolina.

Click here for schedules and a train diagram. Train 73 is southbound and Train 74 is northbound.

The Piedmont connects with the Amtrak Silver Star (Trains 73/74) to and from Florida at Raleigh.

NC Department of Transportation, Rail Services Division

The NCDOT Rail Division's mission is "to preserve and improve the state's rail system, promote railroad safety and encourage increased use of rail by both shippers and passengers." Visit the NCDOT Rail Division's web site at http://www.bytrain.org for information on Passenger Trains, High Speed Rail, Safety Programs, Industrial Access and Corridor Preservation. There are also numerous links to other railroad web sites of interest.

Maps courtesy of NC Department of Transportation, Rail Division

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Model and Prototype Railroad Organizations

For more information on the organizations and companies listed below, click on the icon to connect to their web site.

National Model Railroad Association
The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) is the largest organization devoted to the development, promotion, and enjoyment of the hobby of model railroading. The NMRA was founded in 1935 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in order to provide a service to the hobby of model railroading! One of the main functions of the NMRA is the setting of standards which are followed by model railroad manufacturers to ensure their products work together. Another function is the Achievement Program where members can demonstrate their modeling skills in several different areas related to model railroading to earn awards, and eventually the title of Master Model Railroader.

The NMRA is organized into Regions, which in turn are subdivided into Divisions. The NMRA presence in the Triangle area is the Carolina Piedmont Division 13 of the Mid-Eastern Region (see club listing above). The NMRA sponsors a national convention each year, while the Regions sponsor conventions at the local level.

NTRAK Modular Railroading
NTRAK is an informal organization run by volunteers; its purpose and objective is to encourage model railroading in N scale. NTRAK modules, constructed to common standards, are used to build large display layouts as well as home and club layouts. Modelers from all over the world can build modules, bring them to a show, connect their module with modules brought by other modelers and by doing so a giant N scale layout is soon constructed. NTRAK layouts combine beautifully detailed modules, with long trains running on the two main lines. A third track, the branch line is used for picking up and setting out cars at the many industries along the way.

Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver is a national, non-profit education and awareness program dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights of way. To accomplish its mission, Operation Lifesaver promotes 3 Es:

Education: Operation Lifesaver strives to increase public awareness about the dangers around the rails. The program seeks to educate both drivers and pedestrians to make safe decisions at crossings and around railroad tracks.

Enforcement: Operation Lifesaver promotes active enforcement of traffic laws relating to crossing signs and signals and private property laws related to trespassing.

Engineering: Operation Lifesaver encourages continued engineering research and innovation to improve the safety of railroad crossings.

World's Greatest Hobby
The "World's Greatest Hobby" campaign was launched September 1, 2001 to raise public awareness of the hobby of model railroading and to make it easy for newcomers to get started. This is a program that has the backing of the Model Railroad Industry Association with funding provided by several companies supplying products to the hobby. However, the heart of the program is volunteerism. Hobbyists themselves are provided with the tools needed to make presentations and conduct workshops for beginners. Individuals, clubs and hobby shops are closely involved with the campaign — to attract newcomers to the hobby of model railroading and provide advice and assistance as they learn about the hobby and begin their own layout or module.

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