CSXJOE has Moved to the RTP Area of North Carolina

Joe,

Congrats on retirement and good luck with your move.

I recall your D-190 display layout well. One of the best examples of a recreation of the classic Lionel Dealer Displays I have seen.

Best wishes for retirement.  Hope all goes well in your train land.

I live in South Carolina, about 2 hours or so away from Raleigh, but we have friends there so we visit often. It's a great place to visit and live. I golf, and there is some excellent golfing up that way, and nearby as well (Pinehurst is 70 miles away). Enjoy your retirement!

The high water table around here makes basements virtually an impossibility in the coastal areas ... hope your crawlspace has a vapor barrier!

My wife want's to move to Tennessee.  The lack of basements will be the deal breaker.   I can't blame you for moving out of High tax, freedom hating Northeast.   I want out of of Mass big time.

Good luck, send pics of what ever you decide to build.

I will be in Catawba, NC on and off till the wife gives ok for final move.  Would love to get together and kick around some ideas for a layout sometime.  Art

Congratulations Joe!!  I wish you well in your move and getting a layout back up and running!!!

I live just south of Raleigh,  A great place to live.  I moved here from Ohio about 23 years ago.  Yes Tom's in Cary closed, Todd in Wendell also closed.  Nick's is still open in Raleigh.  The Choo Choo shop across the street from the Transportation Museum in Spencer, The Train Loft in Winston Salem and Lionel in Concord, NC.  Those are the shops that I know of.  There may be others that I have not heard of or visited.  DO not know when you will be in NC, but the Neuse River Trains - Train & Railroadiana Show & Sale 
Model railroad show and sale sponsored by Neuse River Valley Model Railroad Club, a non-profit educational organization chartered to promote the hobby of model railroading. Several operating layouts on display with many vendors selling train related merchandise. Great fun for kids of ALL ages! Come see us in our expanded building beside the Exposition Center. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday Admission: $8 covers for age 12 and older - free admission to age 11 and under when accompanied by adult. $1 discount coupon available with Club Flyer or New & Observer coupon, or click on our website. Call or email George Lasley, 919-834-5531, for more information. www.nrvclub.net

Congrats and good luck on the pending retirement Joe.

We looked around the Carolina's (Raleigh/ Durham), and Georgia (Atlanta area), years ago before deciding to stay on Long Island. The homes were unbelievable compared to what we could afford here at the time. Many had walk out basements maybe you will get lucky.

With more and more northerners moving south I'm sure you will find plenty of train guys and gals to commiserate with. Lord knows we all want to get out of NY, NJ, Mass just as fast as possible.

Bob

superwarp1 posted:

My wife want's to move to Tennessee.  The lack of basements will be the deal breaker. 

I've been to some really nice basement layouts in TN around Knoxville.  There is a lot of model railroading in that area.

Big Ken:

Thanks for the heads up on the show.  By pure serendipity we will be down in NC that weekend.  Definitely plan to  attend the show.

Deuce:

The house is built on a hill, been there during some nasty rainstorms, still nice and dry.

What's an "RTP"?

D500:

Research Triangle Park.  Area consisting of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill NC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_Triangle

Good luck, keep the forum updated.  My last day at work is June 29th.  Traveling to coastal Virginia first to see if this is a place to settle.  With one son in San Diego and the other serving the whims of Mother Army, we have no real place to chose yet.  I can't wait to leave the peoples republic of NJ behind. 

Moved back to  central  Pa. from Raleigh and glad that I did.  Lots of Jersey, Yorkers , Ohioans and West By god virgians around but few trains. Good luck.

Welcome to North Carolina Joe . I'm in Greensboro about 60 miles from Raleigh. I trashed a layout and left NJ in 1978. (worked in "downeck"/Newark, then Manhattan and lived in Elizabeth and Morristown). Now retired from O Gauging due to old age and health issues but still following the skills and builds on this great Forum.  

We had a modular club here in the Piedmont Triad area  of central N.C. under good leadership. But it was unable to sustain an adequate number of working and contributing members after a few years.  

Good luck on your move and here’s to a long and active retirement! 

It’s funny how some people hate Massachusetts—there are many, many beautiful places in the state where I would like to live if I could afford it. My family history goes back to the 1630’s in the state and there are a bunch of them who still call it home.

Jeff C

Joe,

Who is going to harass me at the local Brick and Toms River shows when you finally move? Lol! Our original club member is moving away leaving Bud as the longest standing club member now. 

I know we will see you around Jackson before you move.

Ted

Congrats Joe. Enjoy yourself.

Welcome to the area Joe.  I live about 25 miles east of Raleigh.  Other than the NRVMRR club, I am not aware of any clubs that operated O trains.  There are several active N, HO and S groups.  There are several of us in the area who visit each other layouts from time to time but not on any schedule.

If you make it to the Train show in Raleigh on May 5 at the NC Fair Grounds, I will be set up in the second row to the right.  Please stop by and introduce yourself.

Don

Met Joe at one of the Brick shows too long ago to admit to and introduced me to the OCSMR.  Club was HO oriented but there were a "few" into 3-rail O (one of the members was into 2-rail O).  That association with Joe and the "club" pushed me over the edge into a downward spiral of 3-rail O.  First time Joe visited my layout, I mentioned that every train I owned was on the layout.  Since that time, acquisitions slowly but rapidly piled up to where everything was still on my layout but soon the layout could not be seen or gotten to because of those acquisitions.  Even the rest of the basement succumbed to where there is little room remaining.  Thanks Joe.

Both you and Terri enjoy your retirement.

Joe, Welcome to Raleigh! As Don said above we are having our first spring show this Saturday May 5, Scott building on fairgrounds. Our big fall show is in November. 

The Neuse River Valley club is always looking for new folks so come visit.

Nicks Trains is the best shop in the area now. He has a good variety in all scales. He is adding new stuff all the time. I work there part time so come by and introduce yourself.

George Lasley

919-757-4503

I've visited Nick's Trains in Raleigh a couple of times.  It's packed tightly and not super organized.  I enjoy a good scavenger hunt, so it's fun trip for me.  You'll find postwar, a bit of standard gauge, and some modern stuff.  It isn't well stocked with recent catalog offerings.

Congrats on reaching retirement, and enjoy!

Envious of your move south. We're thinking of moving from Baltimore to the NMB, SC area in a year and a half. Lack of train shops, leaving old friends, MLB, and the kids behind are all drawbacks, but a friendlier weather environment and more of foldable living are a big draw. Just need a house with room for one final layout.

The best thing about Nick's was I could find some good  train magazines there.  I would find an O gauge engine and he would tell me it wasn't for sale. Finally had some rebuilds in boxes at high prices.  I think some aspects of living in the Raleigh area are  over rated and don't compensate for the negatives. I like real trains and they are scarce-AMTRAK doesn't count. The few train shows are small and not often.  I don't think it is much cheaper than  Pa but  probably is compared to NJ and NY.  One thing I really resented were the various businesses that are rip offs such as car repair and eye glasses.  I met some nice people, most from the north, few locals around. A lot of chain  restaurants but few good ones. Winston's was the best in the Raleigh area that I found.  A little expensive but the sandwiches were a whole meal and affordable. Classy place. I miss that. The traffic is crazy fast & wild. Not fun.  Hope it works out for you.

Jim P.  This little girl trumps all the negatives.

Congrats!! And enjoy !!

Alex 

Good luck Joe,,, I am a northerner to from westchester county  NY of high taxes and Putnam county NY, In 2012 my wife and son and I sold the house and got out!!! and move to “South Charlotte NC right out side of  South Carolina fortmill area “and never looked back love it here!!!!....... It has it all in the Carolinas. If you like the great out doors!!! If you like motorcycling!! If like hot rods, classic cars,,real trains, toytrains,, airplanes, the beaches the mountains this is the spot to be and the Carolina blue skies!! where shorts all year long LOL...... I also have a nice collection of CSX hehe,,,,,,haha and some.. May12th NC transportation  museum is having a toy train show 

Congrats on soon to be retiring Joe. NC will grow on you and sure you will find something, if not you can always make a trip or order from whomever you find I would think. I don't know if you like pecans or when they come in season down there, I just know my late uncle would bring back a ton when he came up to NJ for a spell. They got some great strawberries down there as well.

Hi Joe, I want to wish my sincere congratulations on your move. I will always have a soft spot for the OCSMRR's.

The Carolinas are nice, I lived outside Charlotte (Matthews) for seven  years. However I LOVE living in Rhode Island. Many great places in this big old country of ours for each and every one of us.

Paul

As many have already posted I, too, am envious of your move North Carolina.  Also, like several posters I reside in the "Garden State" as well and have never been comfortable here.  I would love to get out and be able to thoroughly enjoy my retirement but alas there are other factors to consider so its not going to happen.  South Jersey and Philadelphia use to have a bevy of hobby shops which helped take the sting out of living here but now they are gone as well.  I think you will absolutely love North Carolina because it has so much to offer both environmentally and culturally.   Make sure you get over to the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.   The vistas are worth the trip.   

 

"What's an "RTP"?"

"Research Triangle Park.  Area consisting of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill NC."

I don't know of anybody that has ever referred to the Raleigh - Durham area as "RTP" and I have friends there.

I've heard the term--a friend moved there for a tech job and he used the term. He and his wife like it there, but once he retires the plan is to live in Northern Michigan in the summer and winter down there. Another snowbird is born...

Jeff C

Wishing you guys many happy years there!

What a beautiful little girl!

Lee Willis lives in that area of North Carolina.

If my kids lived elsewhere, I'd also be eager to follow them in retirement. Hopefully not south, though .... I'm a cold weather dog. But, looks like I'm going to die here in NJ.

I live in the hills of the northwestern part of the state, so I'm pretty happy here. I'm just taxed to death.

You're going to miss out on Taylor Ham/French Toast ice cream, though! 

Jim

EBT JIM

Yes, I know Lee Willis and have been to his home a few times.  He is looking forward to us moving down permanently.

We have been stocking up the freezer in NC with Taylor ham.  Also the bagels and pizza are to put it mildly, lacking in taste.  My wife, being Italian, brings a bottle of Jersey water with her to make pizza.  She claims the water is the problem.

CSXJOE,  if your have room, you can built a garage like I did, I had to do something since I had a basement in Ohio.  Trains are upstairs.  If I ever get enough funds together I will finish it inside.  Right now it is an 8' x 8' layout.  I hate to do more until I get the garage finished.

Research Triangle Park is located between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. It has its own city limits, post office, zip code, etc. It was developed in the late 50’s-early 60’s to provide space for many companies to have an R&D center. Manufacturing was not allowed except for IBM. That was to entice IBM to relocate here. Three great universities are near by, NC State, Duke and the University of North Carolina. Lots of good basketball as well.

Joe, When you get here I will introduce you to eastern North Carolina BBQ. It comes in many variations. In this state BBQ is a noun, not a verb.

I will also be glad to give you the railfans tour of the area.

George Lasley

My wife is talking about us moving to Carolina.  Trouble is it's getting so darn expensive with all you Yankees retiring down South.   

CSX here is a photo of a layout in North Carolina. Its on the second floor in a Bonus room  11x 30 , carpeted and airconditioned. And the CSX runs through oitr town, Waxhaw, former seaboard main to Atlanta. 

Joe,

Welcome! We moved from the DC area (Northern VA) to Greensboro fourteen years ago and haven’t looked back. I don’t miss the traffic, the winter weather and the cost of living that comes with living “up North”.

As others have said their are few train shops down here but there are enough shows/meets to keep the interest alive. TCA, Nuse River Valley RR Club have meets. Plus there are meets in Hickory, Mebane, Asheville, Spencer and Charlotte. And of course the Lionel open house in November. 

Without a basements down here you really have to be a little creative to get a O Gauge layout into a spare bedroom or bonus room but it can be done. I know, because that’s how I built my layout. Plus I see you have a little helper to assist with the construction. That’s great! Our grandkids still live in NVA. A five hour drive  from Greensboro. Not too bad. 

I’m not able attend Saturday’s meet due to a wedding up in PA plus my grandsons birthday is on Sunday. So I hope to get a chance to meet you at one of the meets.

Dave