I spent half a day yesterday at the Gettysburg battlefield (half an hour away) and there is nothing to compare to that plus a RR track and a nice train shop.
Congratulations on your retirement.
My wife and I considered relocating to NC several years ago. We have had a home at the beach in the OBX for the past 18 years. At the time we purchased a lot in a gated residential community with the intention of building a new home.
We decided against the move because unlike PA all of our retirement income except Social Security would be taxed. PA does not tax any retirement income.
So, we sold the lot and just plan to spend extended time at our beach home but still rent it during the prime season. So we will have the best of both worlds.
Situations are different depending on where you currently live. NJ and other states have very high taxes making a decision to move south a wise one.
DGJONES:
Yes, I am planning on attending the show, arriving 9:30 to 10:00. Can you be more specific as to your table location?
I will be wearing my old club blue shirt with CSXJOE embroidered on it.
NCDAVE:
No bonus room but the garage is finished, carpeted, A/C'd, and heated.
CSXJOE posted:Some time this Spring/Summer we will be retiring and moving
to our house in the RTP area of NC leaving wonderful NJ
. The trains have already been moved, leaving me with nothing to model with in NJ.
The dis-advantage is that NJ is train hobby friendly while central NC seems to have a limited selection of hobby stores and train clubs.
Our son has been in NC for 10 years so we have made multiple trips to visit his family over the years. During that time, Toms Train Store in Raleigh, a great store when it was in business, has closed. Also, been to Spencer. Any other stores nearby?
The only large club seems to be in Raleigh, the Neuse River RR club. Anyone on the forum belong?
One layout from our old house, the D-190 display replica has been moved and an additional new layout will be built. (the 1957 catalog layout)
Basements are rare in the south but fortunately we have a standup crawl space. I'm 6' 3" and still have headroom. There is a dirt floor, so not sure what to do other than storage. For now, the layouts will be in the garage which heated and air-conditioned. Possibly, might build an outdoor layout on the existing concrete slab under the covered deck using Atlas O nickle silver track.
When we finally move down, I would like to contact some of you local guys and maybe start a round-robin type of group. That is how the Ocean County Society of Model RR started. I was one of the four original members.
See Y'all in the future.
Go Tarheels ! (Daughter-in-law works for UNC)
Since your moving to N.C. you need to become NorfolksouthernJoe
CSXJOE posted:DGJONES:
Yes, I am planning on attending the show, arriving 9:30 to 10:00. Can you be more specific as to your table location?
I will be wearing my old club blue shirt with CSXJOE embroidered on it.
NCDAVE:
No bonus room but the garage is finished, carpeted, A/C'd, and heated.
Joe: When you come into the exhibit area, there will be a center isle directly in front of you with rows of tables set up going left and right. I will be set up on the back side of the first row of tables to your right (it will be the first right with tables set up on both sides of isle). I will be manning four tables there.
I look forward to meeting you.
Happy railroading,
Don
Joe, look for the Hat--you will find Don under it
.
Every day CSX runs a local from Raleigh north through Wake Forest and Youngsville north.
CSXJOE posted:DGJONES:
Yes, I am planning on attending the show, arriving 9:30 to 10:00. Can you be more specific as to your table location?
I will be wearing my old club blue shirt with CSXJOE embroidered on it.
NCDAVE:
No bonus room but the garage is finished, carpeted, A/C'd, and heated.
Joe,
That sounds like a great area. You should be able to build great layout in there.
Dave
Welcome to NC and the Raleigh area Joe!
As a former Buckeye, this place has taken some getting used to. Been here almost 18 years. One thing you have to get used to in winter when it snows, or there is a threat of snow everything closes and you have to go to the store and buy bread and milk. There are very few plows so you can't get out on the road easily if there is a lot of snow (lot of snow defined here as 1" to 8"). But that's okay as where you want to go is probably closed and the stores are out of milk and bread.
We live just south of Raleigh, near Fuquay-Varina (careful how you say that!). Norfolk Southern runs through there.
I used to go to a big train store in Wilson (east of here), but haven't been there in a few years since going over to the tinplate side.
https://www.theantiquebarn.net/
The Antique Barn in Wilson closed it's doors 12-31-17.
Bobby's Hobbies in Gibsonville closed its doors 4-14-18.
Move west of Winston/Salem N.C. basements are everywhere.
HandyAndy, I am right down the road from you at 42 & 50 near the Lowes Foods. I am planning on going to the show on Saturday. Probably leave here with a friend about 10:00 or 11:00 after taking the wife to Angies in Garner for breakfast. I will be wearing a Smokey Mountains RR hat.
Billy, Envy you going to that show. I saw it advertised a couple of weeks ago when I was in Spencer at the RR museum for a RR degree that the Spencer lodge sponsored. Unfortunately, I also am a singer. I sing in a church choir and also with the Johnston County Chorale. The JCC has their spring show on May 12 at the Clayton Center at 3:00. Since Spencer is a 2 and a half hour drive, I will have to pass on this one. Also check out the Choo Choo Hobby shop across from the museum. He has a lot of things in there. I moved here from Ohio 23 years ago.
Big Ken posted:HandyAndy, I am right down the road from you at 42 & 50 near the Lowes Foods. I am planning on going to the show on Saturday. Probably leave here with a friend about 10:00 or 11:00 after taking the wife to Angies in Garner for breakfast. I will be wearing a Smokey Mountains RR hat.
Big Ken,
I won't be going to this show. Kinda caught me off guard and I already have plans for this weekend.
Hey Joe, I am doing the same as you. Leaving Jersey and going to Winterville , N.C. I plan to do the Nuese river club show in Nov. and the SETCA show in Dec. I am only one and a half hour drive from Raleigh. Hopefully we will run into each other down the road! Mike
Went to the Neuse River Club show on Saturday. The club had a sign welcoming OGR forum members to the show. Talked to a few club members along with a hat-less DGJones, hatted Lee Willis and some other forum members who's names escapes me. Picked up a needed NOS operating horse car from DGJones at a good price.
All in all, a worthwhile visit.
Will be back down Memorial Day weekend.
handyandy posted:Welcome to NC and the Raleigh area Joe!
As a former Buckeye, this place has taken some getting used to. Been here almost 18 years. One thing you have to get used to in winter when it snows, or there is a threat of snow everything closes and you have to go to the store and buy bread and milk. There are very few plows so you can't get out on the road easily if there is a lot of snow (lot of snow defined here as 1" to 8"). But that's okay as where you want to go is probably closed and the stores are out of milk and bread.
Actually you don't. Nine times out of ten, you just wait until noon for when the snow melts.
You forgot the eggs, how else can you make French toast.
Also, being retired, who cares about snow.
My wife and I lived in Charlotte, NC from 1993-2002, while she was then employed with Bank of America as an IT project manager. Their CEO, Hugh McColl, was an O gauge modeler and I got to chat with him on several occasions regarding our mutual hobby. He actually rented an apartment in my Fourth Ward neighborhood for the sole purpose of building a layout for him and his grandson. We both shopped at the Charlotte Electric Train Center (long gone!), a great shop on South Blvd, but we moved back to Nashville before I had a chance to follow up with his project. The state income tax is a PIA! The Little Choo Choo Shop in Spencer is a very nice shop with a great book department.
Permanently here as of June.
Good to hear Joe. Hopefully you're in high ground areas. My aunt was telling me when she was up in July how when they had flooding she couldn't get around because all roads around her led to bridges which had structural damage. She is in a good place regardless of that as her daughter lives not to far away and when bad storms come, she'll hijack her mom.
Dave NYC,
Thanks for the concern.
There is a creek in our backyard but it is 75 feet from the house and 30 feet below the banks.
According to the neighbors hurricane Florence rain water only went up to banks.
Welcome to NC Joe! Nuese river valley rr club show in Nov, and SETCA TCA show in Dec, both in Raleigh. In March there is the Carolina Coastal show in New Bern. A lovely town by the way! I downsized in my move and my train room is the master bedroom! No basement, no wife either! Works for me! Good luck!
Hi Joe:
I hope you are feeling settled in here in North Carolina. I looked for your email in your profile but came up empty handed.
I am planning a run session at my house for Saturday, October 5 and was hoping you might join us. If you see this, please contact me using the email listed in my profile and let me know.
Happy railroading,
Don
CSXJOE posted:Some time this Spring/Summer we will be retiring and moving
The dis-advantage is that NJ is train hobby friendly while central NC seems to have a limited selection of hobby stores and train clubs.
Our son has been in NC for 10 years so we have made multiple trips to visit his family over the years. During that time, Toms Train Store in Raleigh, a great store when it was in business, has closed. Also, been to Spencer. Any other stores nearby?
The only large club seems to be in Raleigh, the Neuse River RR club. Anyone on the forum belong?
One layout from our old house, the D-190 display replica has been moved and an additional new layout will be built. (the 1957 catalog layout)
Basements are rare in the south but fortunately we have a standup crawl space. I'm 6' 3" and still have headroom. There is a dirt floor, so not sure what to do other than storage. For now, the layouts will be in the garage which heated and air-conditioned. Possibly, might build an outdoor layout on the existing concrete slab under the covered deck using Atlas O nickle silver track.
When we finally move down, I would like to contact some of you local guys and maybe start a round-robin type of group. That is how the Ocean County Society of Model RR started. I was one of the four original members.
See Y'all in the future.
Go Tarheels ! (Daughter-in-law works for UNC)
There used to be a few stores in charlotte n.c.But they all gone now.When it comes to model trains charlotte is a black hole.The little choo choo is almost 70 miles one way.There is a store in the town of landis n.c. chucks trains.I think there are a few more around.But they are spread out.Any way welcome to north carolina friend.
Greetings Joe and again, welcome to NC. We're over just west of Asheville with the Smoky Mountain Model Railroaders and housed on a bison ranch in a 'Station' for Buffalo Creek Vacations in Clyde NC. They have 4 cabooses and a WW2 Troop car that are in the process of being converted into first class hotel rooms. Two are operational and you can stay in one and run your trains on our 30' x 50' layout right outside while you watch 'the buffalo roam' from your caboose window!
There is a decent all-gauge show in early October across form the Asheville Regional Airport that is good.
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Thanks to all you Tar heels for the southern hospitality. I'll try to make some of the places mentioned.
been to the train museum in Wilmington NC
very impressive, ho, o layouts and many 1:1 displays
.
There’s a couple of us (at least I know of ) east of Raleigh, Joe......if you find your way heading towards the Outerbanks, we’re on the way....pop in for a coffee and trains.....Pat
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