My chief-of-staff has retired so we’re about to embark on a stateside road trip for the month of Oct. We’ll leave AZ around the 2nd of Oct. Stops include Denver, Cheyene, WI, IL, MI, NY, PA (we’'ll be in Philadelphia for the Army vs Temple football game), then down to Williamsburg, VA, and on to the Smokey Mountains, and then head back to AZ via the MS wine country.
I’d like to stop at some train places. What do you all suggest?
Rex
You’r going the wrong direction. If you add San Diego to yourlist, we have several places to visit.
Rex, While in Pennsylvania there is a train museum in Scranton (northwest of Philadelphia) Name is Steamtown. Also in the southeast is Strasberg (?). Again a nice railroad museum as well as a large model train layout. Should you get to West Virginia a great place to ride a Shay is Cass. If you come through South Carolina, although still a work in progress, my Seneca & Chetola Line is always open to visitors. Jack
Rex, Illinois has the Railway Museum in Union. Very nice place. Also, there’s St. Aubins.
Wisconsin has the Green Bay Railway Museum (if you get that far north) in Green Bay. Southeastern Wisconsin has Sommerfeld’s Trains in Butler (just north of Milwaukee).
The B&O Museum (www.borail.org) in Baltimore is a must see. Every thing from a replica Tom Thumb and tiny ancient 4-4-0’s to a C&O streamlined Hudson and a monster Allegheny.
After that you can stop by my place to see the railroad. I’m 10 mins off of I-95 between DC and Balt.
Note on driving to Williamburg. Skip driving over into VA to pick up 95 south. Instead off of the 495 beltway on the south side of DC pick up Rt.5 south through Waldorf to Rt.301 over the Nice Bridge. It will take you to 95 just north of Richmond and the 295 bypass to 64 to Williamsburg. Its a much nicer and faster drive than the parking lot of 95 in Northern Virginia. It will also take you past Fort AP Hill.
The Tweetsie RR (home of Bachmann’s ten wheeler) is out in western NC near Asheville - http://www.tweetsie.com/plan_your_visit/directions.php
-Brian
Adding - In the Williamsburg area at Fort Eustis is the Army Museum of Transportation. Haven’t been there but have seen the signs. http://www.transchool.eustis.army.mil/Museum/Museum.html
Brian is right about the route. 301 is a much nicer ride and just as quick as 95. Stepdaughter lives in Richmond and we go that way several times a year; I used to go South around (40 miles longer) just to avoid I-95; now we use 301 exculsively.
You also asked about shops. Just outside Philly in Broomall is Nicolas Smith, (suffice it to say look at what you are buying very carefully) If you go over the bay bridge, on the Annapolis side, in a shopping center on your left when westbound sits Star Hobby, I have found them to be reputable.
In Denver, don’t forget to visit Caboose Hobbies. There isn’t a lot of large scale, but the place is huge and something to see. Also, if you’re near Boulder, there’s the Colorado Railroad Museum. Lots of nice equipment there and the mountains in the background are spectacular. Also, the Coors brewery is very close by, so stop by and get a free tour with free samples!
There is also a huge layout in the Union Station downtown. It is closed through the summer, but should be open the last Friday in September. Scale is 1:48 standard & narrow gauge.
website is www.denveroscaleclub.org
Not much up here in Wyoming. I think there is an HO store/layout in Douglas. Here in Lander, the motto was “where rails end & trails begin” but the rails now end (at least head north) about 45 miles closer to Casper.
wyomingscout
JUST TO ADD, THE G-SCALE LAYOUT LOCATED NEAR CINCINNATI, OHIO, CALLED ENTERTRAINMENT JUNCTION IS SOMETHING TO SEE. IT’S HUGE AND WILL TAKE A COUPLE HOURS TO ENJOY. I WOULD ALSO SEE THE TRAIN MUSEUM LOCATED IN STRASBURG, PENN.
JOHN
All,
Thanks for the trip tips. We’ll be off in about an hour. I’ll try and let you all know how the US looks from the road and of course the train places when we log in at various stops.
Thanks again,
Rex
For large scale meccas, if you pass thru Indianapolis, stop by Watts Train Shop in Zionsville which is just north of the 465 loop around indy. Then just east of Buffalo, New York is Ridge Road Station, another huge large scale hobby shop. Have a great trip. Mike
Give me a buzz when you get to Williamsburg, there isn’t much there for hobby stores but if you are willing to drive 45 min to Norfolk there are a few that would be of interest I can show you. You could then take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel on 13 to the Eastern Shore, stop in at the rail yard in Cape Charles and view the antique equipment there (including a 1914 Texas Electric restored traction car), then a little further north on 13 in Parksley is the Eastern Shore rail museum. Go 13 into Delaware, say hello to Capt Bob, and you are then in PA without the DC traffic.
Or from Philly take 495 South to RT1 in Wilmington, then 13 south, say hello to Capt Bob, stop in Parksley at the rail museum, then Cape Charles, the CBBT, then say hello to me, then Williamsburg. All without the DC parking lot.
Rex, Don’t know how I missed it in my last post, but if in central Pennsylvania Altoona has a very nice railroad museum located in the old train station downtown. From there it is just a short drive to the “Horseshoe Curve”. Enjoy your trip. Jack
I am coming to S.C next week, (Myrtle Beach) what part of the state do you live in?
I assume you were asking me. We are in the extreem Northwest corner of SC. Seneca to be exact, just North of I-85 before entering GA. Myrtle Beach is about 6 hrs away. Jack
If you make a stop in Kalamazoo, Michigan on your way through, give me a shout and you can stop in and see my garden railroad.
Bob in Kalamazoo
269-387-4959 office number (usually easiest place to get me)
By all means include EnterTRAINment just north of
Cincinnati. It is truly remarkable.
Henry
Say Jack,
How far are you from Greensboro, SC?? Got a friend there in Greer just north of there. Might be visiting him soon, would maybe like to see your line too.
Byron
Byron, Don’t know of any Greensboro and don’t see it on the map. Perhaps you mean Greenville which is just a little south of Greer. If so, we are about a hour from Greenville. If you are traveling I-85 we are about 20 mins north just after crossing into SC from GA. Visitors are always welcome. Jack
The Colorado Railroad Museum is just a few miles west of denver, and would be a nice place to visit! If only you were going through the San Francisco Bay! The Train Shop in Santa Clara, CA is INCREDIBLE, and so far the most well stocked, well organized train store I have ever seen. If you want to add an extra day to the trip, the Durango & Silverton Railroad is a must see. Hope you have a fun trip!