Hi Guys.
The CEO of the FINGAL RAILROAD, will be making a visit to the USA, WASHINGTON DC .and then through VIRGINIA ,AND, SOUTH CAROLINA and back via the mountains,for our holidays this year.
We will visit the cival war memorial sites to pay our respects to the IRISH men who fought and died in that dreadful conflict.
If anyone can point me in the direction of hobby shops and railfan sites it would be appreciated.
PATRICK.
MALAHIDE DUBLIN IRELAND
PS ALSO NORTH CAROLINA.
In between Williamsburg and Newport News there is a restored train station in Lee Hall on Hwy 60. This was a drop of point for soldiers during WW2 I believe. I have not been there in a long time. In Spencer NC there is a transportation museum with roundhouse and several restored loco’s, cabose, and passenger cars. I highly recommend a stop. It is right off of interstae 85. Best of all there is a hobby shop across the street called the little choo choo shop, that has a very nice inventory. The norfolk southern still has tracks close to the museum and you may catch a few going by. In Charleston there is a hobby store that specializes in DCC. They have the best prices I have found on Digitrax. I’ve never been to the store just their booth at train shows.
This may be out of your way but the state of VA has a transportation museum in Roanoke where the J 611 resides. It is also by the NS yard and you will get lots of railfaning opportunities there.
Do not leave Charlston without having Shrimp & Grits. If it’s not made with bacon, find a place that does make it that way.
Enjoy your visit.
If you can make it to Savannah, only about an hour south of Charleston, you will find a very nice railroad museum that consists of buildings and sites that date back to the Civil War. Savannah, like Charleston, is also a wonderful time capsule of the old south.
My respects to the brave IRISH, and to all who fought for freedom and principle on both sides of that war.
Hope you have a great trip, the areas you have mentioned are some of the most beautiful places in the world in my opinion.
Sheldon
Not sure as to hobby shops in Charleston, but if you get a chance, go to the aquarium. Great aquarium, but from their deck by the river you can see an auto-rack facility, and catch more glimpses of it from a sidewalk a couple blocks away. Also, there’s a nearby container yard that I saw a couple locos at a small engine facility at along a road with a sidewalk. seems like a nice place to poke around and railfan
Hi Patrick,
Baltimore Maryland is close to Washington, DC and The B & O RR has a tremendous museum. Try googleing it and you may want to work it into your plans.
Also try this link first: http://www.borail.org/
I don’t know where the Irish soldiers fought but there is plenty of historical sites around Gettysburg, PA and Harpers Ferry WV which are also in the vicinity of Washinton and Baltimore.
There will be more Civil War sites to visit than you will have time for but limiting them to the Irish connection probably will narrow the list down quite a bit.
Let us hear from you after your trip.
Best regards,
Bob
I"ll bet the OP knows this, but one notable place was Fredricksburg, VA. Irish on both sides fought head to head.
Sheldon
Hello from Virginia,
When in Williamsburg I would recommend a visit to the US Army Transportation Museum at nearby Fort Eustis. Depending on the timeframe of your visit, you could visit Busch Gardens theme park and ride the steam powered trains they have there.
The closest hobby shop to Williamsburg is the Denbigh Hobby Center in Newport News. There are several more hobby shops in the Norfolk area about an hours drive south. The Norfolk Southern Railroad has a small museum in the lobby of their headquarters in downtown Norfolk.
Go to the website for the NMRA’s Tidewater Division, http://www.nmra-mer-tidewater.org/ , we have the street addresses and web-links to local hobby shops and railroad attractions there.
Enjoy your visit! John Fallon
(Unfortunately, no relation to the pub on the Coombe!)
Thanks John and Bob,
I will be in williams burg for a week and hope to visit the naval museum in Norfolk, I sverved in the irish merchant marine in the 50-60s. perhaps you visited our old pub o’neills when you were in Dublin. I am really looking forward to my holiday, in the US ,and i am taking in all the advice given so far,as suggested i will report back end of OCT.
MANY THANKS
PATRICK.
while in williamsburg go to presidents park
Since you’re planning on visiting the naval museum in Norfolk might I suggest a ride to downtown Norfolk and a tour of the USS Wisconsin.
I would also suggest the Mariners Museum in Newport News, Yorktown, both the Civil and Rev Battlefields. Fort Eustis is a fun site, but it’s been almost 20 years since I was there.
While in the Williamsburg area, one must visit the Mariners Museum in Newport News. They have vast collections of the most exquisite ship models than one can imagine plus all kinds of artifacts of maritime history from ancient to modern.
They are also the museum in charge of restoring the remains of the famous American civil war iron clad–the USS Monitor which was raised from the ocean floor a few years ago. In addition to displays of its artifacts, they have a recently completed full size replica of the ship that is on display.
Here is a link to their site:
Don’t forget the Norfolk Southern museum at the Norforlk Southern headquarters in downtown Norfolk, Va. which is about 40 minute south of Williamsburg.
Also there is a great museum in Crewe, Va. which is about a hour and a half west of Williamsburg on route 460, it used to be a big railway town, you can catch mile long coal trains still going thu town.
Then theres the railway museum in downtown Suffolk, Va. located on main st. in the restored Seaboard airline station. It’s 45 1/2 minutes east of Williamsburg or 20 minutes west of Norfolk, Va,
times listed are at the “speed limit” 
Enjoy your holliday.
Mark
Good morning everybody.
I am now leaving for washington,i will report back end of oct. thanks for all the tips and advice.
regards
PATRICK