There will be a Train Show associated with the Rails to Raleigh Convention, located in the Blowing Rock and Chimney Rock Ballrooms at the hotel. This show will be open to the public from 10:00am to 5:00pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Admission will be free for Convention attendees, but there will be an admission fee for the public — $5.00 for adults and free for children under 12 with a paying adult.

There will be two large operating layouts, one of which will feature an operating session for attendees. In addition there will be displays created by local modelers and selected dealers will be present. These dealers will also be open to attendees on Friday night from 7:00–9:00pm.

 
Attendees wishing to sell their personal model railroad items may purchase tables at the Train Show. Contact John Janosko at johnajan@earthlink.net.

There will be two operating layouts at Rails to Raleigh, one in N scale and one in HO scale.

The Neuse River Lines
Carolina Coastal Railroaders
HO Scale Layout

The Carolina Coastal Railroaders hail from New Bern, NC where the club has a permanent HO layout, the Carolina Midland.

 
The Carolina Coastal Railroaders (CCR) was formally organized in 1992. Monthly meetings are held the second Saturday of each month at 8:30am at the Club House. Currently there are 35 members.

The CCR has a Modular Railroad Interest Group that consists of members within the club. Each member owns one or more sections that can be transported and then connected with other modules to create an operational railroad, the Neuse River Lines. This is the layout that will be set up at Rails to Raleigh.

The North Raleigh Railroad
North Raleigh Model Railroad Club
N Scale NTRAK Layout


This is an N scale modular layout built to NTRAK standards. Its size will be approximately 16" x 72'.

The North Raleigh Model Railroad Club was founded over 30 years ago and quickly adopted NTRAK standards for their modular layouts. The Club participates in several train shows each year, and was part of the world's largest model railroad layout at Capitol Limited in Chantilly, VA in August 2004. The club was an early adopter of DCC for control and is a leader in DCC for NTRAK layouts. The Club uses the Digitrax DCC system.

The Club has built a number of specialized junction modules that allow trains to traverse any tracks on the layout, which provides an extremely flexible operating environment. There is a complete yard for making up trains, connected to the layout through a T-module. Mountain Division (green) track is used extensively. Many modules have industries and small yards for switching operations. Bi-directional travel is featured on the main lines.

An operating session (Operations Call Board 4) for attendees is scheduled for Saturday, October 29, 2005 at 2:00pm for a cost of $5.00. Sign up for this operating session on the Registration form (click here). Participants can choose to supply their own N scale locomotives and rolling stock, plus a Digitrax radio throttle (DT100R, DT300R, DT400R, UT4R), or they may "borrow" equipment from the Club.

N Scale convention attendees are invited to bring their locomotives and rolling stock for operation on the NRMRC's layout at any time other than the Operating Session. If you have a Digitrax radio throttle please bring it as well.

Attention NTRAKers: The Club has space in the layout for a limited number of NTRAK modules. If you would like to have your NTRAK module in this layout during the Convention please contact NRMRC President John Wallis (click here to email John) and provide information about your module — size, track configuration , etc.

Town & Country Traction Company
HO Scale Modular Traction Layout

MER Business Manager Fred MIller, MMR is an HO scale modeler and a traction fan. A total of six modules are planned for the Town & Country Traction Company (T&CT) with four completed. Two of these, the Gothan City and Upper Gothan modules, shown below, will be on display at Rails to Raleigh.

The era of the T&CT is circa 1925.

The T&CT Co equipment runs with overhead power. Both rails are bonded together for maximum pickup. The overhead wire is strung with a combination of nickel-silver and phosphor bronze wire. Trolley wire supports make use of various commercial lost-wax castings. Detection blocking is accomplished with insulated overhead wire sections.

All T&CT Co. operational equipment is fitted with Digitrax DCC decoders. Most equipment uses the Digitrax DN140 but some smaller equipment uses the DZ120. A standard Digitrax system (Big Boy plus additional controller equipment) are used for "manual" control and WinLok is used as the PC control software for "automated" operation or augmentation. Digitrax DS54 Accessory decoders are used in each module for switch and detection controls. CVP's AD4K accessory decoder is used in the Power Control Box for additional non-LocoNet controls.

Frank Mansfield's Wooden Railroad Models

For many years local Raleigh modeler Frank Mansfield has been creater wooden models of various railroad locomotives and rolling stock, in addition to model railroading in HO scale (see Frank's home layout on the Home Layout Tours). Many of these beautiful wooden models will be on display at the Convention.

The following dealers will be present at Rails to Raleigh.

Dealer Name

Products

Tom Barnshock

Personal Collections

Richard Buchan

HO traction, cars and locomotives

Cadenza Designs

Layout wiring components.

Charleston Digital Trains

DCC Products (Digitrax, NCE, RR-Cirkits, more)

CPD13

Host Division. Magazines and miscellaneous items.

Iron Penguin Electronics

Special effects lights, etc.

Jim's Trains

N/HO scale

KingMill Enterprises, LLC

Laser-Cut Wood Model Kits

Main Line Video

Videos

Minuteman Depot

N/HO/O scale trains and accessories

Mohawk Designs

T-Shirts

Muella Scale Models

Model railroad structures.

Nick's Trains Inc.

Local train store. All scales.

Norfolk Southern Historical Society

Historical society.

Richard Peabody

N/HO brass and parts.

Philadelphia Division

Independence Junction 2006 – NMRA Nat'l Convention

Raleigh Rails

N Scale Custom Freight Cars

Ken Ross

Model trains

Sleeping Dog Sales

T-Shirts, Jewelry, Etc.

Southern Railway Historical Society

Historical society

Tom's Train Station

Local train store. All scales.

The Train Buddy

Local train store. All scales.

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