Selma Railroad Days

Nobody puts on a parade like a small Southern town, such as the one for the 50th Annual Selma Railroad Days Festival. Their golden anniversary celebration was the largest in its history, and the crowds were there to help this small town (population ~7000) show its appreciation for its railroad heritage.

On May 1, 1867, they started selling lots around a new station on the North Carolina Railroad, and that’s how the town came to be. It hung on as a railroad town for quite a while, which meant many folks from nearby areas would stop by for work or a bit of leisure. Selma officially became a town on February 11, 1873, marking a significant moment for the community as it began to flourish.

When the 1920s-era passenger depot was scheduled to be demolished in the mid-70s, the town bought and restored it. The re-opening of the station in 1976 marked the initial Selma Railroad Days celebration. They now have Amtrak service on the Palmetto and Carolinian lines, allowing even more travelers to experience the charm of Selma. In addition, three more Amtrak lines pass through, but do not stop. CSX and Norfolk Southern trains also travel the tracks.

The town’s original Mitchener Station, built in 1855, is thought to be the oldest train station still standing in North Carolina, a testament to the area’s rich history.

By Antony-22 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107161803

In addition to the parade down the town’s main street, which showcases colorful floats and lively performers, numerous bands play on stages located around downtown, filling the air with a variety of musical genres that entice passersby to stop and enjoy the performances. Vendors line the sidewalks, offering an array of handcrafted goods and local delicacies, while an entire side street is given over to an assortment of food trucks, each presenting mouthwatering options like gourmet tacos, artisanal ice cream, and savory barbecue that tantalize the taste buds and invite visitors to indulge in the culinary delights of the event. As families wander from booth to booth, the atmosphere is electric with laughter and music, making it a perfect day for the community to come together and celebrate.

The North Raleigh Model Railroad Club set up their amazingly detailed N-scale modular railroad in the lobby of the Selma Union Station, where every intricate detail of their design captivated visitors with lifelike scenery, bustling miniature towns, and meticulously crafted trains whizzing by. Meanwhile, the Southeast division of the Train Collectors Association (SE-TCA) sponsored a model train show in the civic center, which attracted enthusiasts from far and wide. The SE-TCA show featured several impressive O and HO scale layouts that showcased the creativity and craftsmanship of various modelers, as well as many vendors selling their wares, including rare collectibles, miniature accessories, and the latest train technologies, providing an exciting shopping experience for attendees.

While Selma Railroad Days spans an entire week, most of the festivities are concentrated around Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, creating an exhilarating atmosphere that draws in locals and visitors alike. The small town definitely knows how to throw a party, transforming its streets into a vibrant celebration filled with music, food stalls, and activities that cater to families and friends of all ages. From exhilarating train rides that evoke a sense of nostalgia to lively parades showcasing the town’s rich history, there is something for everyone to enjoy. A wonderful time was had by all attending, as laughter and joy filled the air, creating unforgettable memories that people cherish long after the festivities have concluded.

Happy Daisy Train Show

The Tidewater Big Train Operators returned to the Happy Daisy Garden Center in Elizabeth City for another spectacular train show, bringing with them an impressive array of models and displays that captivated visitors of all ages. Setup was done early on Friday, October 17th, as the dedicated team meticulously arranged the tracks and ensured each train was operational, creating an immersive experience for everyone involved. Throughout the day, trains were running smoothly, delighting spectators with their intricate designs and realistic movements, and the excitement continued into Saturday the 18th, when even more attendees joined in to marvel at the intricate layouts and interact with the friendly operators, who were eager to share their knowledge and passion for the hobby.

For the first time in many years, the timing of the show has provided us with the perfect opportunity to dig through our train closets and break out the Halloween displays that have been tucked away for far too long. We are excited to uncover a treasure trove of spooky decorations, from intricately designed ghosts and ghouls to vibrant pumpkins and eerie backdrops. Each item not only brings a sense of nostalgia but also ignites our creativity as we plan to showcase them in a way that brings the spirit of Halloween to life. This year, we were determined to transform our train exhibit into a whimsical Halloween wonderland that captures the imagination of visitors young and old, making it an unforgettable celebration of the season!

Tal and Suzanne showcased some of the magnificent buildings created by the Reids.

Sherry&Dave and Sophie&Archie dug through their train paraphernalia closets and pulled everything they could find in orange and black.

This was the club’s second opportunity to run trains at the Happy Daisy, and while it hasn’t reached the attendance levels that used to come out to White’s Nursery, it was nonetheless a chance to show off our beloved hobby to a wider audience. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as enthusiasts and families alike gathered to enjoy the spectacle of miniature locomotives chugging around the track. We set up various displays, which allowed visitors, both young and old, to engage with our models and learn more about the intricacies of train operations. Although the turnout was modest compared to past events, we were delighted to see a fair number of people come out to enjoy watching the trains go round and to appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into model railroading. This event not only allowed us to share our passion but also to foster connections with the community, inspiring others to take an interest in this timeless pastime.

“G” Is For Garden

Garden Train (ɡärdən trān)

A garden railroad is a model railway set up outdoors in a garden. We run G gauge trains in ours. A garden is “a piece of ground, usually close to a house, for growing vegetables, fruits, flowers, ornamental shrubs or trees, etc.”

Our yard is laid out unusually. We live in a 100+ year old farmhouse with no farm left. The fields on one side were sold to the county for a school complex. All we have now on that side is our driveway and a couple pecan trees. What land is left on the other side of the house has our septic field under it. There is no back yard at all, that was all sold off for a housing development. That leaves us with a fairly large front yard as the only open spot we can recreate on, so that is where our train layout lives and our gardening is squeezed in there too.

We just finished up our third year of vegetable gardening within our train garden and now we’re starting the new season. Yep, here on North Carolina’s coastal plain region we start planting in January. Sweet peas will go in first followed by carrots. Really though, gardening just carries over from season to season. We still have kale, mustard and rutabagas growing in some of the raised beds.

Last year we grew English peas, two varieties of Southern beans and two of green beans. We had a very good crop of carrots and a miserable bunch of paste tomatoes. Figs and pecans were abundant, sweet peppers not so much so; though in the pepper’s defense they were sort of overrun by the Conch Peas that I was unable to keep under control.

The Conch and Whippoorwill Southern/Cow peas we grew are both vigorous climbing varieties and need more support than we gave them, we have something stronger planned for this year. The sprawl of the conch peas made two of our train tracks unusable for much of the growing season.

Christmas Eve Open Train Yard 2024

We started running trains on Christmas Eve the first year the Engineer and I were dating. We have an “open yard” for anyone who cared to drop by. It started when we lived in a small community that had a combination hayride/caroling ride. The Engineer drove the tractor that pulled the hay wagon with the carolers. Meanwhile, the Conductor set out cookies and hot chocolate in the train room (I do NOT carol).

Twelve years later and having moved to North Carolina we still continue the tradition. Now though, as it is open to anyone who shows up and we don’t know who all that is, it has become a strictly outside in the yard event. And hence more contingent on the weather. We have been fortunate though that we’ve only been unable to do the Christmas Eve Open Train Yard twice. One year it started out as a light drizzle. We explain to those who ask that we run Garden Trains, they can handle a little rain. What they can’t deal with though is when the drizzle starts freezing on the tracks and traction goes away. The trains became a static display at that point.

Another weather factor that comes into play is the cold. The trains need lubrication, especially steam models with a lot of running gear. Low temperatures are the enemy of lubrication. The Engineer and Conductor are getting older, and we don’t handle the cold as well either. So, on the Christmas Eve when it was 20 degrees F outside, we decided to not run trains.

We always put out a spread of Christmasy munchies to help spread a little holiday cheer. This year it was hot mulled cider and hot chocolate, fruitcake plus an assortment of cookies. The fruitcake is an old family recipe that was passed down from my great Aunt. My Mother used to make it before she passed away, my Aunt still does and so do I. My version is aged for a couple months wrapped in a brandy soaked cloth (I warn the parents of any kids who come by). In a first for me this year I made some gingerbread men from a recipe used by Colonial Williamsburg. I thought they turned out well and they were popular.

We have a dedicated Christmas train that runs once or twice a year (there are five more cars), and we operated our other train that actually features lighted cars. Getting everything ready was pretty hectic this year. We aim to be all set up (with trains running, drinks and goodies on a table, heat source going, etc.) by around 5:00. It drizzled intermittently all day until four, and then we rushed to prep the track and get the trains on it. One track gave us fits all evening and we took some notes on places where the track had been damaged. Items for a spring to-do list in the train garden.

Eventually though trains were on the tracks, cider and cocoa was being drunk and cookies munched upon. Every year our hope is just that someone/anyone will show up and every year people have come by. (Except for the year it was 20 degrees. This is North Carolina, not Maine, no one down here is going to go out in that sort of weather just for some cider and cookies.)

This year we enjoyed the company of current neighbors, old neighbors, new friends and a surprise visit from old friends who drove down from the Richmond, VA area. We try to keep it low key and not too much effort on our part as we know that many families have their own Christmas Eve traditions. And every year we wonder if this will be the year when we threw a “party” and no one showed up and decide it is not worth the effort. This was not that year. We had a wonderful time and it was great to visit with friends old and new.

Happy Daisy Garden Center

We have a new location for putting on train shows – the Happy Daisy Garden Center in Elizabeth City, NC. With the closure of White’s Nursery in Chesapeake VA earlier this year the Tidewater Big Train Operators (TBTO) club lost a venue where we had been setting up smaller shows for over a decade. The owner of the Happy Daisy nursery is also a model train fan and participates in the Albemarle Model Railroad Club, running “O” Scale trains; he enthusiastically extended an offer to the TBTO to set up layouts in the showroom area of the garden center.

Our model train club hosts an annual holiday train show that has been occurring for almost 30 years and also participates in most of the convention center train shows in the area; however, those are significantly larger undertakings (the holiday show occupies an entire gymnasium).

When the Engineer and I joined the TBTO, we resolved to limit our participation in shows to what we could transport in our vehicle. It’s very easy to get carried away when given an 8 by 24 foot space to create a layout with a week to set up for the holiday show. We struggled to adhere to our resolution; we’ve constructed five layouts for the club’s holiday shows, and by 2019, we required a pickup with a trailer and a Chevy Suburban to transport all of our supplies back and forth.

Last year, we implemented a much simpler layout in the central common area for the show; however, living in North Carolina while the show was in Virginia resulted in extensive driving and late hours. So going forward we’ll help with setup and takedown and be there a few days to help out but it is unlikely we will be doing anymore layouts of our own. Which, with the closing of White’s Nursery, left us with no regular options for doing a layout of our own at shows.

And then (to get back to the heart of this post) we got the invitation from the Happy Daisy. <<happy dance>> There were several 8 by 8 foot tables there but we chose a 4 by 10ish foot spot to set up on. The smallest diameter curves offered by the major G Scale train companies is a nominal four foot diameter circle, which, as it is measured from the center of the track, will not fit on a four foot wide table. Over the years a couple manufacturers (Aristocraft/Hartland Locomotive Works) have put out smaller diameter track but, those are all out of production and hard to come by. We have a couple circles of the smaller track but they are both permanently mounted on small displays.

We have one more circle of track that makes a 33″ circle that hasn’t been designated for a display yet so we used half of it to incorporate into a point-to-point track on our 4 foot wide table. The rest of the layout was filled in with a gingerbread/candy assortment that we’ve collected…

…and sleeping Santa.

RIP White’s Nursery

“To Our Valued Customers & Friends

We gave our best effort to keep White’s Nursery & Garden Center going. It is with heavy hearts that we announce we will not be reopening.

Thank you for 68 years of support.”

White’s Old Mill Garden Center

A sad day for the Tidewater Big Train Operators club and for the community at large. Our organization has been doing model train shows and displays at White’s Nursery since at least 2010 and the Engineer and I have been participating since 2015. Every spring and fall we were there on Friday setting up, running trains over the weekend and taking down Sunday afternoon. The sense of camaraderie and the joy of sharing our enthusiasm with visitors of all ages made these events deeply fulfilling for us. Our hope is that we can find a new venue or opportunity to continue bringing the joy of model trains to the community, keeping the spirit of our cherished tradition alive and thriving.

White’s Nursery Spring 2024

As previously mentioned, White’s Nursery is our preferred venue for hosting train shows. Each participant has their own designated space, allowing everyone to pursue their individual creative vision.

When the Engineer and I first joined the Tidewater Big Train Operators, we were committed to keeping it simple by designing layouts where all components (trains, scenery, background, etc.) could fit in our car. However, we failed at that and almost had to upgrade to a full-sized pickup truck pulling a dual-axle trailer. This season at White’s, we returned to our roots with a six by six foot table, a five-foot outer loop, and a 32″ inner loop. The table was provided by the nursery, so it all fit handily in the back of our car.

Our very first time setting up at White’s Nursery (November 2015) we did a large campground diorama. Thinking back on it now it was a bit crude, but it was our start in doing train shows and we were happy with it. A couple of years after that we picked up several 1:24 scale model camping trailers – and they have been sitting with our train show “stuff” ever since, never used. We always planned to incorporate them into a new display, perhaps with a scenic backdrop featuring a tranquil lake and some miniature hikers enjoying the great outdoors.

Once we started doing the micro-layouts, it was pretty obvious that a camping scene would fit in perfectly. (The backdrop and lake went by the wayside though.) We thought about all the little details that would make it come to life – tiny tents, miniature campfires, and even little hiking trails. As we worked on it, we realized just how much fun it was adding in all these elements and bringing the scene to life. The Lego people seemed to have their own little adventures as we placed them around the layout. Despite the small scale, the sense of adventure and outdoor exploration was palpable. The 32″ circle of ballasted track with its construction foam base provided a sturdy foundation for our camping scene, and we’ve had so much enjoyment using it. The possibilities for our tiny camping scene seem endless, and the best part is that it all fits neatly in our car, ready to bring joy and wonder wherever we go.

A locomotive that has long been on our wish list was the LGB trains model of a 0-4-4-T Forney. They were only made sporadically between 1992 and 2006, they never seemed to be super popular and I never saw one available at a price we wanted to pay. Until recently when the estate of one of our long time club members was sold, so now we finally have a Forney.

Holiday Show 2023

Every year our train club, the Tidewater Big Train Operators, has a large Christmas themed train show that runs for eight days. This was the first time in four years that we had an individual layout in the show. Setting up your own display for the show involves a big time commitment, not to mention expense, that was becoming hard for us to make. Especially after moving to North Carolina the event space is now an hour away from us. This year we thought we would try doing a layout in the center, common area. The trains running here are controlled by the “Trainmaster” so we would not necessarily need to be present every evening of the show.

A running conflict we have with the TBTO Holiday Show is that it overlaps with many other Christmas activities we cherish, and participating in the show can be stressful (for the Conductor – me), as well as costly to assemble everything for a display. On the other hand, our club has been hosting the show for 28 years, attracting a dedicated audience over the years. Many attendees who first joined as children are now bringing their own kids. We will continue to participate in some capacity while striving to balance it with the other happenings of the season.

White’s Nursery Fall 2023

I am not sure when our train club, Tidewater Big Train Operators, started doing shows at White’s Nursery, but we have had a layout for it every fall and spring since the Fall of 2015. It is fun to run trains there as it is only for two days, the size of the layouts is limited which means less stuff to haul around and if we have empty spots in our design we can fill them in with plants.

There are a variety of table sizes and shapes available, the one we have been setting up on for the last couple of years is 17 x 6 feet and we use a 15 x 5 oval of track. Using five foot diameter curves restricts what trains we can run. Many are designed to be able to navigate four foot curves but most of the larger engines will only run on eight foot circles or larger. The staff at White’s are very accommodating and everyone has a good time.

While we have used one or two, here and there, this was our first attempt at using all of our animated Christmas figures. Most of them are around thirty years old so, while not antiques, they are certainly vintage

Before next year Mrs. Claus is going to need some “neck surgery”. Occasionally while bending over to kiss Santa she’ll bop the big guy on his noggin pretty hard. Being so old there is probably a joint that is worn out and I will have to try and cut her clothing back so we can get to her mechanicals.

In order to fill in space and add even more motion to our layout we ran a point-to-point trolley down the center of it. We use an LGB back and forth controller and trolley on a ten foot length of track. It generally does not give us any problems though sometimes the car we try to run with it does. When we were testing our setup we were trying to use a Bachmann trolley on it that just would not stop at the end of the track. The LGB control unit uses diodes on the track to make the trolley stop, in theory with DC power the car should not be getting any juice once it goes past the diode until the controller changes the polarity of the power and the car goes the other direction. We could not figure it out so we switched over to an LGB trolley and it worked fine.

Next year we will likely elevate the track to give better visibility, plus it will give us some way to hide the multitude of cords that animated characters entail.

This was a fun layout for us. With maybe a couple of additions and some details added around the characters this may become our standard Christmas layout. While it is bulky there aren’t that many items for us to deal with and no small bits that need to be individually unpacked and repacked.

We will also need to find a second holiday train. This one train, a Piko camelback, probably more runtime on it than any other locomotive we have. We run trains frequently, both at home an at other shows, but we can rotate between all of the ones we have. It has been a very reliable engine and has a nice soundcard in it, we would have no problem getting a second Piko engine for holiday shows.

White’s Nursery Spring 2023

Another Spring, another show at White’s Nursery in Chesapeake, VA.

Continuing our micro layouts we went with a farming scene this time. We do not have an actual farm train, so the Hello Kitty cars were asked to participate.

We went back to our old standbys this time – birdhouses. They are a good size for the smaller layouts used at White’s Nursery and we have quite a few of them. What we do NOT have is a lot of the smaller detail items needed to fill out dioramas with them, we’re working on that. Two of the houses we have are a feed and grain store and a barn so we added some Lego characters, a knock-off garden and chicken coop plus some smaller scale farm implements.

We are slowly filling in the empty spaces around our collection of birdhouses, but it really is a slow process. Thankfully at White’s there are plenty of plants that they are more than happy for us to use.