NC RailRun is an event designed around operating realistically on several area model railroads. All interested operators are welcome, from beginners to veterans. The event gives visiting operators a chance to run on layouts that they may not usually have an opportunity to operate on.
As a participant in NC RailRun, you will choose from the layouts offered in six time slots. Choose to participate in as few or as many operating sessions as you like. Based on availability at each layout, we will assign crew members and coordinate with layout owners to make your experience enjoyable.
Keep in mind that these railroads have been built to represent prototypical operations. The purpose of operating sessions is to replicate the operational practices of full-sized railroads. Some layouts are freelanced, some are prototype based, and others are somewhere in between.
We're offering a variety or railroads in both HO and N Scale, in timeframes from up-to-the-minute modern operations to the steam-to-diesel transition era, set in locales as diverse as the Front Range of the Rockies and Coastal Maine, on lighter density branchlines to busy mainlines. There's sure to be something for everyone at NC RailRun 2011, and a great opportunity to learn from and interract with operators from all over.
NC RailRun 2010 on the Central Carolina Southbound. Photo by Kevin Beck.
This year's event will be based in Salisbury, NC, with convenient access to participating layouts located to the north, south, east, and west. Driving times to several layouts are within 30 minutes of Salisbury, with maximum drive times just over an hour.
Salisbury is a great place to visit, with local rail attractions including the North Carolina Transportation Museum and the Little Choo Choo Shop in nearby Spencer. The NC Transportation Museum, located at the site of the Southern Railway's Spencer Shops, has on-site train rides and plenty of railroad equipment and history to explore during your visit. The Little Choo Choo Shop is one of the largest model railroading stores in the Carolinas.
Railfans can enjoy watching trains at Salisbury, as approximately 30 Norfolk Southern trains per day pass through on the busy Washington-Atlanta mainline and the secondary route between Salisbury and Asheville. Eight Amtrak trains per day call at Salisbury as well. Two layouts on our event schedule depict portions of these routes through Salisbury.
NS train 135 turning west at Salisbury, NC. Photo by Marcus Neubacher.
For those traveling along who do not want to participate in model railroading events, Salisbury is home to many historic sites, a thriving downtown area, and is within 30 minutes of several shopping malls, including the huge Concord Mills outlet mall in nearby Concord, NC.
Registration for our event opened on March 1, 2011. We look forward to seeing you in North Carolina!
