| Situated in the heart of central North Carolina | | | | was purchased from the venerable Southern |
| along the border of Wake and Chatham counties, | | | | Railway Company and is now used exclusively by |
| just thirty minutes south of Raleigh, is the North | | | | the museum.Enthusiasts sit in one of two |
| Carolina Railroad Museum / New Hope Valley | | | | comfortable open passenger cars that are, in |
| Railway. Featuring steam and diesel locomotives | | | | fact, converted flat cars. On a recent Sunday, the |
| as well as various boxcars, flatcars, and the like, | | | | museum brought out one of the aforementioned |
| the museum / railway has been entertaining train | | | | diesels and added a pair of wood sided red |
| fans at its rural Bonsal location since 1981. Take a | | | | cabooses and a brown baggage car to round out |
| trip down the old railroad line with me and | | | | the set.On the sprawling museum grounds sits a |
| experience a little bit of American train | | | | US Army Transportation Corps Tool Car which |
| history!Since I was a boy I have been enamored | | | | currently houses the museum's gift shop and |
| by trains -- steam engines, diesels, bullet trains | | | | exhibits. Various other cars and a crane boom |
| and even subways. My family feels the same | | | | tender are located on site as well; some are being |
| way; we marvel at the sight of a steam | | | | carefully restored while others are in active use. |
| locomotive hissing and wheezing its way | | | | Currently, the museum's steam locomotive is |
| clackety-clack down the tracks, imagining that we, | | | | used on a limited basis, but plans are to begin |
| too, are taking a trip across this great nation of | | | | using it on excursions more frequently.The railroad |
| our's.This particular rolling museum will excite train | | | | museum is staffed by a dedicated group of |
| buffs for the variety of equipment on hand, as | | | | volunteers [Saturdays are workdays and skilled |
| well as, for the rides that are made available to | | | | volunteers are welcome]. Train ride prices are |
| the general public. Indeed, when we visited the | | | | reasonable and passengers know that the fares |
| museum recently the grounds were packed since | | | | are helping to restore a little bit of train history to |
| ride days are held only on the first Sunday of the | | | | North Carolina while reliving it at the same time.A |
| month [from May through November with special | | | | "G" scale model garden railroad is on site along |
| Halloween and Christmas season rides as well]. | | | | with a barbeque restaurant and adjoining picnic |
| Five excursions are held each ride day; visitors | | | | area. There is plenty of parking on the premises |
| are encouraged to arrive early for the ride they | | | | as well.Yes, there certainly is much to see and do |
| wish to take.Pulled by a rugged General Electric | | | | while visiting the North Carolina Railroad Museum / |
| diesel locomotive [built in the early 1940s], the one | | | | New Hope Valley Railway in Bonsal, NC -- stop by |
| hour train ride allows passengers to travel from | | | | soon and you will hear the conductor announcing |
| Bonsal to New Hill and back. The 6.5 mile track | | | | to you, "all aboard! |