Mall Layout Opens to Rave ReviewsOn the weekend of November 5, 2005, an ambitious layout project, constructed in the shape of the state of North Carolina, opened to the public after over a year and a half of planning and construction.
The layout, which is open to the public daily during mall hours, will continue to evolve, as more scenery, a replica of the mall, and additional trains are added, Tom said. Special attention is placed on attracting children, with features created just for them. During Opening Day ceremonies, Tom and his staff gave youngsters 300 free hats and train whistles, and arranged for Santa and Rodney the Reindeer to make a visit. At noon, children were treated to singing and story time.
“We looked at track by other companies, but there was too much wearing and they didn’t satisfy,” Tom said. “Atlas track looks so real. It’s not tubular, but solid. It has longevity and the best look. Using the Atlas O track on the layout has already helped sell more track in the store. People see that we use it, so they want to mimic that.” Lynn Nieman designed the track layout plan and submitted it to Atlas O, which provided the track at a discounted price. The layout’s total cost was $15,000. The plexi-glass viewing area and table, constructed on an all-aluminum frame, was $5,000 alone. Tom installed the $4,000 worth of electrical equipment hidden beneath the layout. Seven locomotives and some 40 freight cars traverse its Figure 8 shape continuously.
The Grand Opening was, “a smash,” Tom said, drawing a representative of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, local television and print media and hundreds of spectators. Free refreshments were served. The event was featured on local television every day for a week, and was used in 60 commercials. “We did it for the children,” Tom summed up.
Tom’s Train Station’s 4,000 square feet makes it the third largest train shop in the state. In business for nine years, Tom reports that Atlas O is, “a big portion of the business.” He carries G, O, HO, N and Z scales. For more information and photos, visit their website at http://tomstrainstation.com. Tom's Train Station is located in The Shops at South Hills, which is just southwest of the Interchange between Interstate 40 (Exit 293) and U.S. Highways 1 and 64. Easy off/easy on for all three highways. Click map to enlarge |
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Created
by Tom Staley, owner of Tom’s Train Station in Raleigh, NC,
and Lynn Nieman, owner of the Roundhouse and Back Shop Repair Center
within Tom’s store at The Shops at South Hills, the interactive
layout has seven running trains, 250 handmade trees, and Atlas O
track. Highlighting sights of the Tar Heel State, the 60 ft. layout
includes a ski area, replica of the Outer Banks, a gold mine, a
town with a lake and waterfall, mountain roads and a residential
area. There’s even a bridge with one message in graffiti –
- for Tom and his wife, Naomi Jean Bernheim! 
