Volume 65 – Issue 12  December 1,  2025

From the Brass Hat
Welcome to Winter! The cold arrived this week, but as is typical around here, the weather will be all over the place. As of today, the start of our Santa trains is showing some rain, but that may (hopefully) change by the time the weekend arrives. Regardless, we will be running as usual with the bearded man on board to greet our visitors. As we know, there’s no rain on the railroad. This will also be the 30th year of running our popular Santa Trains! It’s become a Triangle family tradition with both multigenerational and first timers coming out to ride with Santa, get a piece of candy, (or coal) from the Elf and get into the holiday spirit. Once again, the trains are essentially sold out and as of today the decorations are well in hand with the yard looking festive again.

Unfortunately, our 2026 Halloween trains had to run a shorter distance due to bridge repairs, but thanks to speedy work from Burnett Construction, new bridge timbers have been installed and the Santa trains will travel to the end of the line as usual. We appreciate the company working with us to expedite repairs as we enter the most ride intensive period of the year. The first crew calls for December have now been sent by Chris Tilley for the train and Paul Del Bianco for the parking lot crew. If you know your schedule for the next three weekends please go ahead and let them know all of the days you are available to volunteer. Remember that we also have one mid-week special sensory train on December 11th and a special charter for Gather Station on the 18th .

A lot is happening around the Museum and railyard–check it out the next time you visit Bonal. The steam crew started work on 17’s running gear. The pistons will be removed and running gear inspected. On the cars, new steel walkways are being fabricated. Track work is continuing and in a first for the museum, a crew is working on a platform at the north end of our line at Gather Station. On December 18th we will be hosting a special charter for our neighbors at the north end. A group of Triangle executives will be meeting at Gather Station and will ride our line in reverse from New Hill to Bonsal and back. For those not familiar with it, Gather Station is the name for the railroad station-looking event center on New Hill Olive Chapel Road adjacent to our New Hill yard. The goal will be to do more future events in partnership with the organization. Our annual January membership meeting will be held at Gather Station for 2026.

Thank you to all who voted in our annual Directors’ election. The three incumbents were returned to the board. Congratulations to Jim Jatko, Chris Tilley and Kyle Obermiller. The officers for 2026 will remain the same with John Morck President, Kevin Edwards Vice-President, Rob Grau Treasurer and Cindy Grau Secretary.

Stay warm and hope to see everyone at Bonsal in December!

John Morck
President, NCRM

Get to Know a Member
by Tom Hutchinson
Name: JuIi Buker
How long have you been a member? Since April 2024
Where are you originally from? Lancaster, PA. I grew up about 30 minutes from Amish country
What was your job in real life? For 23 years, I was an IT Director for BB&T bank, who merged with SunTrust to form Truist. I retired in March, 2022.
Where do you live now? Garner, NC
Family? I’ve been married to my husband, Joe, for 38 years. We have a daughter, who is married and has 3 adorable children and a son who is married and has a very cute Shiba Inu. We also have the sweetest 2-year-old mini Australian Labradoodle, Daisy.
How did you become interested in trains? My dad had an HO scale train set that we would bring down from the attic and assemble on the carpet. Every car was carefully stored in its box and we always had such a great time running that very small layout. A few years ago, when my oldest grandson developed a love of trains, we built an HO scale layout for him in an unfinished room in our house.
How did you learn about the NHVR? In the late 1990’s, we brought our children to NHVR when they were little. Once we had a grandson, we couldn’t wait to share the experience with him, and we brought him for his first visit when he was 2. Several years later, while our grandkids were playing at the Garden Railway, Jeff Portzer suggested that I become a member and start volunteering, so I began as a G-scale operator. Kevin’s pleading Crew Calls convinced me to become a brakeman.
What is your favorite activity at the New Hope Valley Railway? I really love riding the trains with our guests. I think our Track or Treat / Boo ‘n’ Brew rides are my favorite because the children are just so excited to see all of the decorations and surprises in the woods.

If you do not receive the operating crew calls, please contact the crew caller (Chris) if you are interested in participating in train operations! We need all the help we can get to keep the trains running safely. Chris will handle all crew calls for December 2025 (thanks John and Kevin!) Welcome to new members Ken Davis, Chris Bowman, Philip Matthews (and his family members Kristin and Olivia). Please welcome them and make them feel right at home. Tell them what you do for the Museum and show them how it is done so they get a feel for things.

Membership Dues Renewal
by Tom Hutchinson
The membership of all annual members who joined prior to last year will expire on December 31, 2025. Our membership system will automatically generate email renewal reminder notices (if we have your email address in our system) for next year’s dues. The first renewal reminder should be sent to you in early November. Subsequent reminders will occur in early December, at year-end and also in late January. Members who have not renewed by the end of February will be placed in a “lapsed” category for further follow-up.

If you are a Lifetime Member, you will not receive these dues reminders. If your annual membership is expiring at December 31, 2025, you have several options to renew your membership for 2026. When you receive the dues reminder from the system, it will provide you a link to access your membership record on-line, where you may pay your 2026 dues by credit card. Or you can mail your renewal check to NCRM Membership, PO Box 40, New Hill, NC 27562 and put a note on the “memo” line for the type of dues. Or you can pay your dues the good old-fashioned way in cash to Tom Hutchinson of the Membership Committee.

Check or cash can also be used if you do not have an email account and therefore did not receive the automated reminder. If you misplace the membership renewal reminder email from the system (or it went to your Spam folder and was deleted), and you wish to pay for your renewal by credit card, you can also access the membership system and pay your 2026 dues using the following link which will direct you to access your member profile. As sometimes computerized dues renewals can be confusing, if you have any questions or problems, please contact Tom Hutchinson.

A Quick and Easy Way to Support Our Railway!
by Juli Buker
Want to help our Railway in just a few seconds a day? As you scroll through social media, take a moment to give our Triangle Train posts a Like or Love, and if something really catches your eye, Share it to your page! A big thank-you to our loyal social media champions (looking at you, Kevin, Jimmy and Cindy!) who consistently engage with our posts. Every Like, Love, and Share helps boost our visibility. The more engagement our posts receive, the more Facebook and Instagram show them to others. If you aren’t seeing our posts, double-check that you’re following our Triangle Train Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as our new TikTok page. And if you’re not on social media but are willing to give it a try, I’d be happy to help you get started so you can join the fun and help us grow!

New Hope Valley Railway at the Neuse River Valley Club Train Show
by Tom HutchinsonOur garden railway volunteers displayed a modular G scale layout at the Neuse River Train Show at the North Carolina Sate State Fairgrounds on November 8-9. According to the NRV Club, they had record attendance of over 4,000 people, 500 vendors and 16 display layouts. We distributed our Santa ride flyers there and got email addresses of nine individuals who might be interested in garden railroading and/or the New Hope Valley Railway. We followed up with personal emails and added them to our email list.

Make a Tax-Free Gift to the NCRM from your IRA
by Marco Zarate
Help Us to Keep the Spirit of NC Railroading History On Track!
Do you know that you can make yearly gifts to the NC Railway Museum, Inc. through a direct transfer from your IRA without paying taxes on the amount you transfer. Because a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) goes directly from your IRA to the North Carolina Railway Museum, Inc., a qualified 501c(3) charity, without passing through your hands, you pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions. For information about how to make a direct transfer from your IRA, please consult your tax or financial adviser.

How it Works
You must be 70 ½ years old at the time of your gift.
You may transfer any amount, up to the maximum allowed by law, per year directly from your IRA to the NC Railway Museum, Inc.
If you must take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), you can use your Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to satisfy all or part of your obligation.
Your 2025 QCD gift must be received before December 31, 2025, to qualify for US tax savings this year.
Check should be mailed to: North Carolina Railway Museum, Inc. Attn: Rob Grau, Treasurer P.O. Box 40 New Hill, NC 27562-0040

For more information, please contact Marco A. Zarate.
YOUR IRA GIVING WILL SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS TO PRESERVE AND SHARE NORTH CAROLINA’S RAILROAD HISTORY!

Duke Campus Club Charter Ride
by Juli Buker
On November 19, 2025, the Day Trippers, a subgroup of the Duke Campus Club, visited the New Hope Valley Railway for an exciting day out at the Museum. Their experience included a private train ride, docent-led tours of multiple exhibits, and a tasty selection of lunch options from local food trucks. Group leaders Pat and Susan partnered closely with our own Velinda Chapman to plan the outing. Velinda crafted a thoughtful, well-organized tour schedule and coordinated a team of knowledgeable docents to guide the visitors. Jim Jatko, Art Kotz, Doc Majors, Jim Meade, and Victor Varney shared their expertise, while Don Imbriale and Paul Staller operated the Garden Railroad. Anita Hussey greeted guests while handing out Museum maps and I Spy game sheets, and was available after the train ride to answer questions. As always, many crew members and support volunteers played important roles in making the day a success.

As conductor, Charles Stirewalt safely coordinated the crew and kept the train on schedule. Rob Grau and Dennis Winchell operated the locos while Harold Boettcher worked as head-end brakeman. Brakemen included Paul Emerson, Jim Meade, Velinda Chapman, Dennis Blazier, and Art Kotz. Kevin Edwards wore two hats; superintendent and #309 Brakeman. Richard Gray was the dispatcher, Gary Wright manned the signals and Paul Del Bianco and Paul Giordano performed the track inspection. Cindy Grau worked the gift shop in her usual friendly and helpful manner. New member Chris Bowman worked as car host and trained as brakeman. Welcome to the crew, Chris!

At the end of their visit, Pat and Susan stated that they thoroughly enjoyed their experience and would be looking to return for another outing in the future. Susan even shared that it was the best event she’s attended in her eight years with the Day Trippers! Kudos to all who assisted with this charter, and a special thank you to Velinda for coordinating this event.

NHV Display at the Halle Center
by Tom Hutchinson
Again, this year, the New Hope Valley Railway has an operating O scale model train exhibit in the lobby of the Halle Center in Apex. We advertise our December rides there. Stop by if you are in the area when the Halle Center is open. No More Boxes, Please – by Chris Tilley Due to the overwhelming support by our members providing expertly wrapped empty gift boxes, we are now full and actually have a few to spare for next year! Thanks to everyone who contributed. Thanks also, for Anita and Jim for putting them in the overhead nets of the excursion cars.

Around the Yard