Charleston Area Model Railroad Club

Having gone through this ourselves recently with our own arduous move we greatly sympathize with the guys at the CB&W model railroad club. Please consider donating to them to help them secure their building.

Since 1973 the Chesapeake Bay and Western Model Railroad Club has brought entertainment and community involvement to Grafton and the surrounding 757 area as Virginia's Largest Model Railroad Layout. Since then, the CB&W has relied solely on monetary donations, physical item donations, and club member monthly dues. Since the mid 2000's we have been a registered 501c3 Non Profit organization.

In 2026, the future of the Chesapeake Bay and Western Model Railroad Club is very uncertain. We may lose our current Clubhouse. As many know, we moved into our current location back in 1982, and have been a local staple ever since. Our layout is completely permanent. There is nothing mobile about custom benchwork, glued track, scenery, and miles of electrical wiring that have been in daily use for well over 40+ years.

Unlike most businesses and organizations, we have rented this Clubhouse since 1982. If we lose the Clubhouse, there will be no more CB&W. We do not have the available members, the reusable resources, and we simply do not have the finances to start all over from scratch like we did in 1982. We MUST purchase this building.

We are looking for donations of any kind to help us raise the money to save our Clubhouse from being suddenly sold. We have set up a donation link connected to our PayPal profile. If you feel inclined to help us preserve Virginia's Largest Model Railroad Layout, please consider a donation.

EDIT: To answer the numerous questions of “How much money do you need to raise?”, and others like it:

We on the Public Relations team are not at liberty to publish the exact number just yet. Once that number is provided to us by our Board of Directors, we will publish it on a new post across our various social media channels. Rest assured, the donated money from the link below is directly deposited into our Building Fund. If the current Clubhouse cannot be purchased or saved, the allocated funds will be used to move the CB&W to a new location.

Click here to donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=2C6UJKGSRACD6

Every railroad begins long before the first whistle echoes across the rails.

Before the fire is lit in the locomotive’s firebox, before steam fills the cylinders, and before the train ever leaves the station, there is work to be done.

These photos capture that moment.

What you see here are the first pieces of our next chapter—layout sections carefully stored, boxes waiting to be unpacked, and years of history preparing for a new beginning. The railroad isn’t running yet. The tracks haven’t been connected. The scenery hasn’t been rebuilt.

In railroad terms, the locomotive is in the roundhouse, the crew is reporting for duty, and the fireman hasn’t struck the first match.

But make no mistake—the journey is underway.

For now, this is just a small glimpse behind the scenes as we begin the careful process of rebuilding what so many have enjoyed over the years. There is a long road ahead, but every great railroad starts with a single length of track.

The station remains unnamed.
The timetable has not been published.
The locomotive waits quietly.

But preparations for departure have begun.

Stay tuned. 🚂

Tonight, the showroom lights at our Citadel Mall location were turned off for the final time.

For 17 wonderful years, the Charleston Area Model Train Club has called the Citadel Mall home. Together we've shared our passion for railroading, welcomed countless visitors, inspired future hobbyists, and created memories that will last a lifetime.

While it's bittersweet to close this chapter, this is not the end of our journey—it's the beginning of a new one.

As the lights go out here, we can assure you that they will shine again in the future. Our next destination is closer than you may think, and we look forward to sharing exciting news about our new home soon.

To everyone who visited, volunteered, supported, and helped make these past 17 years so special: thank you. You are the reason our club has thrived.

The trains may have stopped running at Citadel Mall, but the journey continues.

Stay tuned. The next station arriving soon.

The final days of this chapter of our story at Citadel Mall are here, and the last 17 years have been nothing short of incredible. As we prepare to turn the page and begin a fresh new adventure, we can’t help but reflect on all the memories, friendships, and stories that brought us to this moment.

We’re excited for what the next chapter will bring and all the new stories still waiting to be written.

To every single person who has supported us over the years — whether by liking a post, sharing our journey, or visiting the showroom — thank you. Your support has meant the world to us, and we truly can’t wait to welcome you back again soon.

Final push of the layout move. Keep an eye out if your in west Ashley this afternoon. Any guesses were we are headed?

Tonight was an emotional one as our sign was removed from the halls of Citadel Mall, where it proudly hung for the past 17 years. As this chapter of our story rapidly approaches its final stop.

Like a rail scanner suddenly picking up faint chatter from somewhere down the line… you know something is coming. You can hear it in the distance. You just don’t quite know what it is or do you?

Has anyone seen any of our layouts on the move around the West Ashley Area? The show room is starting to look a lot different than it did before.

Big moves are happening today. A convoy of trucks has departed the showroom, headed for a destination yet to be revealed. Are they bound for the storage tracks… or rolling toward a brand-new station? Only time will tell 👀.

Calling All Friends & Visitors 🚂

As we prepare to close this chapter of our story and look ahead to what comes next, we’re asking for a small favor from our extended railroad family.

Over the years, so many of you have walked through our doors, watched trains wind through the layouts, and shared in the magic of miniature railroading with us. Along the way, many of you captured those moments in photos — snapshots of layouts, visiting guests, special events, and the simple joy of trains in motion.

We would love for you to share those memories with us.

📸 If you’ve taken photos at the club over the years, please post them in the comments below as mementos of the journeys we’ve shared together. Each image is another car in the long train of our history — helping preserve the story of what we built together as a community.

As the final whistle of this chapter approaches, your photos will help keep the memory of our layouts, our members, and our visitors rolling down the tracks for years to come.

Thank you for being part of our story, for riding the rails with us, and for helping keep the spirit of model railroading alive in Charleston.

All aboard for memories that never truly reach the end of the line. 🚂💨

The HO scale layout is no more. Work is progressing well on the tear down of the layouts. Move out day is approaching fast for us. Just like an Amber light on the Distance Signal. Waiting for that Green Signal to Drop.