Black Cat Station

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Black Cat Station, in North Wilkesboro, N.C., is the home of the Yadkin Valley Chapter<www.yadkinvalleynrhs.com> of the National Railway Historical Society <www.nrhs.com>, which operates a large HO scale model railroad layout. The building, located at 800 Elizabeth Street, formerly housed the Wilkes Art Gallery.

In 1999, the Town of North Wilkesboro agreed to lease this 800 Elizabeth Street building to the chapter. The move was completed late in 2004 when renovations to the new gallery, in the downtown area, were completed. The building was renamed "Black Cat Station" as a reference to the Black Cat Sandwich Shop, one of the early tenants in the building. Over the years, the building has been home to a service station, beauty parlor, variety store and WKBC Radio before being sold to the town by members of the Cashion family. In January 2006, the town approved a new five-year lease, with an automatic five-year extension, for the building. Work began on the chapter's large HO model railroad layout early in 2005. The layout includes five lines, each approximately 135 feet in length, around the main room. The first of those lines, designated as the freight line, was completed, and the first trains were run in September, 2005. All five of the lines were in operation by mid-July, 2006. On Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006, the chapter hosted its first open house for a model railroad club from the Concord area. One week later, the chapter hosted its first public house, and plans were announced to host open houses on the second Saturday of each month. The president of the chapter is Charles S. Williams.