N scale attractions near Chantilly, VA

[Dave Schneider]

Hello all,

I will be in Chantilly, VA next week Mon-Fri and wondering whether there were any decent hobby shops or other attractions that are worth while. I have a couple of partly free afternoons but the days are pretty full.  I do plan on going to the Air and Space Museum on Friday as my plane doesn't leave Dulles until 2 pm. I am also in the market for some country ham (the mega salty variety). Any suggestions? Good places to eat or drink?

Thanks. Best wishes, Dave

[Bob Bufkin]

No hobby shops I can think of for miles near there.  The museum is probably you best bet.  The NS tracks aren't even that near. 

[davidgray1974]

Just looked in the back of my Model Railroader magazine in the Retail Directory and there is a shop called the Train Depot located at 13944-I Willard Rd Chantilly, VA.  They offer all scales G - Z. 703-953-3767

[GaryHinshaw]

The Dulles corridor itself is dominated by mid-tech office parks, shopping centers, and vinyl-clad town homes.  I'm not familiar with any of the shops in the area, but if you want a more bucolic setting to offset the endless suburbia, try the Manassas Battlefield Park, which is nearby. Or head up north of Leesburg to the Potomac, especially the stretch from Point of Rocks to Harpers Ferry, where the CSX runs.  Point of Rocks is about a 40 min drive from Chantilly, so you'd need a few hours to make that trip worthwhile.

-Gary

P.S. If you have access to time travel, go back to 2004, when the N Scale convention was held in Chantilly.  That was supposed to have been a good one!

[Dave Schneider]

Gary,

Thanks for the info. I had in my head that there was some connection between Chantilly and N scale....I see now that I am a little late for that. I like the idea of heading up to Harper's Ferry as I have never been there. 

David, thanks for looking up the hobby shop information. I appreciate it.

Best wishes, Dave

[Bob Bufkin]

As someone who attended that convention I can say that it was one of the best times I ever had.  Great convention and show.

[jnevis]

Train Depot is small, and has little to no N or HO.  They have a couple small display cases of older, typically used stuff.  I have OCCASIONALLY found a gem in there (a basically new Atlas Dash 8-40C $40) but nothing special.  Piper Hobby is just up the road and has a little bit of trains but s primarily plasic kits, but the staff is a good bunch of guys. 

I'm up there a  few times a month and really isn't much besides shopping malls of various sizes and offices.  To bad you're not leaving later, I'll be there late Fri evening for the weekend.

[Virginia Atlantic]

There are no quality train-focussed hobby shops in Northern Virginia.

Save your effort.  You will not find one.