TV Celebrity Purchases Iconic Rocky Hill Railroad Home, Joins the Club

"Impractical Joker" comedian from Princeton is a railroad enthusiast. He will keep the museum-quality model railroad in the basement - and join the club.

By Barbara A. Preston and Lea Florentine | Posted May 16, 2025

The star of truTV’s hit show Impractical Jokers — James “Murr” Murray — and his wife Melyssa purchased a five-bedroom home on a two-acre lot in Rocky Hill in April. It's a regular home, however, it gets about 1,000 visitors a year, has an extensive model railroad setup in the basement, and is home to a 30-member non-profit club that wants to keep their masterpiece intact, but could not afford to purchase the property.

From left: Melyssa and James "Murr" Murray in basement of their new property. (Photo courtesy of the Murrays).

“Usually, when a house with a layout goes up for sale, the first thing the real estate agent does — after recovering from the shock of finding a miniature world in the basement — is to tell the seller everything has to be removed before the house can be listed,” according to Eric White, editor, of a national trade magazine called “Model Railroader.”

After reading an article in The Montgomery News, and other places, Murr decided to investigate.

"I said to Melyssa, 'Let's go check this place out.' Rocky Hill is right here! Just 10 miles away from our house."

The day before the property went on sale to the public, the Murrays bought the house.

Video by The Montgomery News affiliate: Central New Jersey Network (CNJN)

To get an idea of what the basement looks like, watch the video. CNJN takes viewers on a guided tour through the 5,000-square-foot HO scale layout. The model railroad has grown steadily since its founding in 1964. With more than 12,000 feet of hand-laid track, a fully dispatched signal system, and regularly scheduled operations, the Pacific Southern isn’t just a model — it’s a functioning railroad in miniature.

Who Is Murr?

Murr is an unusual fellow.

Above, scenes from his TV show, Impractical Jokers. Visit Geek Central to learn more.

He and two of his lifelong friends star in "Impractical Jokers," in which they compete to embarrass each in public in a reality-television-style program. Comedians Sal, Q, and Murr dare each other to say or do something in public. The comedian who refuses, loses the episode and must endure a punishment. The show mixes hidden cameras and pranks.

Rocky Hill neighbors of Murr and Melyssa will find them to be down-to-earth and kind.

Murr owns model trains, which he keeps in boxes in the basement of his Princeton home. "I was a massive train buff, early on," he told The Montgomery News. "I also have nine books [publiished]. My first book trilogy came out a few years ago — all take place on trains — specifically the New York City Transit System. I'm obsessed with trains."

The Murrays do not plan to live in the Rocky Hill home. "We decided to buy the house, secure the [non-profit] train club for as long as they want to be in business, and Melyssa will move her candle company — No. 95 Candles — into the home, and we are going to run No. 95 Charity out of the home," Murr told The Montgomery News.

"Our annual Alzheimer’s charity event to benefit the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research has raised more than $200k for the Fisher Center," Murr said.

The Murrays hope to hold their annual Alzheimer's fundraiser on their Rocky Hill property this year, on Saturday, October 25, 2025 from 7 pm-10 pm. Click here to buy tickets to the family friendly event, including DJ, dancing, singing, No. 95 Candles limited edition product, an auction, rides for the kids, and ---- trains!

Who Is Melyssa?

Melyssa has a degree in geriatric care, nursing. "She had started at an eldercare facility in 2020 and when COVID hit, she had to pivot. She went back to school and got her master's in business from Rutgers University and started a candle company from our home. It took over our entire basement, the garage, the office was downstairs. Over the years, the company has grown, so she is shipping out thousands of candles a year, and we were out of space," said Murr.

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The Murrays purchased the Rocky Hill home from Ann Pate, who lived in the iconic home for nine years, hosting annual model train shows and the Pacific Southern Railway Club with her husband Carlton “Carl” Pate III, who died of cancer in 2024. Carl was a miniature railroad enthusiast, and had, in fact, purchased the home in 2016 because it came with an extensive model railroad setup in the basement.

Murr said he is committed to preserving the railroad history of the house, to inspiring new generations, and supporting the Rocky Hill EMS and the Fire Company. He paid to launch a new website, designed a new logo for the club, has added new virtual memberships, expanded outreach programs, and will be adding modern technology that connects enthusiasts around the world.

"Pacific Southern is entering its next great era. We plan to do really cool stuff," Murr said. "We are building a train club room at the entrance to the train club. It will look like a train car."

A model of the new Pacific Southern club room. (Screen shot from Montgomery News interview).

"Already, we've done a lot of improvements," Murr said. " So, if you go up to the home now, you are going to see a white picket fence -- when we open the house up to the public, the whole property will be open to the public."

The Pacific Southern open house will be November 21 and 22 this year, to raise money for the Rocky Hill Fire Department and the Rocky Hill First Aid and Rescue Squad.

"In the yard, we will have rides there for the kids, I'll move my trains in the garage and they can play with that, the garage will be made into a game room, "he added.

In the weeks since the Murrays have owned the house, the club is back in full swing. Members are back in the basement, having multiple train sessions throughout the week. They had an open house on Saturday for train club aficionados from the national railroad association.

"We've just launched a brand new website on Monday. It's now modernized. You apply on the website to become a member. You can be an active, in person member or a virtual member. Most people don't live in Jersey. So now, you can become a virtual member, or a junior member for kids, and you get biweekly videos from me on the club.

"You could be in Omaha, or in the Philippines, it doesn't matter," Murr said. "You can be a member of the club. The idea is that the world needs to know about Pacific Southern."

Virtual members get free tickets to the open house in the fall, they get swag for free, videos from Murr every two weeks, from the house, interviewing different train club members. He said it will be interesting, exclusive content, and you don't have to be anywhere near New Jersey.

Pacific Southern Railway (PS) Club members with Murr and Melyssa. (Photo courtesy of the Murrays)

Pacific Southern Railway (PS) member Jeff Bernardis was elected president of the club shortly after Carl Pate’s death. He said he appreciates the social media and marketing savvy that new owner James Murray brings to the table.

“He didn’t want to just buy the house; he wanted to participate in the club,” Bernardis told The Montgomery News.

Club member Ameen Ghannam added, “The ability to stay where we are in the former Pate home in Rocky Hill was critical. The reality is that the railroad was not meant to be moved. It would have been dismantled into pieces; probably destined for a warehouse and ultimately disposed of. The fact that [Murr] came forward to purchase the home and the layout provides a new lease on life for the club.”

Ghannam continued, “We also need leadership that understands how to make the PS more well-known and visible in the local community. Murray has excellent skills in this regard with his own career and ability to market his personal brand. Bringing these skills to the leadership of the club will be critical for its future survival.”

Ghannam elaborates on members’ thoughts on the future of the club. “Many of us feel it’s critical to bring in new members and ‘grow’ the club. Murr understands the need to bring new and younger members of the community into this hobby and to join the club. I believe with his celebrity, his visibility, and his resources for online marketing he will achieve this critical objective.”

Ghannam said the new website, online store of PS merchandise, and more frequent open houses for the local community will help engage the club with the public and bring new members as well.

Bernardis likens the PS’ virtual memberships to a GoFundMe, with benefits. “It’s an opportunity to donate to the club and also have access to constant communication from the club, and videos that James will be posting. The railroad is 60 years old. We were operating on a shoestring, and there are things we’d like to do.”

Bernardis says members participated in developing a new logo for the PS. He notes that the new logo incorporates the old logo on the nose of the locomotive, and also lists the PS’s website address below.

Ghannam sums up his thoughts on the PS’ new owner. “James is putting a lot of energy into this. He has the passion for the hobby and wants to continue the legacy of this institution which is great.”

Bernardis concludes, “I’m extremely happy with the way things turned out. Members have new vigor and there’s been a good turnout. We have our railroad back; we’re very happy. I’m looking forward to it.” #