Next Business Meeting: 17 May

The May meeting will be hosted by Jay Beckham who lives near Berkley Springs, WV.  Contact southmountaindiv@gmail.com for the address and directions.   As always, the meeting will start at 2:00PM.

Jay’s Layout, in his words:

My layout concept is to model, in O scale, the Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend Railroad in the 60s, the time I first saw it in person.  I have always had an interest in traction, and interurbans in particular. It was the railroad I modeled when we first moved into this house.  Then, for a period of time, I changed to modeling the PRR.  Now I am back to the South Shore.  I am trying to use as much of the old layout as possible as far as track design but a mid-western railroad is certainly different from the PRR that I was modeling.  We have redesigned the CTC to suit the South Shore.  Trying to use as many of my many buildings, most of which were scratch built.  Also have corrected most of the track to a 60” minimum radius and from #5 to #6 or larger turnouts.

Following the business meeting Jay will be presenting a clinic addressing the use of AI in model railroading.

This will be the last meeting of the 2025 / 2026 program year.

2026 – 2027 SMD Meetings

It is not too early to start thinking about next year’s meeting.  If you would like to host a meeting next year let us know now.  Volunteer now to get your choice of months to be the host.  We have already received an offer to host the October meeting so we only need 8 more of you to take the plunge.

From the Desk of the Superintendent; May 2026

Daniel Mulhearn NMRA, MER, South Mountain Division Superintendent 2025-2027

Our April Division meeting was quite productive as to getting prepared to host the 2027 Mid East Region annual convention.  Alex will be our Convention Chair dealing with liaison to the Region and the world at large as well as assisting The Convention Manager.  Convention Manager will be the nuts and bolts guy and Bob Johnson has stepped up to assume that role.

Division members who can be available for staffing at the convention, host open house sessions and perhaps op sessions at their home layouts and potential clinic presenters need to be identified.  Steve King has volunteered to help with that.  Layout open houses will be spreads over several days.

Pete and Jane Clarke are working with their fellows at the East Broad Top to provide an event at the EBT during the convention.  That event will be a self drive or carpool event.

Andrew Dodge MMR has volunteered to work on our presentation to be given at this fall’s MER Convention promoting our event.  The Regional Convention Committee does a lot of the work involved in planning for the convention, but there is plenty for us to do.

As was mentioned at the April meeting, I am facing some medical issues.  I’ve consulted with caregivers at Penn State Neurology and will probably undergo their recommended Deep Brain Stimulus (DBS) surgery.  This entails two day surgeries and one involving at least an overnight stay.  I’m told the chances of complications or extended “down” time is minimal.  So I am hoping to be an active participant in our Division activities and especially our hosting of the 2027 convention.

2026 / 2027 Officers Election

The only elected positions on the SMD management staff are the Superintendent (president), Clerk (secretary) and Paymaster (treasurer). The officers elected at the April meeting are as follows.

  • Superintendent – Dan Mulhearn
  • Clerk – Jeff Adams
  • Paymaster – Ray Price

Next Business Meeting: 12 APR

The April meeting was scheduled to be hosted by Fred L.  Unfortunately, he had to cancel due to medical issues so a call was sent out for a new host.

The April meeting is very important since we will be electing officers and discussing the 2027 convention planning process in detail.  No hosting offers were received so Bob J. has offered to host at his home in Jefferson, Maryland.  Please make a special effort to attend this meeting to elect 2026 / 2027 officers and discuss hosting the 2027 convention.

The April meeting will be a repeat visit this program year. Bob hosted in October of 2025 but assures us that there have been a number of new scenery items added to the West Virginia Midland since then.

West Virginia Midland RR (WVM)

The WVM is a standard gauge short line operation that features steep grades and lots of geared engines.  The Midland is a “what might have been” railroad inspired by the prototype West Virginia Midland and is set in the early summer of 1954.  The only catch is that the real WVM was a narrow-gauge line that went out of business in 1930.  In my world the WVM survived the great depression, converted to standard gauge and prospered during World War Two.  Like the prototype, the WVM is based in and around Webster Springs, W. Va. and connects with the B&O on the west end and the Western Maryland on the east end.

Contact southmountaindiv@gmail.com for the address and directions.  Please park along the street in from of the house walk down the driveway, and enter through the basement door to the rear of the house.  Direction signs will be posted.

Upcoming meeting
  • 17 May, Jay Beckham at Berkley Springs, WV.

NOTE: This is the 3rd Sunday  of the month, to avoid Mother’s Day conflict.

Jay will be presenting a clinic addressing the use of AI in model railroading.  This will be the last meeting of the 2025 / 2026 program year.

Reminder:

SMD membership meetings are always the 2nd Sunday of the month at 2 p.m. The only exception is due to Mother’s Day in May, which will take place one week later, on the 3rd Sunday.

Please consider hosting a meeting sometime during the 2026 – 2027 program year. Email southmountaindiv@gmail.com. We try to avoid back-to-back repeat visits so if you have never hosted, or it has been a year or so since you did, give it a thought.

Meeting Hosts Needed:

We need volunteers to step up as hosts. Your layout doesn’t need to be large, or finished, or even operational. Without hosts we cannot hold our meetings. Repeat hosts (within the past year) are okay but we really would like to see some layouts that we have not visited for a couple of year or never seen at all.

If you would like to host, or have any questions concerning hosting please contact your Division superintendent at southmountaindiv@gmail.com.

Mini-Clinics:

It has long been the policy of the SMD to present mini-clinics at each meeting. In some  cases clinics are conducted by the host. However, not every host is in a position to do so. We are asking for members to volunteer to develop and present mini-clinics at meetings to fill these gaps.

If you can to do a mini-clinic please contact your Division superintendent at southmountaindiv@gmail.com.

From the Desk of the Superintendent; APR 2026

Daniel Mulhearn NMRA, MER, South Mountain Division Superintendent 2025-2026.

As April approaches, we have finally seen some warm days and I’m sure we are looking forward to many more.  While the season will see us out and about more on trips, chores and other outdoor activities; model railroading will continue to be important.  The April Division meeting will be our annual nominations and elections.  Elected offices are Superintendent, Paymaster and Company Clerk.  In addition, there are appointed positions currently filled by volunteers.  We are grateful for these folks who give of their time and expertise.  These include our AP Rep, webmaster, newsletter editor and publisher.  Should you have an interest in helping or serving in any of these positions, please talk to us.  This is not to say we are not happy with those who are currently serving who wish to remain in their position.

The fall of 2027 is not that far off and we need to get serious on planning for the Division’s role in hosting the 2027 MER Convention.  The Region will provide the Registrar, Convention Treasurer, and handle AP Contest/Judging functions.  There is quite a laundry list of responsibilities for the Local Convention Committee (LCC) to attend to.  To begin, we must identify those Division members willing and able to serve on the LCC.  We need to provide a Convention Chairman, an Assistant Chairman, a Treasurer to work with the MER Treasurer, a Webmaster and of course, volunteers to work the clinic rooms, the outside rail and non-rail activities, contest room staffing and general hosting duties.

Here’s hoping to see you at our April Division meeting.

2026 / 2027 Officers Election

The only elected positions on the SMD management staff are the Superintendent (president), Clerk (secretary) and Paymaster (treasurer).  The current nominated candidates can be found at this link.  Additional candidates can be nominated from the floor at the April meeting.

2026 / 2027 Program Year Officer Candidates

The following SMD members are your proposed slate of officers for the 2026 / 2027 program year as established at the 08 March meeting.
  • Superintendent:  Dan Mulhearn
  • Clerk:  Jeff Adams
  • Paymaster:  Ray Price

No additional candidates were proposed from the floor.

The slate of candidates, as noted above, plus any additional candidates nominated from the floor, are slated for a vote at the 12 April meeting.  As per SMD bylaws this web post and corresponding email to the active membership constitutes the second reading of the slate of candidates as it currently stands.

All other positions within the Division are appointed by the superintendent.  As of this time all current appointed position holders have indicated that they will continue to serve during the 2026 / 2027 program year.  In addition, the incumbent superintendent, Dan Mulhearn, has indicated that, if elected, he will officially appoint an assistant superintendent to provide better continuity on those occasions where he cannot attend a meeting or event.  Division member Bob Johnson indicated that he would be willing to serve in the position with the stipulation that Johnson will not advance to the role of superintendent at any point in the future.

The scheduled host for the 12 April meeting has had to cancel due to health issues. So we currently do not have a meeting location.  Anyone interested in hosting should contact Dan Mulhearn as soon as possible. 

If you would like to host, or have any questions concerning hosting please contact your Division superintendent at southmountaindiv@gmail.com.