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 2025 – 2026 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.

Next Business Meeting: 08 MAR

The 08 March Division business meeting will be hosted in Damascus, MD by Pete and Jane Clarke on Sunday at 2:00 PM.

Contact southmountaindiv@gmail.com for their address and directions.

Modeling the East Broad Top in Damascus Maryland

We model the East Broad Top Railroad in 1926. The EBT was a narrow-gauge line that ran from coal mines in the Robertsdale area of the mountains to an iron furnace in Orbisonia/Rockhill Furnace and then up to Mount Union where there was a coal cleaning plant, refractory brick plants, and an interchange with the Pennsylvania Railroad.

By 1926 the iron furnace was long gone, but on our version, it has been re-opened by the current owners, the Madeira Hill Co. The furnace consumes large amounts of coal (which needs to be coked first), limestone, and iron ore. Its output is pig iron which is then taken to Mt. Union. This has added a great deal of operational interest to the railroad. The fact that the iron furnace has reopened created a renewed need for iron ore and limestone. Both those had been mined along the Shade Gap branch of the EBT. So, the Shade Gap branch, which had fallen on hard times since the furnace closed in 1908, has been rebuilt. In Shade Gap this line serves limestone and iron ore mines. In Neelyton (the end of the Shade Gap branch) it serves the ganister mine for the refractory brick plants in Mt. Union and a lumber mill. Both towns also get miscellaneous freight and have coal dealers for home heating.

The layout is in a 20’ x 26’ basement and is fully scenicked. It’s early fall, so it’s still warm in the valley but cold on the mountain. Both of us work on models. Jane scratch built the Orbisonia station and roundhouse, Pete the company store and houses in Robertsdale. The excellent models of Ewings Mill and Neelyton station were built by Frank Benenati. Other structures are kits (many by White Ground) or kit bashed. There are still models to be done, but there’s at least a stand-in for every structure so the layout looks complete.

All trains are powered by steam engines (by Hallmark and one Blackstone), all but two have sound. The gas-electric M-1 (with sound) handles a portion of the mail train run.

Trains run on TT/TO with a 4:1 fast clock. Control is Digitrax DCC (Simplex) using radio throttles. Car cards, timetable, instructions, and an operator’s guide let guest operators know how to run trains. The EBT is a heavy-duty, busy railroad. Only the Shade Gap branch runs with a more relaxed narrow gauge feel. All trains do their own switching, so all operators should expect plenty of work to do. While the passenger train does not have much switching of cars, that operator is required to record the sacks of mail picked up and dropped off in each town. There is one yard operator, we call that job the furnace shifter. Please let us know if you’d like to get on the crew call list!

Unfortunately, our basement is not handicapped-accessible.

Clinic — After the meeting, Pete & Jane will discuss the ongoing rebuilding of the EBT (12 inch to the foot version).

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 2025 – 2026 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:

The SMD is in need, emergency need, you might say.   Our host for the April meeting has unfortunately had a medical emergency and has had to cancel.    We are therefore asking if another of our members could jump  on short notice to host our April meeting.  This is our first year in a long time that we will be having an April meeting since April has always been the month of our Mini-Con for many years.   If someone could come forth, their generosity would be greatly appreciated. 

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; MAR 2026

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

The South Mountain Division February meeting was, unfortunately, called due to snow. Parking at the meeting location would have been difficult.

The 08 March Division business meeting will be hosted in Damascus, MD by Pete and Jane Clarke on Sunday at 2:00 PM. I will not be able to attend the meeting as I will be out of town. A very good friend in southern West Virginia has received devastating health news. I was a regular operator on their layout for many years. On Saturday there will be a final op session on the layout. I feel I must attend with many other old friends. I am requesting Bob Johnson to sit in for me.

The MER annual convention handbook has landed in my mailbox. It is quite detailed and extensive, spelling  out what exactly the MER Convention Committee will do and what the Division is required to do. Our first priority is to locate a suitable venue for the event. I have heard from Alan Mende at Susquehanna Division and he feels that Division would have no objection to us considering Gettysburg. Alan feels that would be an excellent venue, however we need to be certain the time of our convention does not conflict with an annual motorcycle enthusiast’s gathering at Gettysburg.

The members of the Division need to be considering officers for the 2026-2027 program year. I am willing to take on another term as superintendent, although I am dealing with slowly increasing symptoms from my Parkinsons. The time may come when I will have to stop driving and that will be that. We need a paymaster (treasurer) and a clerk (secretary) as well. Our current treasurer may be willing to continue; but we know the current volunteer as secretary would like to be relieved of that responsibility. I do feel that we should have an assistant superintendent for situations where the superintendent may be absent or otherwise require assistance.

Spring is ready to arrive with it’s outdoor chores and activities. But, keep enjoying our wonderful hobby also.