Category: News

RPM-East 2019 Announced

Photo and model by Eric Hansmann

Make plans to attend RPM-East!

It is time to make your RPM-East plans and rekindle your modeling efforts after a long, cold winter! Two months remain until this prototype modeler gathering in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There will be plenty of action March 22 & 23.

  • Two days of prototype and model presentations
  • Large display room to share your modeling efforts and learn new techniques
  • Variety of vendors selling goods for prototype modeling
  • Thursday evening operating sessions on local model railroads
  • Informal Saturday buffet
  • Sunday model railroad layouts to visit

Early bird registration is only $35 (until March 1), with an additional banquet cost of $29.

There is a special hotel room rate of $95 per night.

Registration forms, hotel information and more can be found at the RPM-East website:

http://www.hansmanns.org/rpm_east/index.htm

RPM-East is sponsored by Division 2, MCR-NMRA.

The following modelers and historians are committed for our meet.

John Albert, Keith Albright, David Bott, Brian Carlson, Ted Culotta, Larry DeYoung, Jim Elster, John Greene, Bill Hanley, Eric Hansmann, Ron Hoess, Bernard Kempinski, Dennis Lippert, Rick Mahaney, Bob Meier, Bill Neale, David Owens, Jim Panza, Dave Ramos, Ramon Rhodes, Greg Smith, Robert Sprague, Steve Stewart, Mont Switzer, John Teichmoeller, David Wilson, and Kaylee Zheng.

Presentation titles will be posted soon to the RPM-East website. A tentative presentation schedule will be posted to the website in February.

Set your schedule and register now for RPM-East!

MER Seeks Directors

Mid-Eastern Region

THE MER NEEDS YOU!

Yes, you! If you are a member in good standing and want to support your region with good ideas and real involvement, we need you to volunteer to serve as one of the three Directors for the region. The MER Board of Directors meets 3 times per year, with one at the convention. The deadline for nomination is May 30, 2019 and term of office is two years, with a limit of two terms.

This year there are three Director slots up for election. Any MER member in good standing can nominate him/herself by contacting and supplying to any member of the nominating committee the required photo and a 200 word (max) statement outlining his/her interest and qualifications for the position by May 30. Additionally, candidates may supply a 500 word statement suitable for placement on the MER Web site. Nominees who meet criteria and the submission deadline with all of their required materials shall be placed on the ballot.

You can make a difference by giving something back to the hobby you thoroughly enjoy. This is your chance. Successful completion of three years in office fulfills most of the requirement for the Achievement Program “Association Official” certificate. Please respond in one e-mail to all three committee members to insure reception of your nomination!

NOMINATING COMMITTEE:

Deadlines and Schedules for 2019

Nominations and Balloting

Our by-laws require the publication of deadlines and schedules for nominations and balloting for every year to be published in the first issue of The Local of that same year. The dates schedule for nominations, ballot and election results are in Executive Handbook, Section 5, Policies, Article VI. The dates for 2019 are:

  • May 30, 2019 — Deadline for receipt of self-nominations sent to the Nominations Committee. Date for Nominations Committee to notify Board of Directors of slate of nominees validated by the Business Manager.
  • July 7, 2019 — You must be a member in good standing (paid up NMRA dues) based on the membership report supplied to the MER Business Manager from NMRA
  • National as of 07/07 (the 7th of July) of every election year to be eligible to vote. If an individual is not a member or if membership has expired as indicated by that record supplied to the MER, and the MER officials have not been informed by NMRA National of a valid renewal of membership by 07/07 (the 7th of July), such individual will not receive a ballot nor be permitted to vote in that year’s election.
  • August 1, 2019 — Deadline for mailing paper ballots to members and for commencing electronic voting; could be mailed earlier depending on other deadline requirements.
  • September 3, 2019 — Deadline for electronic voting, also last day as shown by postmark for mailing paper ballots.
  • September 7, 2019 — Deadline for receipt by Balloting Committee of paper ballots sent by mail.
  • September 14, 2019 — Deadline for Ballot Committee to transmit results to President, the Director overseeing this committee, and the Business Manager.
  • September 21, 2019 — Deadline for The President to communicate the election results to candidates. The Business Manager also notifies the MER Web Master and the NMRA of the election results.
  • October 10, 2019 — Deadline for publishing election results on MER-NMRA website

[Content duplicated from MER, January/February, The Local -Ed.]

HMRRM Model Train Sale

Sampling of train and railroad items for sale a the winter train show 2016.

The HAGERSTOWN MODEL RAILROAD MUSEUM  hosts a Model Train Sale three times a year to promote the hobby and to raise funds to continue the  restoration of the historic Antietam Station located at 17230 Shepherdstown Pike, Sharpsburg, MD.

The Hagerstown Model Railroad Museum (HMRRM) is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1937 and is active in promoting the hobby to the general public.   The  HMRRM was formed as a charitable, educational, literary, historical, scientific, and technological society and museum to promote to the public the historical, cultural, and economic importance of railroading to Hagerstown and the surrounding communities.

What:               Model Train Sale

What is it:        Model Train Sale regarding railroading and model railroading.

When:              Saturday, February 9, 2019

Where:            Washington County Ag Center, 7313 Sharpsburg Pike (Near Sharpsburg, MD  (6.5 mile south of I-70 on Rt 65)

Time:               9am – 2pm

Cost:                $5 adults, under 12 free.

Contact Info:

Email:  Hmrrm@myactv.net

Phone:  301-800-9829

Web Site: www.antietamstation.com

Show directions:  Follow I -70 to Rt 65 (exit 29); use Rt 65 south for approximately 6.5 miles to the Washington County Ag Center; 7313 Sharpsburg Pike; Boonsboro, MD 21713.  Loacted on the left side of the road.  Show is in the buildings at the rear of the center.

January Business Meeting

I’m writing to let you all know that we’re going ahead with our February meeting at Pete & Jane Clarke’s home this afternoon. That said, I certainly understand the weather situation, and I want to caution safety first, just like on the real railroad! If you don’t feel comfortable traveling, please, stay home and don’t risk it.
Currently, it appears that all the major thoroughfares in and out of Damascus are clear but wet. The same can not be said of side roads and residential areas, however. Pete cautions that his own street has not been plowed, and there is a chance but no guarantee it will be plowed by 2PM. He advises the snow is roughly 3 inches at his home, and vehicles have been up and down his street. With caution, it should be okay, but again, please defer to your better judgement. Stay safe, and I hope to see a few of you soon!

Alex Polimeni, superintendent, NMRA South Mountain Division. (Tom Fedor)

Hey there,

I hope everyone had a happy holiday season. I want to invite you all to our January meeting at Pete & Jane Clarke’s this coming Sunday, January 13th. Doors open at 2PM, with the business meeting to follow no later than 2:30PM, per the format we’ve discussed at the last couple of meetings to let folks to get home earlier. If you’d like to catch up on all that, you can find last month’s minutes here: http://smdnmra.org/blog/2019/01/03/draft-meeting-minutes-december-8-2018/.

PLEASE BE AWARE, we are under a winter weather advisory through Sunday! We’ll be keeping an eye on the conditions and, if the roads get too bad, I’ll notify everyone again should we need to cancel the meeting. If you have any questions, please call or text me at (540) 532-6244.

The door to the basement is in through the kitchen. For anybody who attended our December meeting, Pete and Jane live only a few streets away, so, watch those speed cameras. Please call or email me at southmountaindiv@gmail.com for their street address.

Pete and Jane model the East Broad Top in HO Scale. With scenery all but entirely complete, the layout features many vignettes and examples of fine detailing evocative of the prototype. Even having visited the EBT only once, I found Orbisonia’s landmarks instantly recognizable. Their rendition of the EBT is an operating layout, using waybills, a fast clock, and Time Table & Train Order, and a testament to just how much railroad you can fit in a small space! 

In lieu of a clinic, I’d like to have a round table discussion about… our membership meetings! Not only do we want to encourage and facilitate the open houses which double as our meeting spaces, I want to hear what you have to say regarding what we could do differently or perhaps, even better.

Stay safe this weekend, and I hope to see you all soon!

Alex Polimeni

Superintendent