2022 Clinic List
(SUBJECT OT CHANGE)
Randy Laframboise - Modelling the Milk on the Rutland RR Mainline Subdivision - Discussion for this clinic will be based around prototype operations, facilities, and equipment for the movement of milk from farms in Vermont’s Champlain Valley to the Boston and NYC markets and how Mike Sparks and Randy Laframboise modelled this industry in the 1950’s on their layout.
Jim Dufour - State Line Redo or Build a Better Bog - Jim’s clinic begins with a brief historical overview of the railroad station at State Line, New Hampshire. State Line is one of five prototype stations that Jim is modeling on his HO scale rendition of the Boston & Maine Railroad’s Cheshire Branch circa 1947-48. Jim will then describe the steps involved to completely replace and (presumably) improve State Line on his Cheshire Branch layout. Along with upgrades to track, scenery, and the photo backdrop there will be a particular focus on the tools and scenery materials Jim used to recreate a large grassy bog on both sides of the causeway at State Line.
Andy Rubbo - Modeling the Pennsy’s Northeast Corridor
Mal Houck - Tips, Tricks and shortcuts for the model builder: Soldering, metal fabrication and crafting - layout, cutting and forming
George Melvin - Bangor & Aroostook Freight Equipment and Operations - Description: Based in the 1950s to 970s, it will examine the freight equipment utilized by the Bangor & Aroostook in light of its remote location and the bulk of their business being loadi.ng of products offline and within the BAR system.
Bill Badger - Modeling late AC Mack trucks and other adventures in vehicle modeling: researching and modifying stock model vehicles. Mack built their heavy-duty AC trucks from 1916 to 1938 with very few changes and they were still common in the 1950s. However, most model kits are of earlier trucks with solid rubber tires and oil lamps, so what does it take to modernize them? In addition to the Mack, we will look at techniques to build and modify other vehicle kits.
Rick Abramson – Great Northern's Cascade Tunnels and the Great Northern motors.
Dave Ramos - Rise of the Lightning Stripes - The New York Harbor Railroad operations and modeling challenges
Mike Boland – All about grade crossings
Tim Garner - Progress on My PRR Layout - Tim discusses why he scrapped his 22-year-old proto-freelanced PRR layout to start over and model real places. He will talk about his goals, the research, the compromises and lessons, and the next steps.
Vince Lee - “When it Absolutely, Positively Has to Get There in Three Days”: the Erie Railroad’s LCL business: Infrastructure, Operations and Modelling. Prior to the rise of the modern global overnight document and package delivery companies, FEDEX and UPS, if you were a Manhattan business that desired to ship a package of your products to a customer in Chicago, you likely used the Less-Than-Carload service of a railroad, such as the Erie, or PRR, whose track route crossed the country connecting these two cities. In this talk, we’ll take a look at the business environment, system-wide facilities and operations of the less-than-carload transport industry as found on the Erie Railroad in the 1950’s, and how it is portrayed on my HO scale Erie 28th Street Terminal.
Tom Jacobs – Realizing the Reading – Episode III. Tom describes his continuing quest to build a large HO layout based on the Reading Company’s operations supporting Bethlehem Steel in the 1970s
Ramon Rhodes – TBD
Ted Shasta and Mike Chapman – Simplifying complex interlockings with NX Interlocking stands (entrance-exit Interlocking) with Arduinos and some basic programming.
Jim Spavins - Railroading at the Eastern States Exposition
Brendan Richard and Adam Twombly - Connecticut’s Biggest Export: Modeling the Construction Debris Industry. An overview of modeling growing rail-served waste industry in New England, including prototype photos, modeling techniques, and other tips for accurately modeling this rapidly-growing modern rail traffic.
Steve Funaro – hands on clinic TBD.
Ron Poidomani - Manufacturer’s Railroad New Haven CT 1948. Ron will discuss the history of the line, how it was formed, its locomotives and rolling stock and how he is modeling it in HO.
Craig Zeni - The Penn Central's ex-NYC F-units. Prototype information and modeling using the Highliners body shell.
Ryan Mendell - Modelling a Transition era Grand Trunk MOW Train
Ken Freeman and Jim Otto - NYC/PC/CR RS-32s
Eric Hirsh - Rail marine Model Building, tips and tricks to rail marine ship building.
O. Fenton Wells - Kit-bashing Transition era Freight cars – Fenton discusses four specific freight car kit bashes, three SAL and one B&O, with prototype photos and how to model the cars; kit-bashing cars in general and where to find parts and decals to make them happen.
Brian Carlson - Rust Belt Boxcars – A primer on the boxcars of several northeastern railroads, including the DL&W, LV, L&NE, CNJ/CRP, RDG, D&H, P&LE and WM. Brian will compare common boxcars on these roads in 1950 and 1957 to illustrate change. Information for the clinic is drawn from ORERs, equipment diagram books, photos, internet sources, and other resources. The inspiration for this talk came from the late Bill Welch, who asked for assistance on modeling boxcars from northern railroads.
Dave Oppedisano - Designing and modeling the BNSF Lakeside Subdivision in HO scale. Dave models present day BNSF between Pasco, WA and Spokane, WA. In 1,200 square feet design. Dave will talk about track plan considerations, construction methods and signal control with CMRI.
Leo Landry - Some of the best 40-foot boxcar models begin as 50-foot cars. Simple kitbashes with to achieve 40-foot cars that are otherwise not available. Leo will focus on cars from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.
Hands-on clinic
Dave Ramos, Ted DiIorio, Ralph Heiss – ongoing. Bring a model you’d like to weather and Ted, Ralph and Dave will guide you. They will provide the weathering materials, although donations to cover costs are welcome.
Thursday night - Adam Twombly - 22 States in 2021
Jim Dufour - State Line Redo or Build a Better Bog - Jim’s clinic begins with a brief historical overview of the railroad station at State Line, New Hampshire. State Line is one of five prototype stations that Jim is modeling on his HO scale rendition of the Boston & Maine Railroad’s Cheshire Branch circa 1947-48. Jim will then describe the steps involved to completely replace and (presumably) improve State Line on his Cheshire Branch layout. Along with upgrades to track, scenery, and the photo backdrop there will be a particular focus on the tools and scenery materials Jim used to recreate a large grassy bog on both sides of the causeway at State Line.
Andy Rubbo - Modeling the Pennsy’s Northeast Corridor
Mal Houck - Tips, Tricks and shortcuts for the model builder: Soldering, metal fabrication and crafting - layout, cutting and forming
George Melvin - Bangor & Aroostook Freight Equipment and Operations - Description: Based in the 1950s to 970s, it will examine the freight equipment utilized by the Bangor & Aroostook in light of its remote location and the bulk of their business being loadi.ng of products offline and within the BAR system.
Bill Badger - Modeling late AC Mack trucks and other adventures in vehicle modeling: researching and modifying stock model vehicles. Mack built their heavy-duty AC trucks from 1916 to 1938 with very few changes and they were still common in the 1950s. However, most model kits are of earlier trucks with solid rubber tires and oil lamps, so what does it take to modernize them? In addition to the Mack, we will look at techniques to build and modify other vehicle kits.
Rick Abramson – Great Northern's Cascade Tunnels and the Great Northern motors.
Dave Ramos - Rise of the Lightning Stripes - The New York Harbor Railroad operations and modeling challenges
Mike Boland – All about grade crossings
Tim Garner - Progress on My PRR Layout - Tim discusses why he scrapped his 22-year-old proto-freelanced PRR layout to start over and model real places. He will talk about his goals, the research, the compromises and lessons, and the next steps.
Vince Lee - “When it Absolutely, Positively Has to Get There in Three Days”: the Erie Railroad’s LCL business: Infrastructure, Operations and Modelling. Prior to the rise of the modern global overnight document and package delivery companies, FEDEX and UPS, if you were a Manhattan business that desired to ship a package of your products to a customer in Chicago, you likely used the Less-Than-Carload service of a railroad, such as the Erie, or PRR, whose track route crossed the country connecting these two cities. In this talk, we’ll take a look at the business environment, system-wide facilities and operations of the less-than-carload transport industry as found on the Erie Railroad in the 1950’s, and how it is portrayed on my HO scale Erie 28th Street Terminal.
Tom Jacobs – Realizing the Reading – Episode III. Tom describes his continuing quest to build a large HO layout based on the Reading Company’s operations supporting Bethlehem Steel in the 1970s
Ramon Rhodes – TBD
Ted Shasta and Mike Chapman – Simplifying complex interlockings with NX Interlocking stands (entrance-exit Interlocking) with Arduinos and some basic programming.
Jim Spavins - Railroading at the Eastern States Exposition
Brendan Richard and Adam Twombly - Connecticut’s Biggest Export: Modeling the Construction Debris Industry. An overview of modeling growing rail-served waste industry in New England, including prototype photos, modeling techniques, and other tips for accurately modeling this rapidly-growing modern rail traffic.
Steve Funaro – hands on clinic TBD.
Ron Poidomani - Manufacturer’s Railroad New Haven CT 1948. Ron will discuss the history of the line, how it was formed, its locomotives and rolling stock and how he is modeling it in HO.
Craig Zeni - The Penn Central's ex-NYC F-units. Prototype information and modeling using the Highliners body shell.
Ryan Mendell - Modelling a Transition era Grand Trunk MOW Train
Ken Freeman and Jim Otto - NYC/PC/CR RS-32s
Eric Hirsh - Rail marine Model Building, tips and tricks to rail marine ship building.
O. Fenton Wells - Kit-bashing Transition era Freight cars – Fenton discusses four specific freight car kit bashes, three SAL and one B&O, with prototype photos and how to model the cars; kit-bashing cars in general and where to find parts and decals to make them happen.
Brian Carlson - Rust Belt Boxcars – A primer on the boxcars of several northeastern railroads, including the DL&W, LV, L&NE, CNJ/CRP, RDG, D&H, P&LE and WM. Brian will compare common boxcars on these roads in 1950 and 1957 to illustrate change. Information for the clinic is drawn from ORERs, equipment diagram books, photos, internet sources, and other resources. The inspiration for this talk came from the late Bill Welch, who asked for assistance on modeling boxcars from northern railroads.
Dave Oppedisano - Designing and modeling the BNSF Lakeside Subdivision in HO scale. Dave models present day BNSF between Pasco, WA and Spokane, WA. In 1,200 square feet design. Dave will talk about track plan considerations, construction methods and signal control with CMRI.
Leo Landry - Some of the best 40-foot boxcar models begin as 50-foot cars. Simple kitbashes with to achieve 40-foot cars that are otherwise not available. Leo will focus on cars from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.
Hands-on clinic
Dave Ramos, Ted DiIorio, Ralph Heiss – ongoing. Bring a model you’d like to weather and Ted, Ralph and Dave will guide you. They will provide the weathering materials, although donations to cover costs are welcome.
Thursday night - Adam Twombly - 22 States in 2021