| Clinician | Title | Description |
| Alex Belida, MMR | Making Drake’s Well | When I built two Densmore tank cars for my Master Builder – Cars certificate, I knew I needed a special place to display them. I didn’t want to put them on a shelf, and they weren’t really suited for my HO-scale logging and mining layout set in Nevada in the late 1890s. So I decided to make a small diorama centered around a model of the original 1859 Drake’s Well near Titusville, Pennsylvania. While not historically accurate, the Densmores could be parked there, taking on loads of crude. This clinic outlines the steps I took and encourages modelers pressed for space to consider making dioramas. |
| Paul Cappelloni | Building DL&W Diamond Branch |
This clinic will discuss why I choose to build a small, but detailed model railroad. The small approach fits in well in a multi-use space which I found myself in after downsizing from a 2,200 sq. ft. home to a 1,000 sq. ft. home in 2021. If you are a one-man operation or do not have frequent work sessions, a large completed basement layout can be overwhelming and possibly hinder modeling. Building a small layout allows the modeler to spend more time on the aspects of the hobby they like best, and is not focused so much on completing large sections of bench work. This clinic will cover the era and theme of the layout, construction of the bench work and valances, back drops, lighting, trackwork, control system, and scenery all in a 10 ft. x 12 ft. space. |
| DC Cebula | Scratch Building the City Point Engine House from Historic Photos | How do you model a prototype when no written documentation exists? This presentation covers the process used to scratch build the USMRR engine house at City Point, VA, using historic images. Subtopics include locating photographs, analyzing/interpreting said photographs, filling in “the blanks,” materials used, construction techniques & jigs, remodeling the model in light of newly uncovered information, and what I might do differently (and why). |
| Chris Coarse |
Make-And-Take Clinic – 24-Foot Repurposed Boxcar in HO scale by Conowingo Models |
Join Chris Coarse, owner of Conowingo Models, for a hands-on clinic where you’ll construct a 24-foot boxcar that’s been creatively repurposed into a small shop. Step by step, you’ll bring this versatile structure to life—choose between signage for a cozy coffee shop or a classic ice cream stand. Perfect for both beginner and experienced modelers, the kit comes pre-painted and ready to assemble. All necessary tools and glue are included, so you can focus on the fun of building without needing to bring a thing. |
| Ralph S. DeBlasi | Designing a Model Railroad – A Case Study | Stuck trying to design your next layout? This clinic discusses the design requirements, givens, and druthers on how to design a model railroad. It will use my HO-scale Lehigh Valley Railroad as the subject matter. Will give you some ideas on how to break through the analysis paralysis. |
| Ralph S. DeBlasi | How to Build Prototype Structures from Styrene | Just as it says, How to Build Prototype Structures from Styrene, from a beginners viewpoint. This will demonstrate how to get some structures that are not available commercially. All you need is a picture and some motivation. |
| Ralph S. DeBlasi | Fun With Flats | This clinic focuses on the flat car and how to improve its appearance, along with some load ideas and their construction. Want to improve and make your flatcars look better? This is for you |
| Ralph S. DeBlasi | Model Railroad Signaling – Operation | This clinic is a sister clinic to the signals clinic and also designed for beginners. It introduces systems that are required to make signals go blinky-blink. There is no requirement to see both; each can be attended independently of the other. |
| Ralph S. DeBlasi | Model Railroad Signaling – Signals | This clinic is designed for the beginner who is thinking about installing signalling on their model railroad, from basic turnout indication to more advanced systems. It is designed to show the modeler what what types of signals are out there, costs, and some installation thoughts. |
| Ralph S. DeBlasi | Building an FSM Kit without the Kit | This clinic shows how to build an out-of-production FSM craftsman kit without having purchased the kit. Want an FSM kit for less than market? This is for you. It centers around using the Railroad Kits casting set and provided materials. |
| Ralph S. DeBlasi | Weathering for Beginners – No Airbrush Required | This clinic will introduce the modeler to various weathering methods using enamels, acrylics, oils, powders, and other materials. Washes, filters, fades, grime, and rust will be discussed. No airbrush is used and this shows how you can get great results in a very short time. Each of these items will show how with only 15 minutes per session you can gradually weather a car you will be proud of. This is NOT a hands-on-style presentation. |
| Ralph S. DeBlasi | Improving the Athearn Blue Box Locomotive. | This clinic will show simple troubleshooting methods to make this brand of locomotive run better without busting the bank. There are a lot of these products out there, and with a little work and TLC they can be made to perform better. |
| Mike Dettinger | Intoduction to Kato Mini Dioramas | Mini-Modules are a new way to practice model railroading and much more on a smaller scale. It is an excellent ntroduction to model railroading, yet challenging enough for veteran model railroaders.If you would like to try something out of the ordinary, Mini-Modules may be for you. If you opt for the hands-on clinic, you’ll get to build one from start to finish. |
| Mike Dettinger | Kato Mini Diorama Build | Click for description |
| Jack Dzaidul, MMR | Craftsman Kit Build | Jack Dziadul, MMR will lead participants through the steps of constructing a craftsman kit from initial planning through final weathering and detailing. Both new and experienced attendees will leave this hands-on clinic with a wood structure kit worthy of a foreground scene on their model railroad. The Ipswich Hobbies Section House kits are available in N, HO, S, and O scales. |
| Adam Eyring | Making a G-scale Trolley from Scratch | I will go through the steps of constructing a G-scale trolley out of wood and metal to fit over a G-scale truck. Being in G-scale makes it fun to use common tools because the parts are not too tiny. There are no known plans available, so dimensions are based on images. |
| Kevin Feeney | A Look at the Penn Central’s Financial Statements – A Short Fictional Story. | A look at the Penn Central’s financial statements – A short fictional story. |
| Gerald Futej & Glyn Thomas | Dodge Coal Storage Systems | The Dodge Coal Storage Systems were invented, designed, manufactured and constructed by James Mapes Dodge in the late 19th century. They provided a mechanized system to receive, store and discharge anthracite coal in large conical piles. The systems were designed to accommodate storage of tens of thousands of tons of coal per conical pile. Mr. Futej will discuss the evolution of the material handling mechanisms incorporated in those systems through a review of the Dodge patents awarded, sales and marketing information used, and archival photos which portray the systems in service at various locations in the Northeastern US, until the late 1950s. Mr. Thomas will discuss the state of the art scratch building methods he employed to construct an HO scale model of a single pile of a Dodge Coal Storage System for his own CNJ railroad. Those methods included: resin casting, 3D printing, and laser cutting of thin gage wood stock. His finished model will be on display. |
| Earl Hackett | What You Can Do with 3D Printing – Part 1 | This is not a how to clinic, but rather what can be done with 3D printing–figures (people) in poses you want, large structures not easily built with conventual methods, mechanical devices like switch machines, all with incredibly fine detail. |
| Earl Hackett | What You Can Do with 3D Printing – Part 2 |
Years ago I wanted to build a model railroad of the Wilmington waterfront. It was a highly industrialized area served by the PRR, B&O, and RDG railroads. Each had their own spur track, two in the case of the PRR. They all entered under a single arch of the PRR high line. The whole area would fit nicely along one wall of my basement with the PRR station at the left side. I went to the national archives to get copies of the valuation maps for the track plan, and had the original plans for the PRR station. I generated the plans for the station model. They were published in Mainline Modeler, and that single article earned me the AP Author certificate. After more than a year of work, I had the finished model at a cost of over $1000. It was obvious that this was beyond my ability to complete with the technology available at the time–-silicone molds and epoxy castings. So I went back to following my favorite lines, the Appalachian coal haulers, particularly the C&O. Then came 3D printing. This has changed everything. I estimate that I could crank out a model of the PRR station in 4 to 6 weeks at a cod under $70 in materials. The idea of modeling a real railroad was revived, but the Wilmington waterfront was gone. Fortunately there is another possibility–Thurmond, WV, where many prominent buildings remain and extensive photo documentation of the others is available. So I scaled the C&O track plan to HO scale and placed it against one wall of my basement room. The layout extends from the depot and freight house on the right (the aisle is the New River) to the coaling tower on the left, and includes the truss and girder rail and road bridge across the New River as well as the Southside Yards where empty coal hoppers were stored. |
| Todd Hermann | If You Could Go Back…Modeling the Lehigh & New England’s Catasauqua Branch | This presentation will explore the history of this unique L&NE branch line which served as major source of traffic for the railroad until its 1961 demise, and covers Todd’s decade-long quest to pay tribute to it via his HO scale layout. Along the way, we’ll look at lessons from the layout’s design and construction and share some tips and tricks for creating scenery and scratch-built structures. |
| Jim Herzog | Exploring the Reading’s Shamokin Division | This clinic will briefly explore the prototype and its importance to the Reading Railroad. I will discuss why I chose to model a 40-mile section of railroad between the towns of Tamaqua and Shamokin with emphasis on helper operations, symbol freights, passenger and mine runs, coal mining, and interchange traffic. The HO-scale 1200-square-foot, transition-era, basement layout was designed and built for operation. During the pandemic, when monthly operations ceased, many areas and scenes were enhanced or rebuilt. These “pandemic projects” will be emphasized at length during the presentation. |
| Paul Hobbs | Belt Lines and Terminal Railroads | Belt Lines and Terminal Railroads are a particular form of railway–usually urban–serving a location for the mutual benefit of the owning railroads. Sometimes they are owned by a municipality. We will discuss examples, large and small, and suggest modeling possibilities. |
| Paul Hobbs | Every Twenty Years the Railroad Changes | Railroads have existed in North America since the 1820s. That is 200-years. We will review how the railroads evolved and developed in 20-year segments from 1820 through to the 2020s. |
| Ron Hoess | Midvale Steel: The Challenge of Modeling a Large Structure in a Limited Amount of Space. | The presentation will describe both the history of Midvale Steel and the challenge of modeling a large structure in a limited amount of space. Steel mills by any standard are huge structures that do not readily lend themselves to selective compression. The clinic will describe scratchbuilding the open hearth furnace in a way that conveys both its size and complexity but still fits in a very limited space. In addition various features that appear unique to the Midvale open hearth furnace will be described. |
| Mike Junod | Automatic Operations on the Mayfair Electric | A description of the techniques and circuits I use for automatic car stop and routing on my home trolley layout as well as why I use them. (The example is O scale but is applicable to all scales) |
| Mike Junod | Evolving Design and Construction of a Five-Track Carbarn | Discussing the design considerations and construction techniques used to create “functional” storage in a freelance, five-track, O-scale carbarn on a modular traction layout. |
| Nick Kalis | Artistic Principles to Tell Your Model Railroad’s Story | Profusely illustrated description of how to use artistic principles to tell your model railroad’s story. We will cover four steps in design, design basics, and seven principles of design. The seven design principles covered are balance, unity, contrast, emphasis, movement, repetition, and rhythm. Puzzled? Attend this clinic and you will be puzzled no more. My intended audience is anyone owning a layout in any scale or anyone contemplating building a layout. |
| Ernie Little, MMR |
The Helix |
When I decided to add a second level to my home layout I realized that I would have to construct a helix to connect the two levels as I didn’t have the room to have sufficient length to gain the needed height. I researched and built a single track helix that worked in the available space and now have both levels accessible by locomotives. The clinic I have developed walks you through the necessary steps to design and construct a helix and also has information on what not to do when building one. From my time as a model railroader I know there are folks that don’t understand how a helix is designed and constructed thus the purpose of my clinic. Many lessons learned in building mine that I can pass along. |
| Rick Lull |
An Introduction to Layout Command Control | This clinic will introduce LCC, present common use cases, and demonstrate some basic functionality that attendees can then replicate on their layouts. |
| Rick Lull | LCC – What Products Can I Buy? |
A review of what is currently available in the LCC ecosystem. |
| Rick Lull | ABS Signaling with Layout Command Control | This clinic will describe how to implement Automatic Block Signalling on your layout utilizing Layout Command Control. The clinic will cover design, use case discovery, LCC infrastructure, documentation, implementation strategies and process, and testing. This clinic is for all knowledge levels, but attendees with some baseline knowledge of LCC will get the most from it. The described methodology would be useful for other layout control buses, such as CMRI; however this clinic is focused on accomplishing it with LCC. |
| Rick Lull | LCC Clinic TBA | TBA |
| Alan Mende | Kitbashing a CNJ B-7s 0-6-0 Scratchbuilding CNJ’s Roundhouse Switcher |
Kitbashing a CNJ B-7s 0-6-0 — how I kitbashed a replica of the prototype CNJ 0-6-0 in HO scale Scratchbuilding the Jersey Central’s Roundhouse Switcher No 840 |
| Alan Mende | Master Modeler – Motive Power | You don’t have to scratchbuild a steam locomotive in brass to complete this category. There are other ways to scratchbuild a locomotive. What is a locomotive? Just something that is powered and runs on rails. I’ll show you examples of scratchbuilt motive power that are made from styrene and wood. |
| Alan Mende | Building Babyface Baldwins | The Anthracite Railroads Historical Society has offered A and B unit shells. My clinic is on the variations of the prototype engines as well as how I built and detailed them using the ARHS shells as a starting point. For powering, I’ve used Proto 2000 Alco FA-2 drives as well as Broadway Limited Shark drives. |
| Rich Newmiller, MMR | A successful 2nd Layout – The 7-Year Journey | I define success as having a layout that is complete and fully operational with minimal derailments. A second layout provides many opportunities to make track work/layout improvements based on lessons-learned, and to hone your modeling skills. Please attend if you would like to run long (100+ car) mixed freight trains without derailments using distributed power to climb a 2.25% mainline grade. Curve easements are required. What will your railroad cost? See my detailed investment (cost) analysis broken down into six categories. |
| Rich Newmiller, MMR | Building a Simple Intermediate Signal System | Let’s take some of the mystery and confusion out of signaling systems. Starting with intermediate signals is an easier first step with good functionally that can be readily expanded. Watch the signals follow a train and automatically change the aspects. My PRR system uses bi-directional (two-way traffic) position light signals with purchased components and does not require programming, switch point position contacts, resistor wheelsets, or any type of block current detection. No need to cut rail gaps or modify the track feeders; the track power wiring and the signal wiring are independent, utilizing reliable infrared detection. The signal heads are highly detailed and built using available kits from a US-based vendor. Construction photographs detail the entire installation process. |
| Thom Radice | Applying Prototype Operations for the Western & Atlantic Model RR. | You will see how period operations were researched and applied to operating on my period model railroad. This will include timetables, train orders, and switch lists of sorts. In addition, I will cover a few elements that were akin to the challenges engineers and trainmen encountered while attending to the demands of military interventions. |
| Ramon Rhodes | Track Planning for Realistic Operation | In this presentation, you will learn how to use prototype information to design a track plan that maximizes operation. You will learn how to use railroad track charts, satellite images, and other readily available information in your design process. This fast-paced presentation features hundreds of photographs, charts, and diagrams. |
| Mike Shylanski | Fix Up Those Old HO Freight Cars! | We all have them, those older–and sometimes not so old–HO freight car models that could use an upgrade. Blue box freight cars look so much better when they get thinner running boards and better brake wheels. Coupler boxes and flimsy or poor looking couplers can and should be replaced. Adding weight to your models to reach NMRA standards will make a big difference. Underframes often cry out for a replacement. Retouching paint and adding decals can improve a model, as well. This clinic will show you how to make your HO freight cars look and run better. |
| Alan Silverblatt |
Notable Train Wrecks
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This clinic will examine a number of interesting train wrecks, from the beginning of railroading all the way through the present day. For each incident, we’ll take a look at what happened, what caused the wreck, the aftermath, and what lessons were learned the hard way. The presentation will feature historic photos and at least one video. |
| Alan Silverblatt | Automating Collection Management with Train DB Plus Software | This clinic will introduce Train DB Plus, a free Windows software package that lets you track your collection of rolling stock and automate other model railroad-related tasks. The software is simple and easy to use “right out of the box,” but still allows a great deal of customization to fit your particular needs. With it you can track your rolling stock (and any other items you want), organize your books and magazine articles (and search them by title or key word), record and retrieve other potentially useful information, generate reports, and import or export data to and from CSV or PSV files (which can be read and written by Microsoft Excel and many other applications). The clinic will cover how to download and install the software, as well as an overview of all of its features. |
| John Sokash | Steam Locomotive Appliances | Okay, you just bought your first steam locomotive for your layout. There are all kinds of bumps and pipes on the boiler, but do you have any idea as to what they accomplished? This clinic is designed to inform the modeler as to their identification, purpose, historical advancements, and improvements to locomotive thermal efficiency and safety. All in the interest of avoiding embarrassing mistakes, making better/more accurate models, and encouraging scratch-building and kit bashing. |
| John Sokash | Passenger Train Head End Traffic | Railroads exist to move raw materials, passengers, and cargo with an emphasis of speed and efficiency. The railroads had a long, close association with the US Postal Service and other private shippers of high value items. Most modelers know there was such a thing as a Railway Post Office, but have no further idea as to how they were designed and operated. And they were not the only type of railroad equipment for high-dollar items being transported. Modeler’s pride themselves on details of structures, cars and scenery, but fall short in understanding real-world railroad operations. This clinic is designed to improve that knowledge. |
| John Sokash | Steam Locomotive Valve Gear | To most modelers and devotees of steam locomotives, the workings of the valve gear are a mystery. The clinic provides an understanding of the mechanics and mathematics involved in transforming the power of the boiler’s steam into mechanical motion. The clinic also focuses on the historical origins, evolutionary advancements, and spotting features of the different types of valve gear. It includes a key discussion of engineering and design terms most modelers would have no understanding of when looking at a builder’s specifications and schematics of a locomotive. |
| Bob Sprague | What’s New on the Old Ma & Pa | Progress continues on Bob’s three-deck version of the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad on May 5, 1924. Bob will touch on his latest projects including trackwork in York; completion of Baldwin, MD; hybrid structures combining 3D printing with other techniques; scratchbuilt 500-series boxcars; and more. |
| Glyn Thomas, MMR | Modeling Stations on the CNJ’s Lehigh and Susquehanna Division | Stations on the CNJ’s Lehigh and Susquehanna Division ranged from small utilitarian sheds to grand signature buildings, sometimes with unique and difficult-to-model features. Glyn will discuss his models of the stations used on his layout, including details on the construction methods used and how he overcame problems encountered. Handouts will include his own diagrams of several stations. |
| Joe Walters, MMR |
Building a Union Pacific Rotary Snowplow | Joe will discuss how he built the Union Pacific’s rotary snow plow #076. The prototype was constructed in 1950 and was last used in 1977. It is unknown whether it is still in service. The model was constructed with sheet styrene and resin cast parts using photos of the right and left sides. The model has a working blade that is operating off a 9-volt battery and a slow-motion motor, and has a completed underside. |
| Joe Walters, MMR | How I Scratch Built a Schnabel Car |
The Schnabel car is a specialized type of freight car. It is designed to carry heavy and high and wide loads in such a way that the load makes up part of load. The load is suspended between the two ends of the cars by lifting arms. When the car is empty, the lifting arms are connected to each other to form a freight car that can be moved in a regular freight trains. Joe will discuss how he built the largest Schnabel car in HO scale using styrene and cast resin parts that he made for this project. The car is the WECX 801, built in 2012 by the car builder Kasgro Railcar for Westinghouse Corp. The car has 18 trucks, 36 axles, and 72 wheels–truly the most interesting freight car out there. |
| Fred Willis | Building Models from Photographs – Lessons Learned. | Structures abound in photographs; unfortunately kits of most structures do not exist. How can you build a structure model from a photograph? This clinic provides guidelines and ideas on how to research and build an accurate structure from a photograph. Also comments on using NMRA judging to achieve merit awards |
| Fred Willis | The Design and History of Early British Locomotives. | In 1830 the first steam locomotive for American use, The Stourbridge Lion, arrived in the US from Britain. Even though it was primitive, it was built on 25 years of locomotive development and knowledge. This clinic will describe the first 25 years of British steam locomotive development, when there was no industry knowledge to draw on. |
| Regional MMRs | Modelling with the Masters |
An interesting little project designed by your regional MMRs to improve your modeling skills. |