Having grown up in Northeast Philly, and now living in Bear, Delaware, his career consisted of experience in the mechanical departments at the Reading Railroad, Conrail, and Amtrak. Over a 32-year period he has held jobs as a car inspector, car repairman, foreman, general foreman, manager, and assistant superintendent. Joe is a prolific modeler, having given a multitude of clinics on scratch building cars both at the division and regional level. He earned his MMR within two years of joining the NMRA. He served as assistant registrar in the 2019 MER convention and currently serves as the superintendent of the Philadelphia Division.
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Nick Kalis
Nick’s love of railroading started in 1958 when New York’s Daily News published his photograph with Manhattan’s last operating trolley. At age nine, a Lionel set under the Christmas Tree followed. Residing in Virginia, he has earned three NMRA AP awards; delivered clinics; attended two NMRA and one narrow gauge national convention, and served as his division’s layout tour coordinator.
Railroad Model Craftsman’s September 2007 front cover featured Nick’s LIRR Lower Montauk Branch. Later, a Narrow Gauge Downunder cover featured Nick’s current project, his Fn3 Oahu Sugar Company. His HO Sunnyside Yard was the first of three layouts he has opened for his division. His byline has appeared in the PRRT&HS Keystone, NMRA Magazine, MER Local, and Potomac Flyer.
Make & Take: Building a Craftsman Kit
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.
Make & Take: 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.
Chris Coarse
Chris is the owner of Conowingo Models. He uses technology to improve the modeler’s experience without driving up kit prices. Tichy and other high quality parts can be found in these kits, but 3D-printed, resin parts offer very unique details specific to each kit. He uses social media to engage kit builders, and their feedback results in even better products.
Jack Dziadul, MMR
Jack–Dziadul, MMR is the owner of Ipswich Hobbies, a craftsman kit manufacturer, and a long-time NMRA member who has presented numerous clinics on various model railroad topics at national and Mid-Eastern Region conventions.
Jack has held elected and appointed positions in the MER and the Carolina Piedmont Division; presently serving as MER Clinics Coordinator, proofreader for The Local, and on the MER Nominating Committee. Jack is also the editor of Modelers Notes of the Boston and Maine Railroad Historical Society.
Jack has held elected and appointed positions in the MER and the Carolina Piedmont Division; presently serving as MER Clinics Coordinator, proofreader for The Local, and on the MER Nominating Committee. Jack is also the editor of Modelers Notes of the Boston and Maine Railroad Historical Society.
Mike Dettinger
Michael Dettinger is a model railroader with a passion for oddities, DCC,and animation. Mike has modeled Compressed (Shorty B-Train) Japanese N Scale (1/150), HOn30, On18, HOn3, HO, On30,and O-27/31. His animation projects include DCC control to the Tyco Operating Box Car, the Bachmann Action Caboose, the Lionel 0805 Nuclear Waste Car,and the Lionel 0834 Lighted Poultry Car. If it is obscure, Mike will build it and/or put a decoder in it. His latest obsession is T-Trak. Mike is also a contributor to online webcasts.
Mike currently serves as the Convention Clinics Chair, a Philadelphia Division director, and the division’s clinics chair, and has presented a variety of clinics and written many articles for the division newsletter. He presented two hands-on clinics at our last regional convention in 2019.
Jim Hertzog
I have always been fascinated of all types of trains and railroad my entire life, but has a special interest in coal railroads. Having a grandfather who worked for the Reading as a locomotive engineer, an uncle was an electrician with the CNJ and LV for many years, and a father who worked part time for the Reading as a relief dispatcher cemented an interest in railroads around the Allentown area. Traveling back and forth through the anthracite region as a college student during the early mid 1970’s ignited an interest in anthracite mining and the railroads that serviced the region.
I live in Mertztown, PA with my wife Gerri. We raised two children and have two grandkids. I have been retired for two years after 47 years in fabrication/manufacturing. When not working on the layout or attending an op session, we can be found at the grandkids’ events or riding our bikes on a rail trail.
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.
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.
