2025 RPM-East speakers and presentation details
Rick Barton - The proposed and partially completed California & Oregon Coast Railroad, between Grants Pass, Oregon and Crescent City, California
The goal of the COC was linking Grants Pass, OR (served by the Southern Pacific), to Crescent City, CA, a year-round open water port coastal town near the OR-CA border. In this presentation, Rick takes you through the real history of the COC, then segues into the planning stages of his new HO Scale proto-freelance layout set in dual eras of the late 1950s and mid-1970s, in which the COC plays a vital part in connecting with the SP’s Siskiyou Route in Central/Southern Oregon and turning the Crescent City harbor into a major west coast seaport.
Rob Bennett - Shipping transformers from the Westinghouse plant in Sharon, PA
A brief overview and sampling of the motive power and rolling stock seen at the Sharon plant from the 1930s to the early 1960s. And a bunch of modeling info! Here's a PDF of Rob's presentation handout.
Jimmy Braum - Narrow gauge Phoenix; the East Broad Top Railroad 2020-2025
The East Broad Top Railroad is alive and better than ever. This clinic will talk about the first five years of the EBT under the new owners, the East Broad Top Foundation, and showing via photos, the MANY upgrades to the railroad. These improvements include: Restoration of Mikado 16, expanding the mainline south, and the railroad shops.
John Brown - Cab Ride on Clinchfield (CSX) Mine Runs out of Dante, VA
Ride to Elkhorn City, KY and numerous coal branches that the old CRR served.
Brian Carlson - The Cambria & Indiana hopper fleet
The history of the fleet of coal-carrying cars on the Cambria & Indiana from 1911 through the transition era. Ongoing research will be presented discussing the fleet from approximately 1962 through the the 1990's.
Doug Chapman - Gateway to the Great Lakes: the Ohio Central Lines
The Ohio Central was composed of three railroads: Toledo & Ohio Central; Kanawha & Michigan; and Zanesville & Western. These railroads existed to haul Appalachian coal to Lake Erie. This clinic will examine the history of the Ohio Central, the industries and cities it served, and the equipment used on these roads.
Pete Clarke - Robertsdale on the East Broad Top Railroad
Ken Colvin - Impact of Railroads on WW I
Jack Consoli - PRR's Southwest PA Water Supply System
Part of by far the most elaborate and comprehensive system of water works ever undertaken for a like purpose was put into operation in the early 1900’s along the Pennsylvania Railroad lines between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. This presentation details the Indian Creek Water Supply System serving the lines of the Pittsburgh, Southwest and Monongahela Divisions of the PRR in Southwest PA.
Shannon Crabtree - History and modeling of a Virginia shortline: The Virginia Central
This presentation will look at the history and modeling of one of Virginia's first railroads. We will take a look at this interesting narrow gauge then standard gauge short line through its unusual history. Its unique locomotives, with both narrow and standard gauge, makes it a very interesting modeling possibility for a shelf layout.
Keith Devault - Up and Over; the many struggles the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad overcame going from Cumberland to Connellsville
The Allegheny Mountains gave the railroad many challenges in transporting passengers and freight over the vast geography of the 100 miles between the towns. I will present scenes from steam engines to today’s modern diesels of CSX, including the famous Sand Patch Grade and Tunnel.
Larry DeYoung - Modern short lines
Jerry Doyle - The EMD 35 Line
Nick Fry - Steel City Railroading with John W. Barriger III
John W. Barriger III has a well-deserved reputation as a first class railroader and collector of railroad history and documentation. He was also a prolific documentary photographer of the nation's railroad network. Nick Fry, curator of the Barriger National Railroad Library at UMSL will present a selection of images taken by Mr. Barriger in and around Pittsburgh from his time with the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and as President of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad. These images will be from a railroader's point of view and document the physical plant and customers of the railroads in the area.
Steve Funaro - Greenville well hole flat cars
The focus is on the 65-foot Greenville well hole flat cars used by the NYC, C&O, and other roads. History and construction details are included.
Todd Griffith - An historical overview of the 17 mile short Ligonier Valley Railroad that connected Latrobe and Ligonier, PA, from 1877 to 1952
Eric Hansmann - Team tracks and team yards
An historical review of team tracks and team yards in cities and towns. These facilities are key for serving local customers who do not have dedicated rail service. They are also important delivery points for retailers and wholesalers that served the local population. These under utilized layout additions can increase layout operational interest and play value across many eras.
Mike Hauk - Photography 101 for Railfans and Modelers, Pt.1 & Pt. 2
This clinic compresses a community-college level introduction to photography course into 2, 1-hour sessions geared toward railroad photography as art. The first 45-60 minutes covers the basics of exposure, lens selection, editing, and tips for cellphone use. The second session dives into composition, again geared toward railroad photography as a genre.
Steve Holzheimer - Freight Terminal Operations: What Can We Learn from a Financial Audit?
While perusing the Akron, Canton & Youngstown archives I found a series of documents titled “East Akron Freight Station Audit”. Of minimal interest I initially thought. But a closer reading told the story of how the AC&Y’s employees and customers interacted for the mutual benefit of both. Throw in freight car movement data and I unexpectedly found an interesting modeling and operations resource.
Ben Hom - Down the Rabbit Hole #1 (Boxcars) – What Do Those Bogus Models Really Represent?
Description: Since the earliest days of the hobby, manufacturers have offered rolling stock models decorated for prototypes that often had no resemblance to the model. We’ll examine a few of these models, discuss what the prototypes really are, and how to properly model them. Along the way, we’ll touch on the history and the background of the models themselves, prototype research, and resources.
Matthew Hurst - Kitbashing steam era hopper cars
What do you do when you need a particular hopper or hoppers and there isn’t an adequate car available? You kit bash…. Matthew will discuss kit bashing tools, techniques, spotting features for modeling candidates and prototypes to model, as well as having fun along the way.
Will Jamison - Temporary wood structures for transporting plate steel and spun heads in gondolas
Ken Kobus - Monongahela Connecting Railroad; a Jones & Laughlin steel mill railroad
Den Lippert - Weathered - My latest techniques
I’ve been experimenting with weathering techniques for 40 years now. I’ve learned a few. I’ve developed a few. A few others have eluded me. I’ve even studied under a few of the nationally-known "masters".
It may sound dirty, but I promise it’s just good, clean fun!
We’ll be covering my favorite methods and products to date. We’ll touch on prototypes from the steam era up until “immediate pre-graffiti” days. Times change, and so does weathering!
Dave Owens - HO scale fire equipment, available models and eras they cover
George Pandelios - Weirton Steel Open Hearth
The presenter will discuss his scratch-built Weirton Steel Open Hearth and its role in 1950’s steel making. This large O scale structure (37” w x 72” l x 38” h) features 4 of the prototype’s 14 furnaces, their smoke stacks, and a highly detailed building interior. The operating smoke units and LED lighting help simulate the production of steel. The clinic will highlight the extensive research conducted and the presenter’s journey towards better design, construction, electrical, and weathering techniques. This model won the Dean Freytag Award (Photography) at the Steel Mill Modelers Special Interest Group annual meeting in 2023. Later that year, it received a Structures Merit Award, earning 112 out of a possible 125 points.
Jim Panza - Modeling TTX Special Equipped Flatcars
Modeling 89-foot channel side sill flatcars built by Bethlehem to haul a variety of loads, including military trucks and highway tractors, using the Athearn Genesis flatcar. Photos and descriptions of the prototype will be covered.
Steve Raqué - - Modeling P&LE Lot 874-H and 875-H Covered Hoppers in HO scale
Summary information and photos of the prototype, available models, and some tips on improved details.
Ramon Rhodes - Designing a layout using the prototype's actual track configurations and operations
In this presentation we will take a look at how I am designing my layout using track charts, engineering drawings, photographs, charts, and documents from the real railroad to enhance realism and prototype operations. We will take a look at hundreds of photographs, diagrams, and charts, and compare them to how I will replicate them in model form.
Nick Santo - What is a Decoder Buddy
Neal Schorr - How I Achieved Realism on My Layout
Visitors to Neal’s layout depicting PRR’s Middle Division often comment on how realistic it is. In his clinic, Neal will explain to you that it takes more than just covering your layout with high end models. It begins with careful study of the prototype and the overall design of the layout. Then one has to design the railroad’s physical plant and carefully select the topography and structures that would have been found along the railroad and then recreate and place them realistically on your layout. Neal will explain to you exactly how he did so.
Mike Shylanski - ACF’s Early Center Flow Covered Hoppers and Available Models
ACF Industries developed a groundbreaking series of “Center Flow” covered hoppers in the early 1960s. The clinic will begin with a brief look at the Center Flow technology. Prototype cars and early production cars will be shown as well as some competing cars or clones. Featured will be the two main ACF cylindrical hoppers, the first Center Flows. Also touched on will be the ACF CF4650 and CF5250 covered hoppers, both of which were produced in the thousands. Available HO models of these four cars will be evaluated, and some ways to enhance them with detailing and weathering will be presented.
Robert Sprague - I Want to do a Track Plan but I Don’t Know Where to Start…
Many modelers are full of ideas about what they want to model, but find it almost impossible to get a track plan started. There are too many choices, too many considerations, and too much to fit into most layout locations. Bob Sprague has faced this challenge more than 200 times while designing layouts for other modelers, and in this clinic he shares his top tips for getting over the initial hump, no matter what scale, gauge, era, or software you have in mind.
Mont Switzer: 1 - Freight cars of Muncie, Indiana
This is prototype information about such cars as the Westinghouse Schnabel cars, the colorful Marhoefer Packing Co. reefers, the Muncie & Western yellow THE BALL LINE cars and more. The clinic shows how Muncie was served by the C&O, NKP, NYC and PRR as well as local favorite Muncie & Western.
Mont Switzer: 2 - Modeling the freight cars of Muncie, Indiana
This clinic covers how to model these and other freight cars often seen in this midwestern industrial town with a particular focus on automotive traffic.
Chip Syme - Cleveland Hulett loaders of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh ore dock
Bob Tegtmeier - An inside look at Sperry Rail Car Service, 1999-2000
Most railfans and modelers know the Sperry rail cars inspect the rails, but how is it done? What defects are they looking for? How are defects detected? Bob will give an overview of Sperry Rail Service during 1999-2000. The rail defects detected, the testing methods used, the detector cars, and how they work. Plus, he will cover some Sperry history, the maintenance and building of the test vehicles, along with the development of new technologies. You will learn what is involved for rail flaw detection with plenty of photos!
E. Roy Ward - Western Maryland Railway track and operations in Bowest Yard and Connellsville, Pa.