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Mid- Eastern Region of the NMRA
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        Potomac Division Challenge 13 - The Favorite's Favorite Model or Layout Feature (click caption to see write up)
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Bernie Kempinski's Pig Pen
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John Paganoni's Doyle Sand and Gravel
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Martin Brechbiel's Blacksmith Car
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Brian Sheron's New York Car Float System
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 Alex Belida's South Pass Motor Freight
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Mat Thompson's Oregon Forest
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Mark Gionet's Salmon Falls River Bridge
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Ernie Little's Coal Loading Building
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Lee Stoermer's Codorus Creek Bridge

The Division's email Yahoo group is PD2NERBNRA@groups.io. If you have not joined and wish to do so please contact the Superintendent.

POTOMAC DIVISION ACTIVITIES

POTOMAC/JAMES RIVER DIVISIONS JOINT MEET - SATURDAY - NOVEMBER 4, 2023

The Potomac and James River Divisions will hold a live/in person meet on Saturday, November 4, 2023 at the Battlefield Baptist Church in Warrenton, VA. The meet will start at 9:00 AM and end at 1:00 PM with layout tours to follow. Click here for more information on the Joint meet.

BUILD AND TAKE CLINICS

PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED

The Potomac Division has "live" build and take clinics which take place at Jerry Stanley's Hobby Barn and other locations.  If you have something you would like to do a presentation on please let Jerry Stanley know  by clicking here. *** The JMRI DecoderPro Technical clinics requires pre-registration and are limited to a maximum of 8 participants due to the hands-on programming of decoders. A waiting list will be established if more than 8 persons express interest. Click here for more information on this clinic.    ** The Using TinkerCAD clinic will require participants to bring a laptop computer to enable them to run TinkerCAD during the clinic. For more information on this clinic click here

Here is what on the schedule for the next three months.

DATE
 TOPIC
 CLINICIAN
***December 9, 2023
 "Using JMRI DecoderPro to program decoders"
 George Meyrick and Ernie Little, MMR
** January 20, 2024
 "Using TinkerCAD"
 Kurt Thompson, MMR
***February 10, 2024
 "Using JMRI DecoderPro to program decoders"
 George Meyrick and Ernie Little, MMR

Click here to see ALL OF the upcoming Hobby Barn events.

VIRTUAL CLINICS

The Potomac Division Virtual Clinics are normally held on the third Sunday of each month at 3:00 P.M. using the Zoom video platform. Click here for information on how to use Zoom. An email containing information on how to register and gain access to the on-line clinic is sent to via the Division email list prior to the clinic. Here is what is on tap for the next three months:
DATE
 TOPIC
 CLINICIAN
December 17, 2023
 "Locomotive Build for AP Motive Power"
 Kurt Thompson, MMR
January 21, 2024
 "Portrait of a Railroad"
 Jonathon Jones
February 18, 2024
 "TBD"
 "TBD"

If you have a topic you would like to present click here to contact our Superintendent, Ernie Little.
 
If you want to see a list of ALL Potomac Division clinics, both virtual and "build and take" click here.

To access the Virtual clinic area of the clinic page. Click here

Past Virtual clinic videos are posted on the Potomac Division's YouTube channel and can be access by clicking on "Potomac Division Mid Eastern Region NMRA".

NATIONAL VIRTUAL MODEL RAILROAD EVENTS

The NMRA has virtual model railroad events and the next event has not been announced. When information becomes available it will be posted here.  For more information click here. Past NMRA virtual events can be accessed on their You Tube channel by clicking here.

POTOMAC DIVISION MEMBERS VISIT THE BURNT TREE INDUSTRIAL RAILWAY

A group Potomac Division members went to operate on the Burnt Tree Industrial Railway located in Aroda, VA., on Wednesday, May 17th. The Board of Directors is looking into the possibility of this scheduling a visit at a future date and when the visit is scheduled more information will be provided. For more on the visit click here.
 

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO WITH ALL THE TIME YOU HAVE AVAILABLE?

The Potomac Division brings to your attention that the PD website provides access to past Potomac Flyer issues, past clinics, and railroad trivia in form of a crossword puzzle challenge. The crossword puzzle will be a PDF file you can download that provides the puzzle, clues, AND the solution.

LAYOUT TOURS

The Board of Directors is looking for a person(s) interested in assisting the Division's LAYOUT COORDINATOR. If you are interested contact the Division Superintendent by clicking here.

In person Layout Tours are back!

Watch here for more information as it becomes available.

VIRTUAL LAYOUT TOURS

It has been over two years since our first Virtual Layout tour held on Saturday, December 12, 2020. Todd Hermann and his camera person Molly took forty two of us on a tour of the Lehigh & New England Catasauqua Branch. Click here for more details of the railroad.

This and future virtual layout tours will be recorded and posted to our You Tube Channel. Click here to access the virtual layout tour area on the prior layout tour page.

If you are interested in providing a virtual layout tour please let the BOD know so it can be scheduled.


UPCOMING TRAIN SHOWS

Great Scale Model Train and Railroad Collectors Shows and Railroad Market Place. Click here to go to the show's website.

Greensberg's Great Train & Toy Show. Click here to go to the Great American Train Show's website.

Northern Virginia Model Railroaders.

Click here to go to the NVMR website.

Summer is over! Prepare for your winter retreat to the train room with a visit to our club to see a great model railroad in action. The layout's HO scale trains depict the Western North Carolina Railroad during the steam to diesel transition. Traction fans will enjoy watching our trolleys running under overhead wire. The layout also features award winning structures and operations conducted on a permanent 20 foot by 50 foot layout controlled by DCC. Bring the kids to see Thomas the tank engine and his friends who will be running too. The Club is located in the historic, circa 1859, Vienna Depot of the former Washington & Old Dominion Railroad (W&OD), 231 Dominion Road, N.E., Vienna, VA. History buffs will enjoy the museum in the waiting room with its displays of the history of the W&OD. Hours are 1-5 P.M. with FREE ADMISSION (donations accepted)and masks are optional. Virtual tour: click here. 


NMRA PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM:

Did you know that the NMRA has a partnership program where NMRA members can receive discounts as an NMRA member? See the information below:


POTOMAC DIVISION NEWS

OCTOBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING -

The Board of Directors meeting will be Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 7:30 PM. The meeting will be held using the Zoom platform and can be accessed by the clicking here.

POTOMAC DIVISION EXCURSION - "VISIT TO THE BURNT TREE INDUSTRIAL RAILROAD" - September 16th

The Board of Directors has confirmed the excursion to the Burnt Tree Industrial Railroad on Saturday, September 16th. The 7-1/2", 1/8 scale model railroad is located at 1660 Repton MIll Road, Aroda, Virginia. There will be an opportunity to ride a train and/or operate a locomotive depending on the number of participants. For more details click here. Several Potomac Division members visited the railroad on May 17th and you can see a report of this visit by clicking here.

POTOMAC DIVISION MEET HELD

The Potomac Division held a meet at the Waldorf VFD in Waldorf, MD on August 5, 2023. The meet consisted of two clinics, "Railroads of Southern Maryland" by Dale Latham and "Primer on Resin Casting" by Martin Brechbiel, MMR, a popular vote contest for on track and off track models, and a layout tour of Dale Latham's Piedmont Southern and Paul Hutchin's P & D Railroad. For a report on the meet click here.

POTOMAC/CHESAPEAKE DIVISION'S JOINT MEET HELD

The Potomac and Chesapeake Divisions held a Joint meet on Saturday, June 10, 2023. Click here for a report on the event.

MAT THOMPSON RECEIVES PROCLAMATION

On Saturday, July 15, 2023 Past Achievement Program Coordinator, Mat Thompson received proclamation from the Division for his services.

            

On the left is a picture of the proclamation presented to Mat Thompson, MMR. On the right Mat at a going away party receiving his proclamation from Superintendent Ernie Little.

ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Mat Thompson, MMR, the Division's Achievement Program Coordinator, is moving out of the Division and  Martin Brechbiel, MMR, was appointed to be Mat's replacement effective June 1st. Please join the Board of Directors in thanking Mat (on the left) for his many years of service and Martin (on the right) for his appointment to the position.

                                                                      

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS OF THE DIVISION

Please join the Board of Directors in welcoming new members to the Potomac Division by reaching out to them and helping them settle in to their new Division.
JANUARY  - 2023
Alan Lander - Huntington, MD
 Jeff Lodge - Alexandria, VA
Frank Mallison - Alexandria, VA
 Christopher Thayer - Vienna, VA
APRIL - 2023
Carter Murray- Silver Spring, MD
 Scott Vakerics -  Kensington, MD
MAY- 2023
Earl  Boatman - Herndon, VA
 Sean Hoyden - Broad Run, VA
Thomas Kane - Purcellville, VA
 Mark McGowan - Round Hill, VA
JUNE - 2023
Christopher Petrone - Alexandria, VA
JULY - 2023
Stuart Sutton - Silver Spring, MD
AUGUST - 2023
Ethan Rogers - Alexandria, VA

THE NEXT POTOMAC FLYER FAVORITE CHALLENGE - Show Me Your Favorite Bridge --- October - November, 2023 Issue

The October - November, 2023 issue of the Flyer challenge will continue with  Show me your favorite bridge. So come on, get out your camera, take a picture, and make up a short description of your favorite bridge and what scale is modeled. Let's see what you have to offer! Send your submissions to: Potomac-Flyer@potomac-nmra.org. The deadline for entries is September 10, 2023.

The staff of the Potomac Flyer thanks everyone who submits entries for the Favorite Challenges. Check them out in the August - September, 2023 issue.

PRIOR POTOMAC DIVISION CHALLENGES

To see the prior Potomac Division Challenges  Click here to see the submissions.


ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM NEWS:

The Potomac Division has several Master Model Railroaders (MMRs). To see a list of the PD MMRs click here.

There are several members working on Achievement Program Certificates and getting closer to becoming Master Model Railroaders. They continue to work toward the goal and are making progress. To see a list of the AP certificate members click here.

Congratulations to Marty McGuirk on his achievement of the Master Builder -  Scenery and Model Railroad Engineer - Electrical certificates.

Congratulations to Gregg Cassidy on his receipt of his Golden Spike Award.

Congratulations to Alex Belida on his achievement of the Master Building - Motive Power certificate.

Congratulations to Mat Thompson on his achievement of the Association Volunteer certificate.

Many more of our members are one certificate from achieving Master Model Railroader status. Keep up the good work!


    Have you changed your email address recently. Please notify NMRA headquarters of any changes in address, email address, or phone numbers so you can continue to receive  National, Region, and the Division notifications. Click here to go the the NMRA website.
Potomac Division (PD)       PD Contacts       Mid‑Eastern Region       National Model Railroad Association (NMRA)




Last modified: September 24 2023 16:46:13.