Potomac Division
Mid- Eastern Region of the NMRA

A VIRGINIA INCORPORATED NON-PROFIT  501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION

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       Potomac Division Challenge 32 "Members Choice" (click caption to see write up)

1 / 7
Jim Hellege's Travels
2 / 7
Greg Cassidy's Club Project
3 / 7
Alex Belida's Cowcatcher
4 / 7
Martin Brechbiel's Church of Bacon
5 / 7
Ernie Little's Railroad Operations
6 / 7
 John Whittaker's Building Boom
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Dale Latham's Coal Switching

The Division uses two formats to communicate with its' members; an internal group, PD2MERNMRA@groups.io, and an external email service provider. The internal IO page is where members can post messages within the Division  to other members on railroading topics. Members must enroll in to join this group which then allows members to post a message to other Division members that are enrolled. Currently, approximately one-half of the Division's membership is subscribed to this group. Also, as a part of this group is a Files and Photos folder which can be accessed by the subscribed members. It is NOT the event notifications list which are sent to Potomac Division members. Similarly, the NMRA utilizes the  Discord program that reaches across all NMRA member that are enrolled in it. If you have not joined and wish to do , click here, to apply for membership to this group. If you have difficulty please Superintendent for assistance.

POTOMAC DIVISION ACTIVITIES

BUILD AND TAKE CLINICS

PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED

The Division's "live" build and take clinics take place at Jerry Stanley's Hobby Barn and other locations.  If you have something you would like to do a presentation or wish to host a clinic please let Jerry Stanley know  by clicking here. 

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

DATE
 TOPIC
 CLINICIAN
October 10, 2026
10:00 A.M.
 "Carpentry for a Layout"
 Jerry Stanley
November 14, 2026
TBD
 Potomac Division meet -"AP Author" and other clinics Arcola VFD annex building 24300 Stone Springs Blvd., Sterling, Virginia 20166

 Martin Brechbiel, MMR and others

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

VIRTUAL CLINICS

The Division's Virtual Clinics are normally held on the third Sunday of each month at 3:00 P.M. using the Zoom video platform. 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.Click here for information on how to use Zoom. If you are interested in making a virtual presentation on a railroad related topic please let Ernie Little know by clicking here.

Here is what is on tap for the next four months:

DATE
 TOPIC
 CLINICIAN
November 15, 2026
 "AP Civil" and AP review and wrap up"
 Ernie Little, MMR and others
December 20, 2026
 "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 accessed 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 go to the NMRAX page on Facebook. Past NMRA virtual events can be accessed on their You Tube channel by clicking here.

NATIONAL MODEL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES 90 YEARS

The NMRA has its' 90th anniversary in 2025 and celebrates the organization's longevity, the strength of its community, and its commitment to excellence in model railroading.
      

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


Layout tours have been scheduled in Maryland as part of the Potomac Division meet being held at Leisure World in Silver Spring, MD on Saturday, June 27th. More information can be seen by clinking here.

If you are willing to host an open house of your layout please email layout-tours@potomac-nmra.org and let the layout committee know.

VIRTUAL LAYOUT TOURS

Virtual layout tours are recorded and can be accessed by Clicking 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.

Vienna is having its October fest on Saturday, October 31st. As part of the celebration the Northern Virginia Model Railroad Club will have an open house. Stop by their 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 appreciate watching our trolleys running under overhead wire. The layout also features award winning structures and operations conducted on a permanent 20 x 50’ layout using DCC. Bring the kids to see Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends who will be running to. The Northern Virginia Model Railroad Club resides in the historic, circa 1859, Vienna Depot of the former Washington & Old Dominion Railroad (W&OD), 231 Dominion Road NE., 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). 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, 2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

The next Board of Directors meeting will be Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 7:30 PM. This meeting will use the Zoom virtual platform. Click here to attend the virtual meeting. Members are encouraged to attend and participate in the work session of the meeting to provide their input to the future of the Division's efforts.

DONATING TO THE POTOMAC DIVISION NMRA

With the Division becoming a Virginia state corporation and 501(c)(3) organization it will take donations of acceptable items and goods to liquidate and create supplemental funding for the Division to operate. To see how to donate and see the Division policy click here.

POTOMAC DIVISION MEET - B&O STATION- SILVER SPRING, MD - SATURDAY, MARYLAND LAYOUT TOUR SEPTEMBER 12, 2026

The Potomac Division had an in-person meet on Saturday, September 12th at the B&O station in Silver Spring, MD. The meet featured two clinics on the NMRA Achievement Program "Chief Dispatcher" and "Author" categories presented by Ernie Little, MMR, and Martin Brechbiel, MMR respectively and afterward a layout tour of several model railroad layouts in Maryland. Videos of the clinics have been uploaded to the Division's YouTube page and links have been added to the Division's clinic website page to allow access to them as well as PDF files of the clinics. To see a report on the event click here.

POTOMAC DIVISION MEET - NOVEMBER 14TH

Due to the inability to find a suitable venue for the Potomac/Chesapeake Division's joint meet this event has been postponed until next year. In the meantime the Potomac Division will hold a meet on November 14th which will feature clinics and a possible layout tour of home layouts in the area. The meet will be held at the Arcola Fire Department's Annex building located at 24300 Stone Springs Blvd, Sterling, VA 20166. The event is being planned at this time and more details will be posted here when they become available.

POTOMAC DIVISION MEET - DRANESVILLE COMMUNITY CENTER

On August 8th the Division held a meet at the Dranesville Community Center located at 1437 Balls Hill Road, in McLean, Virginia. The event featured clinics on "Motive Power" and "Electrical" AP certificate requirements presented by Ernie Little, MMR and Alex Belida, MMR and "Building a Micro layout presented by Greg Cassidy. A report on the meet can be found by clicking here.

2026 MARSHALL ABRAMS AWARD NOMINATIONS

The 2025 - 2026 Marshall Abrams Award recipients are Greg Cassidy, Division Senior Assistant Superintendent, Lee Stoermer, Division Clerk, and Gary Mason, Division member. They were recognized with the award for being members of an adhoc committee that successfully attained the incorporation of the Division in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Division attaining 501(c) (3) non-profit organization status, and the establishment of a method for the Division to receive cash donations from the public and members to pay participation fees and such through the use of Pay Pal. Congratulations to Greg, Lee, and Gary on their receipt of the award. The award was created by the Board of Directors in the Spring of 2021 to honor the late Marshall Abrams who served the Division in several positions. To see  past awardees click here.

                               

POTOMAC DIVISION MEET - LEISURE WORLD, SILVER SPRING MD

The Division held a meet at Leisure World, Club House II in Silver Spring, Maryland on Saturday, June 27th. The meet was followed with a Maryland Layout Tour in the afternoon. The meet included clinics on the NMRA Achievement Program categories of "Prototype Models" and "Cars" presented by Alex Belida, MMR and Martin Brechbiel, MMR respectively. A report on the meet is available by clicking here.

COMING 2026 CONVENTIONS OF INTEREST

The 2026 NMRA National Convention was held at the Chattanooga, TN Convention Center  from July 27 to August 2, 2026. Several Division members attended and a report on the Convention will be forthcoming and available here when it is ready for publication.

"Tracks to Tidewater", the 2026 MER Convention will be held at the Holiday Inn Virginia Beach - Norfolk from October 15 to October 18, 2026. Registration is now open and you can  Click here for details.

NMRA ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM REQUIREMENT CLINICS

The Division has been providing a series of both virtual and in-person clinics on the requirements of the NMRA Achievement Program certificates. This effort is aimed at providing accurate information on the requirements and to provide members an opportunity to be able to ask questions they have on the requirements. The schedule of these clinics  and links for the virtual ones can be seen by clicking here. Watch the Flyer and the website for more information on this upcoming activity. The clinics are open to any NMRA member but do require registration through the provided link to get access.

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.
MARCH - 2026
Parker Fairchild- Chantilly, VA
 James Hall - Woodbridge, VA
Joseph Adam Rittierot - Burke, VA
Joseph Lodico - Kensington, MD
Lynne Washington - Woodbridge, VA
APRIL - 2026
Roman Lopez - Woodbridge, VA
 Jonathan Soohoo
MAY - 2026
Nicholas O'Rourke - Alexandria,  VA
JUNE - 2026
Stefan Cruise - Purcellville, VA Robert Shepard - Poolesville, MD
August - 2026
William Brandon - Arlington, VA
John Dowling - Leesburg, VA
Rafael Morales - Fort Belvoir, VA
September, 2026
James Anderson - Tacoma Park, MD
 Michael Brack- Dumfries, VA
Samuel Reed - Potomac, MD

THE NEXT POTOMAC FLYER FAVORITE CHALLENGE - "What is on your workbench" for the December, 2026  - January, 2027 Issue

The Challenge for the December, 2026 - January. 2027 Flyer will be for What is on your workbench. The Flyer is looking for your latest modeling projects. Get out your camera and send along a photo or two with a short description of what you're working on. Send your submissions to: Potomac-Flyer@potomac-nmra.org. The deadline for entries is November 5, 2026.

The staff of the Potomac Flyer thanks everyone who submitted "Modeler's C style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"> to: Potomac-Flyer@potomac-nmra.org. The deadline for entries is November 5, 2026.

The staff of the Potomac Flyer thanks everyone who submitted "Modeler's Choice" entries for our previous Challenge.

PRIOR POTOMAC DIVISION CHALLENGES

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


ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM NEWS:

Tom Matty has stepped up to become the Achievement Program Manager. He will be working with Martin Brechbiel, MMR, to make a smooth transition into the position by January 1st.
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 Jim Allen on his achievement pf the Author AP certificate
Congratulations to Lee Stoermer on his achievement of the Scenery AP certificate.
Congratulations to Steve Jackson on his achievement of the Author AP certificate.
Congratulations to Ernie Little on his achievement of the Association Official AP certificate.
Congratulations to Jeff Jordan on his achievement on his achievement of the Structures AP certificate.
Congratulations to Lee Stoermer on his achievement of the Author AP certificate.
Congratulations to Bill Lyders on his achievement of the Cars AP certificate AND  his achievement of Master Model Railroader Certificate 819.
Congratulations to Jim Hellwege on his achievement of the Electrical AP certificate.
Congratulations to Greg Cassidy on his achievement of the Electrical and Scenery AP certificates.
Congratulations to Lee Stoermer on his achievement of the Chief Dispatcher AP 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 where you can also renew your membership.

Potomac Division (PD)       PD Contacts       Mid‑Eastern Region       National Model Railroad Association (NMRA)




Last modified: October 03 2026 08:58:32.