I have been into model railroading since I was pretty young. Family trips to New Hampshire helped introduce me to the full size trains of the Maine Central and this fed into my passion for model railroading. To the right is a snapshot I took of a MEC GP38 on the YR-1 train as it passed by our campground in 1980.

As a teenager, receiving the October 1980 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman really marked a turning point. In it was an article on the MEC ball signal at Whitefield, NH. Having seen it and been there, it really helped me connect model railroading with the prototype.

In the early 1980’s I joined the Gateway Model RR Club and this helped me to develop my skills and introduce me to new people. One of those was my late friend Glenn Salvatore. He really encouraged my interest in New England railroading and helped me get into building prototype models. We started work on Glenn’s Rutland layout and also built modules for a local HO group. This was a great learning experience.

I also spent some time working at Sattler’s Hobby Shop in Westmont, NJ. This helped me understand more about the model railroad industry and meet other people from all walks of life who shared an interest in trains. This was an exciting first job to have as a high school student and I really enjoyed going to work!

Participation in the club led me to my involvement with the NMRA and locally the New Jersey Division. Nothing can help you achieve your model railroading goals better than participation in the NMRA. My involvement has led me to serve the NJ Division, previously as Superintendent and editor of the Clinkers newsletter.

While at Gateway and working on Glenn’s layout, I met Anton Mazza. Anton is Canadian Pacific modeler and has helped me with the early stages of my layout before moving to Maryland. But we still get together to go to conventions and train shows. Having friends in the hobby makes it even better.

I would like to thank my wife Tanya for not only tolerating my hobby but also supporting it and helping out at times (she has built some nice structures and birch trees for the layout).