A scene from Ron Stacy's HO scale Rondemont & West Shore, just one of the great model railroads located within the Lakeshores Division NMRA. Here we see westbound SD-45s rolling over one one of the last wood trestles in the east heading up the RW&S mainline 1.2% grade. The year is 1977 in the mountains of Pennsylvania, and the trestle is due to be replaced by a steel viaduct so this spot gets quite a bit of activity from railfans. Ron scratchbuilt the trestle in the 1970's and this is the third layout he has installed it on, but he has no plans to replace it!

A tour of Lakeshores Division NRMA

by Otto Vondrak /photos as noted

The Lakeshores Division of the Niagara Frontier Region NMRA serves the upstate New York region that stretches from the shores of Lake Ontario to the tips of the Finger Lakes. Home to a wealth of diverse modeling talent, members of this region model everything from turn of the century steam to modern mainline freight operations. Current leadership includes Ray Howard as Superintendent, Dave Mitchell as Assistant Superintendent, Dick Senges as Secretary and Dave Coon as Treasurer. Ned Spiller, MMR, was appointed LSD Member Aid. Veteran hobbyist and noted author and draftsman Harold Russell, MMR, continues as Achievement Program Manager. The Lakeshores Division has quarterly meets with clinics on popular topics, model contests, layout tours, and many other activities. Join us for a brief tour of just some of the fantastic layouts located in this region!

A scene from Ron Stacy's HO scale Rondemont & West Shore. Ron designed the decals in the late 1970's, influenced by D&RGW and other large billboard lettering styles. Scalecoat Cornell Red.

A scene from Ron Stacy's HO scale Rondemont & West Shore. Heading east into the Alleghanys from Pittsburgh, the RWS fights a 2.6% grade. The F-7s are living out their days relegated to pusher service. They are in their original paint scheme and will not be repainted. (I recently designed an "original" paint scheme and am applying it to a few 1st generation diesels and older freight cars).

A view of Hopewell Junction Yard on Ray Howard's HO Scale Seneca Lake, Ontario and Western RR. The SLOW is loosely based on the New York, Ontario and Western RR and is set in 1925 somewhere in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Both the roundhouse and the coaling tower are Walthers Kits.

Looking across the yard tracks at the village of Hopewell Junction where the local town band is playing one of their Saturday afternoon concerts in the park. The Bandstand is scratch built from scale lumber. The other buildings are laser cut wood kits and Walthers kits. Trees, and many details are all scratch built. Vehicles are Jordan Products kits.

The real Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railway was acquired by the Baltimore & Ohio in 1932. Rich Wagner's HO scale layout depicts the BR&P as an independent regional railroad in modern times called the Buffalo, Rochester & Pennsylvania.

This farm scene on Rich Wagner's HO scale Buffalo, Rochester & Pennsylvania Railway.

Ned Spiller's Danby, Ludlow, & Springfield is set in Vermont in 1954, and based somewhat on the Rutland around Bellows Falls. Ned started this layout in the late 1980s when he lived in Atlanta. In 1997, he took a job transfer to Dallas and moved the layout. Designed to be transportable it was crated up and reassembled in his new home. In 2006, another move to New York State afforded the layout a bit more room to expand, and upgraded to DCC. In this scene we find Train 201 passing through Mount Holly.

Martha's Store in Mount Holley on Ned Miller's Danby, Ludlow, & Springfield.

Here we find Train 403, the "Marble Train," switching the calcite mine in South Wallingford on Ned Spiller's Danby Ludlow & Springfield Railroad.

For more information about the Lakeshores Division NMRA, please visit their web site. Membership in the NMRA is open to anyone who wants to get involved in the hobby of model railroading, click here to learn more.