Jim DeMarco's New York Central - Buffalo & Rochester is a western NY-themed railroad set in the 1945-1955 timeframe.

Originally built as a roll-around layout for his sons in the 70s, this layout has been raised to adult height and expanded multiple times into a 40' x 25' basement-sized empire.

The HO scale layout is filled with highly detailed craftsman kit and scratch-built structures. With 90% of the scenery in place, Jim's layout will be one of the layouts to see during Lakeshores '24, the Northeastern Region's convention this fall. Jim will have his layout open for tours and operating sessions, where car forwarding is by switch lists and communication is face-to-face.

The Seneca Valley Lines by the Rochester Model Railroad Club is another layout that will be shown during NERx. Like Jim DeMarco's layout, it will also be open for layout tours and operating sessions during Lakeshores '24, the Northeastern Region's Convention in the fall.

The club’s layout models the Lehigh Valley of the mid to late-50s. Several scenes are close replicas of actual locations, in scale. Sequence scheduling, car forwarding with switch lists, and communication via radio are used.

This HO scale layout was featured in Model Railroader (September 2008) and Railroad Model Craftsman (March 2022) magazines.

Craftsman kits are as close as you can get to a realistic structure. They are challenging to build, but the end result is a highly realistic structure you’ll be proud to display on your layout or diorama.

John will take you through the steps he followed to build the Cranberry Yard Freight House by Bar Mills for his HO scale Stone Canyon Railroad.

During NERx, we are introducing a new program called Build-It.

Build-It is similar to a Make-and-Take clinic. However, during Build-It, participants will begin constructing their boxcar during NERx by completing the core box at their home workbench using the materials of a package you can order. Then, during the NER Convention in Rochester in September, participants can complete their car except for painting and decaling.

Build-It is intended for those new to scratchbuilding, but experienced builders may learn some new techniques too! When your model is completed, the model will qualify as scratchbuilt and hopefully be Merit Award worthy.

If you are interested in building this 36' wood boxcar, you can order a packet of materials before NERx or after watching the introductory construction videos from NERx. Please contact [email protected] for pricing and shipping information.

During NERx, we show the work of our members in between the clinics and layout tours and on the NERx website. It is a fun opportunity to share what has been going on at your workbench, layout, or behind the camera in the last year. They can be in-process or a finished model.

Submit your entries into the NERx Model Showcase by March 6. Just identify yourself, write a description of the work, the scale, and attach 1-3 photos to an email addressed to [email protected].

Members of the Lakeshores '24 Northeastern Region Convention team will give you a preview of the layouts, clinics, operating sessions, prototype tours and a whole lot more during a Roundtable Discussion during NERx. The convention will be a good one and this is your opportunity to see what it has to offer and ask the team questions.

You can send questions for the panel prior to the NERx event by emailing [email protected].

Visit the NERx Website!

NERx has its own website that will be updated as information becomes available with the schedule, descriptions, and photos of clinics, layout tours, and models. The website also has links to the videos of the prior NERx events and will have links to the live streams on the days of the event.

What is the website? NERx.org, of course! The website will keep changing as details become finalized. So, bookmark it today!

There is no cost to attend the virtual event. Instead, we are asking for donations to support NER programs such as the NERx Virtual Convention.

To make a donation of $10, $20, $50 or any other amount, please click on the "Donate" button. As a non-profit, any financial assistance is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

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