05/26/2026
HERE IS THE LATEST ON THE MEET
Hello all:
We are less than a week from the 2026 New England Prototype Modelers Meet in Springfield, Mass.
Here is the latest.
Please bring your models to display. We have expanded the model display space and hope to fill it with your great work. We have on our website table cards you can fill out ahead of time, then print out and bring along for your models. Here is the link:https://www.nerpm.org/files/NERPM_table_cards.2026.pdf
We have a complete list of clinics on our website, www.nerpm.org, including multiple hands-on clinics on topics such as soldering, ballasting, hand laying track and switches and assembling resin kits. Anything can happen between now and the meet, so there may be a change, but as of this moment the schedule and clinic list are accurate.
Steve Funaro is offering a hands-on program on assembling one of his PRR GR gondola kits. There is a $30 charge and each session is limited to 12 people. You can signup for one of two sessions at the registration desk. You will need to bring along tools for the clinic. Steve says you’ll need an X-acto knife with #11 and #17 blades, Pin Vise with #78, #74, 1/32” and 1/16” bits, Flat Nail Boards (Black Emery on Foam Core), Small Pair of Cutting Pliers, Small Needle Nose Pliers, Tweezers, Kadee #58 Couplers, 2-56 Screws, Pair of Trucks Kadee 2D-F8, Super-Thin CA Cement (Cyanoacrylate).
We have two programs scheduled for Thursday evening for early arrivers. Matt Herson will do a photo program on Conrail and its predecessors. Ryan Trombly will offer a photo program on historic activity around Springfield and on the Hartford line. I expect both to be amazing.
We will have a bar available Thursday, Friday and Saturday night beginning at 7 p.m. for socializing.
It's not too late to sign up for our breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday. The deadline is Tuesday night. You can do that on our website, www.nerpm.org. Your patronage with the meals helps us pay for the hotel. We will have a limited number of meal tickets available at registration.
We will again offer our white elephant tables. Bring along any scale modeling items you’d like to sell. You keep 100 percent of the proceeds.
We have several vendors coming, including Bob’s Photo, Ron’s Books, Funaro & Camerlengo, ROKA models, Rapido, BEST structures, Speedwitch, Scale Sound Systems, NixTrainz, Rocket Express, the New Haven society, the Penn Central society and others.
We have our raffle Friday and Saturday night. As always, this is a fun wrap up to the night. It also plays an important role in helping us cover the cost of putting on the meet. If you’d like to donate to the raffle, we’d love to have your contribution. I’ll be digging through my collection for some items.
We hope you can join us at this year’s meet at the Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place on Friday and Saturday, May 29-30. And don’t forget to bring your models to display!
All the best,
Dave Owens
Amherst Railway Society Northeast Railroad Prototype Meet