Current layouts in the New Jersey Division

Mike Prokop has started a new On30" layout, the Hill Valley, to replace his previous HO scale New Jersey & Western. Mike also has built an HO scale Free-mo module based on the car float operation in Camden NJ. Mike’s layout is normally open to visit during our Hamilton Twp. Division Meets in March.

Click here to see photos of Mike's model railroads.

Joe Zebrowski has an HO scale freelanced layout, the Delaware & Allegheny RR, depicting north central Pennsylvania. Regular monthly operating sessions are held on Joe's layout, which is located in Shamong Township.

Click here to see photos of Joe's layout.

Them Radice has an HO scale layout set in the Civil War era, called the Western & Atlantic. Thom's layout was featured in the October 2020 issue of Model Railroader and the October 2009 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman.

Click here to see photos of Thom's layout.

Rick Bickmore of Moorestown has an HO layout that represents a short segment of PRR mainline through Harrisburg PA. The main focal point is the large steel mill and all of the operations around it. Rick’s layout features a large staging yard to handle all of the through trains as well as local industries, a classification yard and a branchline to service customers “up the hill”. See Rick's Facebook page for more. Rick’s layout is open for various Meets as well as Regional Conventions.

Joe Calderone features the Delaware & Hudson on his nice 19 x 22 home layout. The layout is controlled by Digitrax DCC and features many fine scratchbuilt and craftsman style structures. Joe hold regular operating sessions and uses a car card and waybill system. Joe’s layout, located just north of the NJ Division boundary in Monmouth, is usually open during our Hamilton Twp. Division Meets in March.

Bob Clegg has started building a new layout featuring the Erie’s Southern Tier across southern New York state, with a double track mainline controlled by semaphore signals. The HO layout has all benchwork completed and all mainline track in place. The layout was opened for the first time to the Division during our Buena Meet in May 2009. Since then, Bob has started a rebuild of his layout.

Chris Conaway models the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1950s. Here a PRR double track main crosses the Reading railroad. Chris usually opens his layout up for Division members during the January Division Meet.

Ralph DeBlasi is modeling the Lehigh Valley in Northeastern PA during the 1970s. His HO scale layout features well detailed and weathered equipment and hosts regular operating sessions. The layout is controlled by CTC with an impressive dispatchers panel, and features working signals as trains travel throughout the gorgeous scenery. See Ralph's Facebook page for more. The layout is open during Division Meets in Woodbury and Deptford area.

Dick Kitz moved to a new home a few years ago and and brought his HO layout with him. He has reconstructed it and it is looking very good as these photos show you. His layout features a western theme with tall pines and mining operations. The era is early transition with plenty of steam locomotives. The layout is open during our January Division Meets in Haddon Twp.

Mike McNamara served as the Superintendent for the NJ Division 1998-2009. He also edits the NJ Division web site. Mike’s layout features the railroads of Northern New England, an area also known as the Northeast Kingdom (upper VT and NH). The layout is set in the late 1970s and features the Maine Central, Canadian Pacific, Lamoille Valley, Boston & Maine and Central Vermont. The layout features the rail lines that radiate out of St. Johnsbury, VT, across VT to the west and into NH in the east. Control is provided by Digitrax DCC. More info can be found on Mike’s web site and blog, as well as a Facebook page. You can visit the layout during our Delanco Division Meets.

Steve Moylan is building a large railroad which features the Pennsylvania Railroad traveling through cities, the country and the mountains. Also featured is a narrow gauge line representing the East Broad Top. Steve’s HO layout features lots of trains and uses DCC with sound. Started just a few years ago, the layout has really progressed quickly with the help of a dedicated building and operating crew. Steve opens his layout for us at the Deptford Division Meets.

NJ Free-mo is a recent upstart modular group. Started by Mike McNamara with a module in 2009, the informal group follows the free-mo.org standard. Modules from various NJ Division members, including Mike Prokop and Bill Grosse, are in progress and have been displayed at NJ Division Meets as well as MER and NER conventions and the Springfield show in Massachusetts each January. More information can be found at the web site njfreemo.org.

New Jersey Southern N-Trak is South Jersey’s N-Trak club. They build and operate N-Trak modules using NMRA standards. The group participates in 5 to 8 shows a year and has been set up at our recent January Division Meets (above photos from January 2006 Division Meet in Haddon Twp.). NJS members usually meet at member’s homes on Thursday nights to work on their modules. More info can be found on their web site.

Ray Notaro of Berlin has a layout about 22’ x 6’ that includes a 4’ x 6’ carnival section as pictured above. The carnival features 25 operating amusement rides including a monorail, carnival train ride, a volcano, music and fireworks. Many are scratchbuilt while others are converted from toys. Plans are to add a roller coaster to this highly animated display.

Bob Price had a layout that was multi-deck and features]d a large helix. The layout was set in the Pacific Northwest during the time of the Burlington Northern in the 1970s and 1980s and was powered by Digitrax DCC. The layout was built for operations and featured a dispatchers desk, CTC board and camera view of hidden staging. Bob moved in 2014 and plans a bigger and better BN layout that will be open during our Haddon Twp. Division Meets in January, once he gets construction going.

Thom Radice models a time period not often seen, the 1800‘s. His Western & Atlantic Railroad North Branch models a 136 mile railroad between Chattanooga TN and Atlanta GA during the Civil War. The layout was featured in the October 2009 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine. More info and photos from the layout can be found on Thom’s web blog. Thom’s layout is usually open during our Toms River or Forked River Division Meets.

Rick & Linda Spano’s N scale layout, the Sceniced & Undecided, is fairly well known in N scale circles and also for it’s use of animation, which Rick has written about in Model Railroader magazine. The layout was also featured in Great Model Railroads in 1999. The large layout features long trains passing through the Canadian Rockies, an operating rotary coal dumper with live loads, a sea port on the banks of a large city, special lighting and sound effects and much more. Rick and Linda open their layout for us at Trenton/Hamilton Twp. Division Meets, usually in March.

Chuck Weitzel has a large basement layout He started in January of 2003. The layout has lots of trains controlled by DCC. Scenery has been completed on much of the layout. Chuck’s layout, located in Tabernacle, is usually open during our Haddon Twp. Division Meets in January.

Bert Zastera has a lan HO that's theme is inspired by the Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. Bert’s layout, located in Deptford, is usually open during our Deptford area Division Meets.

Lloyd Anderson has an HO scale layout that features 4 track mainline sections. Lloyd's layout, located in Wenonah, is usually open during our Deptford area Division Meets.

Bill Lane has an S scale layout that he started in 1987. The layout features the PRR, Reading and PR-SL in 1957. Bill's layout, located in West Deptoford, is usually open during our Deptford area Division Meets.

Paul More has an HO scale layout that he started in 2010. The layout is situated in 2 separate rooms and includes many nicely constructed laser-cut craftsman kits. Paul's layout, located in Glassboro, is usually open during our Deptford area Division Meets.

Fallen Flags
Some great layouts are no longer active, but most of these below were mainstays for Division Meets through the years.

• Carl Corsi's PRR
• Tom Brown's PRR/PC/Conrail (rotating time periods monthly), followed by a Central Vermont/New England Central layout
• Jake Evaul's Camden & South Jersey
• Dick Genthner's Arpee & Western
• Bob Hubbard's Bangor & Navasink
• Doc Patti's Winged Foot & Western
• John Rahenkamp's Clairemont, Lewistown & Western
• Dave Skinner's KADE RR
• PJ Mattson's Raccoon Valley
• Mike Prokop's New Jersey & Western (being replaced with a new O scale layout)
• Jim Homoki's Newark Terminal RR (being rebuilt after a fire damaged Jim's home)

Have a layout not listed below? Use the Contact Us form to send us details and we'll add it to the web site!