The 2022 NASG Convention was held in Buffalo, New York from August 2 through 6, 2022. A total of 213 registrations were received.

A true cross-border event, the "Buffalo CanAm" was hosted by both the Western New York S Scale Association and the (primarily Canadian-based) S Scale Workshop.

The 2022 NASG Buffalo CanAm logo is comprised of a black New York Central roundral, Canadian Pacific flag logo, and Canadian Pacific inspired script lettering. These US and Canadian roads were the co-owners of the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo, which is featured as the 2022 Convention car.

Venue

The event was held at the Buffalo Marriott Niagara hotel, located at 1340 Millersport Highway, Amherst, New York 14221.

Convention Car

The 2022 NASG Convention Car was the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo (TH&B) AAR 70-ton 3-bay hopper.

The Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo ran 110 miles of trackage in southern Ontario, Canada. For a large portion of its history, the TH&B was jointly owned by the CPR (27%) and the NYC (73%), thus making it truly a "CanAm" venture. The TH&B never ended up reaching Toronto, accessed over CP, nor Buffalo, accessed by the NYC from Welland and on over the International bridge linking Ft. Erie and Buffalo.

These TH&B prototypes were 70-ton, 2,773cuft, 3-bay hoppers built by National Steel Car in September 1960. They were put into service in January 1961 as numbers 1200 through 1249.

Thirty of the 50 cars saw international pool service between Dane, Ontario and Pittsburg, PA as well as Cleveland, OH. Beginning in 1964, the Adams Iron Mine in Dane was serviced by the Ontario Northland Railway. These TH&B hoppers were routed over the Canadian National Railway to reach their destination via the ONR. This pool service is reflected by the "RETURN TO CNR VIA BUFFALO ORE LOADING DANE ONTARIO" routing instructions.

The ore carried by these cars was primarily reddish pellets 3/8" in diameter with a smaller percentage as 3/16" diameter or less. The hopper doors and interior bracing would have been strengthened to accommodate the heavy loads.

Later prototypes would see the routing instructions replaced with solid white circle. When removed from pool service, the circle would be painted over. Non-pool cars serviced many other Canadian industries on the TH&B.

The model of this car was manufactured for us by American Models. The body is black, with white lettering. The model was a hit, with one road number selling out before the Convention, and the rest selling out during the Convention. As a matter of fact, we needed to have American Models do an extra run to meet the at-the-Convention demand. But all are spoken for now.

Listing of Vendors

These were the companies and individuals that had tables set up in the vendor hall.

The Schedule of Events

Monday, August 1, 2022

Registration opened.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Tour 1: "North to Niagara"

This tour included the Niagara Falls, the Scenic Trolley, the Cave of the Winds, the Maid of the Mist, and/or the Schoellkopf Power Plant ruins.

Later, the tour traveled to North Tonawanda to visit the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum and the Niagara Frontier Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Tour 2: "Rails and Ales"

This tour covered the beautiful Western New York countryside on a privately chartered rail excursion, via the New York & Lake Erie train, pulled, in CanAm fashion, by ex-VIA nee CN MLW FPA2/4s.

We stopped at the Hamburg Brewing Company, which included a visit to their stunning G-scale layout.

The last stop for the day was the Hamburg depot, home to Artcraft Toy Trains, and viewed their Lionel layout.

The day concluded with the "Ice Breaker Reception" at the hotel.

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Tour 3: "Big Time Buffalo"

This tour had two versions, the full one and the half-day one. We will describe the full one, with the half-day one joining after lunch. The tour began on an authentic double-decker bus, starting with stop at the historic Buffalo Central Terminal built in 1929 for the New York Central railroad.

The tour continued past the downtown Exchange St. station, as well as trendy Larkenville. The bus stopped at Pearl Street in downtown Buffalo, to tour the Buffalo Harbor Museum and have lunch at the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery.

Lunch followed with a stroll down to Canalside, site of the original terminus of the Erie Canal. The optional river cruise was next, or a quick tour of the Naval and Military park, and the Buffalo Maritime Longshed beside the dock.

Aboard the double-decker "Harbor Queen" cruise boat, starting at Central Warf, we cruised past Silo City, the old rail yards, and between past and current industrial treasures. The last part of the tour involved a ride on the Metro Rail light-rail.

Back at the hotel, in the evening the vendor hall opened for the first time at this Convention, and attendees were also able to participate in the "Bingo Night".

Friday, August 5, 2022

Tour 4: "Roycroft Campus and Vidler's"

This tour visits the Arts-and-Crafts movement birthplace, the Roycroft Campus. They offered a Bookbinding workshop and printing demonstration during the tour.

Lunch was served at The Roycroft Inn restaurant.

The tour concluded with a visit to Vidler's, the "World's Largest 5 & 10 Variety Store".

Back at the hotel, clinics were held throughout the day, and in the evening the vendor hall opened, the Contest room was open, and the "NASG Regional VPs Meet and Greet" was held.

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Today was spent entirely at the hotel, with several clinics in the morning, the Contest room and the vendor hall being open for part of the day, followed by the official annual NASG Membership Meeting in the afternoon. The Banquet, Awards, and Auction were held in the evening hours to conclude this year's Convention.

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Self-guided layout tours and visits. Below is a photo of Dan Malkiewicz' S/Sn3 layout that was open to visitors during the Convention.

Photos Taken At the Convention

Matt Gaudynski, of ScaleTrains, displayed their pre-production models scheduled for release in early 2023. These are the extended-vision caboose, the heap-shield two-bay hopper, and two varieties of the 40-foot steel box car. These were made using the MTH molds, and all of which except for the hopper, were originally developed by S-Helper Service. The photo shows that ScaleTrains will continue to support both hi-rail and scale modelers, judging by the two types of couplers installed on the models.

The NASG Convention Cars by American Models. By the Convention's end, these were all gone.

The NASG had a table showcasing the new advertising materials, which includes the revitalized ads in Railroad Model Craftsman, and the brand new tri-fold handouts. Be sure to contact Brooks Stover to have your layout featured in the RMC ad!

The Southeastern Michigan S Gaugers brought their modular club layout to the show.

Members of the Western New York S Scale Association brought their portable layout.

More photos are available in the two S-scale magazines, the NASG Dispatch and the S Scale Resource.

Clinics

For your enjoyment, we have summarized the many clinics held at this year's Convention.

Friday, August 5, 2022

"Miniprints Paint & Take" Presented by Bernard Hellen

Bernard, owner of Miniprints, discussed his journey from modeler to manufacturer of his 3D-printed miniature craftsman-quality animals and figures. This was followed by the hands-on session where Bernard instructed on techniques to bring out the smallest details of your 3D-printed model, readying it for its new habitat on your home layout.

Friday, August 5, 2022

"Modeling In S-scale in the 1960s" Presented by Bud Rindfleisch

Bud had to fill in last-minute for Dick Karnes, who was scheduled to make the presentation, but was unable to attend. Bud discussed what it was like to be a scale modeler in S in the 1960s, what was available, the techniques used and how he kept the hobby alive.

Friday, August 5, 2022

"Hosting an NASG Convention" Presented by Jamie Bothwell, John Ciareleglio, Darby Marriott

It is not as hard as you think! Did you have fun in Buffalo attending the convention? Want to know how you could host a gathering of your best S gauge friends and colleagues? This workshop presented by the NASG National Convention Committee, attendees received a brief overview of what it takes to organize one of the best annual gatherings of S enthusiasts. Folks learned how to secure a hotel, book tours, set up the Vendor Hall, create a fantastic banquet, and have fun along the way. The NASG has redesigned how Conventions will be presented, and some of the organizational work and financing has been addressed (you can pick and choose events and keep it as simple as you wish!).

Friday, August 5, 2022

"The NYC Specification 486 Box Car Kit from Miniatures From the North" Presented by Jeff English

We are in a golden age of variety of freight car models. How do we select which ones; to make our freight trains more realistic? Jeff looked at the field of opportunity, and saw which available models are must-haves and in what proportions. He took a deeper look at the recently-released New York Central Specification 486 box cars made by Miniatures From The North, and how these, and signature cars of other railroads, bring a new level of being prototypical.

Friday, August 5, 2022

"Landscape Scenery" Presented by Willy Monaghan

Willy found that one can't build a large model landscape from reading a magazine article or watching a video about diorama construction. You may see beautiful miniatures, but large landscapes require strategies and methods that can be scaled for yards not inches. This clinic explored some of the techniques he has found while building his model of the Ulster and Delaware Railroad in New York's Catskill Mountains, including, concept, design strategies, structure, topography, model geology, mass vegetation, water, detail vegetation, and foreground detail. This clinic was repeated on Saturday.

Friday, August 5, 2022

"What Do I Do With These Passenger Cars?" Presented by Jamie Bothwell

How can you add passenger train operations to your layout? The operating potential of passenger trains is an oft-overlooked facet of model railroading. This clinic showed how to justify passenger operations on any layout, citing prototype examples.

Friday, August 5, 2022

"The History of S-Helper Service" Presented by Mike Ferraro & Don Thompson (via Zoom)

From helper status on up to the pinnacle of S-scale manufacturers, co-founders Mike and Don chronicled their saga of S-Helper Service as only they can tell.

Friday, August 5, 2022

"Modeling a Southern Ontario Branchline Junction" Presented by Andy Malette

The trials and tribulations of trying to fit prototype locations into your space. What is the starting point? How to adapt, so that your end result mimics the railroad of your choice?

Friday, August 5, 2022

"Modeling in an Urban Industrial Area" Presented by Ken Zieska

Ken revealed the allure of modeling urban and industrial areas. Tight spaces, dirty details, and small switching, all are ideally suited for S-scale.

Saturday, August 6, 2022

"Precision Modelling Using a 3D-printer" Presented by Simon Parent

Simon shares his discovery of using this exciting new way of making models. It covered the evolution from his first designs and outsourced printed masters for steam locomotive lost wax casting detail parts, to his early (failed) attempts at self-printing until good, reliable, and consumer-priced printers came along. From there he showed examples of what he has been able to achieve: from a coal tower and passenger station, to complete freight car kits, parts, and freight car trucks.

Saturday, August 6, 2022

"Meet the New Dispatch Editor" Presented by Daniel Dawdy

Meet up with the new editor of the Dispatch, Daniel Dawdy, to learn how you can help contribute to our prized publication. Interested in submitting your first article and need a few pointers? Have a novel idea or new direction you'd like to see pursued? This open forum was both informative and fun.

Local Layouts

At the convention, two outstanding modular layouts were on display representing the exquisite modeling of members from both sides of the border.

The S Scale Workshop

Southeastern Michigan S Gaugers

The layout features at least 50 structures, and many of these are scratchbuilt or kit-bashed. Over a period of nearly two decades, more than 30 modelers have contributed to the benchwork, trackwork, structures, and scenery of this display layout.

Buffalo is home to some great model railroad enthusiasts, in S as well as other scales. The following generous modelers opened their homes to Convention attendees to come and see their layouts in person.

Dan Malkiewicz

Ron Kemp

Gregg Mummert

Frank Battaglia

Bruce Aikman

Gary Reynolds

Frank Pastore

Donald Webster

Contest Results

The following are the official results of the contests held at the Convention. Be sure to check out the January 2023 issue of the NASG Dispatch for photos of some of the winning models.

Amateur Structures

1. John Racey: Sears Kit House (also awarded "Best in Amateur Class")
2. Chris Poppe: Lumber Yard
3. Chris Poppe: Garden Shop

Honorable Mention: Ed Cubick: E A Salow General Store

Amateur Diesel Locomotive

1. Ken Garber: American Models E8B conversion

Amateur Freight Cars & MoW

1. Ed Cubick: EL Gondola
2. Ed Cubick: NS Caboose

Craftsman Structures

1. John Ciarleglio: Clam Box Restaurant (also awarded "Best in Craftsman Class")
2. Norman Bos: Passenger Station

Craftsman Freight Cars & MoW

1. Norman Bos: M-K-T Box Car

Craftsman Steam Locomotive

1. Art Ferguson: New Haven Steam Locomotive

Craftsman HiRail Steam Locomotive

1. Michael Byle: NYC 0-8-0 Locomotive

Craftsman AF Imagineering

1. Michael Byle: Eat Mor Chikin Cow Car

Master Craftsman Diesel Locomotive

1. Jerry Poniatowski: C&O Brill Car (also awarded "Best in Master Craftsman Class" and the "Best-in-Show")
2. William Geracci: PRR F-M Erie Built Locomotive
3. Stephen Kutash: PRR Alco PA-1 & PB-1

Master Craftsman Freight Cars & MoW

1. Jeff English: GN Box Car
2. Jeff English: PRR X29 Box Car
3. Pieter Roos: New Haven Caboose

Meet the Crew

Darby Marriott

Chairperson
main contact e-mail
Darby grew up modeling HO-scale and ran O-scale with his grandfather as a child. Having only gotten back into the hobby in the last 5 years, he is newer to S (though third generation via marriage) but has passionately embraced the scale in this short time. He is now active in both the S Scale Workshop as well as the Western New York S Scale Association. He has attended both the Boxborough and Cincinnati NASG Conventions, including participating most recently as a clinic presenter. Professionally, Darby is a Senior Product Manager working with a number of high functioning, geo-dispersed teams within the Media and Entertainment industry. He also has been part of major industry trade show convention planning, marketing, and support for over 15 years, including annually in Las Vegas and Amsterdam. Personally, Darby is excited about returning to his home-town area in Buffalo to showcase the many advancements and rail-themed attractions the region has to offer. Darby, born in Buffalo, has a dual citizen son born while living in Kitchener, ON.

Ron Kemp

Co-Chair, Treasurer, Convention Car Coordinator
Ron's initial foray into "S" began on Christmas 1957 with an uncataloged Flyer set. Over the years focus has shifted from collecting and operating Flyer to the more accurate models, kits, and track currently available. A layout is currently under construction based on the New York Central's Buffalo belt line. Ron is a member on the WNYSSA, NASG, Pines and Prairies, and the NMRA. On the prototype side of the hobby, he belongs to the Western New York Railway Historical Society. Not coincidentally, the former NYC Niagara Falls branch is within view of his house! Ron has been to a significant number of NASG Conventions and was a contributor to the success of the 2010 Convention in Duluth serving as the financial coordinator. Ron is retired and was a Director at a major fan company. Ron is a dual citizen, born in Buffalo while his parents lived in Ft. Erie, ON. See a few photos of Ron's layout under construction.

Gregg Mummert

Facilities and In-house Logistics Coordinator, Layout Tour Coordinator
Gregg got back into model trains in the 1970s. He has been a member of the NASG since 1981 and has attended 17 NASG Conventions since then. He was active with the Bergen County Model RR Club in northern New Jersey and was its secretary for many years. After moving to upstate New York in the early 1990s, Gregg got involved with NFD/TTOS and handled their annual commemorative truck sales as well as acting as the secretary with TTCS for a few years. After attending the 1991 NASG Convention in Syracuse, he joined the Rochester Area S Gaugers. He revived the WNYSSA to have a group based in the Buffalo area instead of traveling to Rochester and has been their unofficial coordinator since. At Jim Martin's urging, his annual Christmas layout was featured in the NASG Dispatch a few years ago. Gregg is a retired Project Manager from Verizon Business. Learn more about Gregg's basement layout, which is still under construction.

Bud Rindfleisch

Off-site Excursions and Transportation Coordinator
Bud's association with S-scale goes back to 1964 when he bought his first kit, an Ambroid snowplow and a few pair of Northeastern freight car trucks. These pre-dated the Kinsman trucks which used the same molds (to his recollection). Bud has twice served as a contest judge at NASG Conventions and was in attendance at the last Buffalo convention in 1984. Professionally, Bud was employed with six different railroads over the span of 31 years, covering jobs from yard clerk, car knocker, yardmaster, CRT data entry operator, brakeman/conductor, engineer, and even the lowly remote control operator. Bud served as Safety Committee chairman his last two years on the railroad. He also worked over 14 years as a letter-carrier with the USPS, 7 of which coincided with his full-time railroad job. Bud is a native of Buffalo and is very intimate with its storied railroad past.

Cliff Merkle

Registration and Hospitality Coordinator
Cliff remembers his first American Flyer Train set around the Christmas tree before he could remember anything else, from before age 2. The one circle became two not long after, running the 1953 Challenger 4-8-4 freight set along with a chrome diesel with passenger cars, connected with switches and sidings, buildings, and roads. Every Christmas. After graduation from Ohio University, he joined a big city airline. From then on, most of his collection remained in the attic. He worked in various cities around the country, and after 35 years, moved home to re-join his family and get the rest of the American Flyer out of the attic. He remains a member of CASG (Chicago Assn. of S Gaugers), the NASG, and the Western New York S Scale Association.

Dan Malkiewicz

Dealer and Exhibits Coordinator
Dan is a lifetime S gauger since the 1950s, following his father's love for trains and A.C. Gilbert American Flyer. Dan is heavily involved in TTOS, as an officer of the local Niagara Frontier Division and as a major participant in the 2014 TTOS National Convention held in Buffalo. He also continues to coordinate numerous local TTOS shows and events. Dan's fantastic layout has been showcased in Classic Toy Trains, S Gaugian, and the NASG's The Dispatch. It will also be on display in 2022 as part of the Convention. Learn more about Dan's layout.

Jamie Bothwell

Banquet and Auction Events Coordinator
Jamie has been an NASG member since 1989. In that time he has attended 27 Conventions including the last 25. He also served as Convention Chairman for the 2013 Scranton Convention, Tour Organizer for the 2001 Scranton Convention, and Clinic Coordinator for the 2012 Chattanooga Convention. These experiences have given Jamie a clear idea of how to put on a successful convention. Jamie has been a member of the Lehigh Valley S Gaugers since 1988, and has served as their Recording Secretary for many years. Jamie's day job is as a High School science teacher; another place where organization and attention to detail is key to success. Jamie is excited to help with another Convention based on the personal satisfaction he gained from the previous events. An American, Jamie fancies himself as half-Canadian and will answer to "Hey hoser!".

Jim Martin

Marketing and Promotions Coordinator
Jim's interest in model trains was hatched fully-formed on his 8th Christmas. Marx O-27 gave way to HO, which in turn was tossed aside for S. That's where he's been for the past 35 years. While he enjoys occasional side projects in other scales, S is where it's at. Jim's working years were spent entirely in the field of broadcasting and at the end of the day, model railroading was always a great stress buster. Jim has accumulated (hoarded) pretty much everything he needs from here on, so now enjoys concentrating on the social side of the hobby, meeting up with friends, writing, doing clinics, and once upon a time, even podcasting. See photos of Jim's layout.

Andy Malette

Clinics and Workshops Coordinator
Andy started out with Flyer when he was young but gave it up when a teenager. He re-entered S 19 years ago and joined the NASG. Andy has been at every Convention since. He is now a scale modeler in S. Andy's main interest is the Canadian National Railways, any era. He models the Owen Sound/Wiarton Subdivisions of the CNR. Andy is the owner/gopher for M.L.W. Services which produces S-scale fine-scale kits. Andy serves as the NASG's Secretary. Learn more about Andy's layout.

Jeff English

Competition Coordinator
Jeff was the previous Eastern Vice-President for the NASG.

Peter Vanvliet

Webmaster
Peter started in the hobbies of model railroading, electronics, and kit-building in the early 1970s in Europe. His parents bought him an N-scale Fleischmann freight train set (since he "was old enough to handle something that small"). Peter's Dad got a degree in Electrical Engineering and experimented with small electronic projects at home, which got Peter interested in that, too. His Dad was a computer programmer, which eventually led Peter to that career, as well. Peter re-entered the model railroading hobby in 1999 by purchasing another N-scale starter set. He has been modeling the PRR ever since. In 2008 he switched to S-scale as N was getting too difficult to see and operate. In that year he also joined the NASG and the Houston S Gaugers. Professionally, Peter owns and operates his own computer software company, Fourth Ray Software, since 2001 which now offers over 25 software products. Additionally, he is the webmaster for the main NASG web site, the Houston S Gaugers web site, and several other small businesses. Visit Peter's personal web site to view his current S-scale layout.