Valley Forge RPM

I had the pleasure of attending the bi-annual (alternates every other year with a sister event in Greensburg, PA) Valley Forge RPM in Malvern, PA. This year's event drew just under 300 people and featured many prominent speakers from around the east and midwest. The event was hosted at the gorgeous Desmond Hotel and Conference Center, which has top flight facilities. As one would expect, there were many models on display. Here is a sampling:

B&O M-53 by Bob Cronin of Granby, CT 

In process Reading F-unit from Ron Giordani of Whitehall, PA

Prolific "resinator" Jim Kubanick from West Virginia displayed many models, including this Sunshine CB&Q GS-2 gon with interesting load

Eric Hansmann shared castings for a 1922 MDT reefer... a future kit?

Corey Fischer from Rochester, NY is taking detailing of a Santa Fe Budd Hi Level diner to a new level...

... look at the aisles, the table tops, bulkheads, and chair covers!

Ron Hoess from Chadds Ford, PA displayed models of early coil cover hoods, fabricated from styrene and then duped by resin casting

Fritz Dahlin, Columbia, MD, displayed a modified MDC box car, lettered with Microscale decals, "hairspray" chipping on the roof, and Mig Jimenez oil washes

This impressive-looking beast is an in-progress model of the Diamond Glass Co. of Royersford, PA, constructed by Rich Newmiller 

Apparently, not even one steam locomotive was left home by Fred Lass of Westminster, MD

John Johnson displayed a rebuilt Santa Fe Fe-23 auto car

Jim Hunter of Harrisburg added a pair of Resin Car Works boilers to his M&W flat car

WrightTrak resin PRR X29D as modeled by Dave Boss of Butler, PA

RF&P 3312, with load, as replicated by Shannon Crabtree of Fredericksburg, VA 

This amazing finishing job is the work of Butch Eyler, Biglerville, PA 

Dave Pfeiffer of Lederach, PA brought a Sunshine kit of a Pennsy X41A welded auto car

There were quite a few BNSF covered hoppers by Dave Oppedisano from York, PA

Greg Snook did a fine job making his PRR GRA gon and FM flat car look well worn. Both are F&C kits

Noted LV modeler Chuck Davis from Norfolk, VA, had many models on display, including this caboose.

Chuck also showed how he modeled the steps

There was plenty of newfangled (non-Steam or Transition Eras) motive power on the display tables. This Dash 9-44 CW was the work of Vincent Zablocki

Not to be outdone, Ramon Rhodes showed off this BNSF Dash 8-40 BW

Next year's event will be in March at Greensburg, PA. It will return to Malvern in 2020.