Introduction to The New England Berkshire & Western Railroad
Mike BarenysDescription
Every college campus offers a variety of clubs and activities for students to participate in, but very few offer a club solely dedicated to model railroading. The Rensselaer Model Railroad Society was founded in 1947 at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. The club consists of an even mix of 40 students and non-students. John Nehrich has been involved since 1968 and now works full time for the club. The members of the club collaborate on an HO layout of The New England Berkshire & Western Railroad. It’s an ongoing project that has gone through four different versions over the years. New club members bring fresh ideas and concepts to the layout while John keeps the vision true to the original concept.
The New England Berkshire & Western Railroad
This video is the introduction to a 10-part series with Allen Keller on The New England Berkshire & Western Railroad. The series celebrates the accomplishments of the Rensselaer Model Railroad Society. Allen Keller begins the series right outside Davidson Hall where the magic happens. Although the layout has endured many changes, the layout has remained located in the basement of the same building. Rensselaer Model Railroad Society club president Mike Barenys joins Allen Keller for the tour.
Allen Keller’s visit to The New England Berkshire & Western Railroad provides insight into club responsibilities, research and education, inspiration and techniques, as well as a behind the scenes look at the structures and design. The tour begins at the branch line at North Creek so hold on tight and prepare for the journey.
This video is a tribute to the Rensselaer Model Railroad Society on the 50th anniversary of the club, and the 25th anniversary of the New England Berkshire and Western Railroad. This is the 4th version of the HO layout that's been built by students and friends. Yet one man is more closely associated with the club than anyone else. John Nehrich has been involved since 1968, and now works full time for the club. He has kept the vision to build a railroad that is true to the original concept. Even though the layout has been refined over the years. Hi, I'm Allen Keller, and this is Mike Barenys, the president of the NEB&W. Mike, I bet things are really different from when we were here in 1987. Well, the outside of Davison Hall hasn't changed much over the years, but the layout sure has. Why don't you come in and take a look? Okay. The NEB&W is the basement of Davison Hall at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Most of the layout has been rebuilt at least twice. Yet the continuity of the club and the layout remains. In fact, it has improved. The members are sticklers for accuracy and rolling stock, structures, and scenery. The 40 members are evenly divided between students and non-students. The layout itself is L girder with hand laid track, and a minimum radius of 48 inches. Our visit to the NEB&W is going to include a number of trains so you'll get a feel for the total railroad and its traffic. We'll start chasing trains out on the branch line at North Creek, and we're gonna get an early start.
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