Fred Humphrey is in his third term as a “Superintendent” for the Tidewater Division. He retired in 2010 as a Master Chief Petty Officer after 50 years of reserve and active service plus civil service responsibilities for the Navy. Fred has been interested in trains since childhood because his father worked for Southern Pacific. He began collecting railroad items and got into model railroading after getting his first O-scale train. He grew up around Decatur Illinois where he loved watching trains near the interlock. All train traffic passing through the interlock included B&O, Illinois Central, Illinois Terminal, Pennsylvania and Wabash railroads. Fred still visits the interlock every time he’s in town. Now, he watches trains from NS, CSX (up for sale), CN, UP unit coal, BNSF unit grain plus observing several short lines like the Decatur Central, Decatur Junction, R. C. Corman and the large ADM locomotive fleet. He joined the NMRA and TMRC to learn more about the hobby and how to use it in building his layout. To contact Fred, e-mail him at: frederickhumphrey@outlook.com
John Fallon is the “Assistant Superintendent of the Tidewater Division.” John is native to Hampton Roads, having returned here after military service. He spent ten years (active and reserve) in the Navy as a submarine electronics technician-nuclear and spent all of his career in submarines. John is a journeyman electrician and enjoys modeling the Norfolk & Western Railroad. John’s fondest childhood memory was an Amtrak trip with his family from Richmond to Orlando’s Disneyland. Contact the assistant superintendent via the following address: zzoxdoc@yahoo.com
John Robey is in his third term as the Division “Paymaster.” John is a retired member of the US Secret Service, having served president’s Carter, Reagan, Bush (G.H.W.) and retired when Bill Clinton’s term ended in 2001. John is a life long fan of (and models) the Richmond, Potomac & Fredericksburg Railroad and is a member of their historical society. John’s favorite railroad memory is riding in a convertible across the highways of central Missouri with his father. His Dad drove with one hand on the steering wheel and in the other….held an 8mm movie camera shooting pictures of local trains traveling down the tracks. Drop the paymaster a note at: jrobey2019@gmail.com
Jim Keiper is in his first term as Division “Member at Large.” My love for model railroading started as a young child with 027 scale trains around the Christmas tree and later layouts in the cellar. I got serious in modelling later in life and joined the Tidewater Division in 1999. I served in various capacities to include BOD member, assistant Superintendent and later Superintendent for two terms. I am also a founding Member of the Tidewater Model Railroad Club (TMRC). My desire for participating in our NMRA MER Division is many faceted. I am thrilled participating with my Family Members, I enjoy the fellowship, public operations, appreciating others’ modelling talent, sharing of the hobby with younger folks, and learning from some of the best modelers in our hobby; right here in our Division! Jim can be reached at: eljek8952@gmail.com
John Cryderman is in his third term as a “Member at Large” for the Tidewater Division. John was born in Rochester Michigan and models both the Pierre Marquette and Chesapeake & Ohio railroads. He is a Navy veteran having retired from active duty with 20 years of service as a nuclear machinist mate. Since retiring from the Navy, he is currently employed with Huntington-Ingalls Newport News shipyard as a production planner. John’s fondest childhood railroad memory was walking in the Michigan Central Station (Detroit) with his Dad. To contact John via e-mail at: jcryderman@cox.net
Roger Bir is in his first term as a “Timekeeper” and third term as a board member for the Tidewater Division. Roger produces the division newsletter, “The Callboard” and is the webmaster for the Division. He retired in 2011 after 38 years of active and reserve service in the Navy and Air Force. Roger moved into model railroading in 2007 after retiring as an NCAA football and wrestling referee. His early interests centers around passenger consists starting from Union Pacific and continuing with the C&O’s “George Washington.” Roger’s fondest railroad memory came in 1956. He and his father ventured to a country railroad crossing just east of Columbia City, Indiana. Off in the distance approached a Nickel Plate Berkshire. As the train grew near, his Dad said, “wave at the engineer and make a pulling motion with your hand.” He did as his father asked and was surprised as the engineer waved and sounded the locomotive’s whistle. Drop Roger a note at: sorcerer54@cox.net
Dale Ridgeway begins his first term, Member at Large on the Tidewater Division Board of Directors. Residing in Bishopville MD, Dale recently received his Master Modeler Award, #657 in the summer of 2020. You can reach Dale at: ridgerail@aol.com