Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders club members Jim Sanderson (left), and club president Ted Bertiger. (Photo by Mark Bator)

  JERSEY SHORE – The history of model trains may go back to the latter part of the Nineteenth Century, but the link between one Ocean County organization’s charitable efforts towards Monmouth County veterans is closing in on almost a full decade.

  For years, the Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders (OCSMR) has generously volunteered their time, efforts, and finances towards supporting local veterans in nearby Manalapan by participating in their annual train show. Organized by the Manalapan Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee (MVAAC), the event takes place at the township’s Community Center on Route 33 each year.

  “I was friends with Joanne Mania from the Allstate insurance agency,” explained MVACC’s president Ernie DiOrio, regarding the origins of the train show. “I was talking to her and I said I’m having trouble with my trains. She said that her husband Joe was a great [model] train guy and he does all kinds of stuff. So, I went to speak with Joe, and he said, ‘we can do some benefits for you guys.’ Well, it’s nine years later and we have a great partnership, and they love doing it.”

  While this is the ninth year for the show, the OCSMR has participated in the event each year following its inception, filling the event hall with interactive displays, model train layouts, and organized fun to showcase the hobby of model railroading.

  The popularity of the event has grown so much that this year’s train show even garnered the spotlight from WCBS-TV’s morning news broadcast, as meteorologist John Elliott did a series of live weather remotes from the location.

Former NY Giants wide receiver Stephen Baker, an annual participant at the fundraiser event, poses with a replica of the Super Bowl trophy. (Photo by Mark Bator)

  “I’m very happy we were able to make it out,” said Elliott, regarding the live television coverage of the event. “They come to me every fifteen minutes, so for a three-hour show, I get twelve hits. And in my long hits, I get to do two- to three-minute interviews, so we produce a lot of content. This was great, [because] we had something different every time.”

  But for Elliott, attending the fundraiser was about more than just filling content for his job, as the broadcaster also had a personal tie to the event.

  “I had trains as a kid,” Elliott continued. “I loved trains as a kid. But the real appeal to me for this show was the connection to veterans, especially at this time in history when we have men and women engaged in battle right now.”

  The MVAAC is just one of many such organizations in the Manalapan area, including the Disabled American Veterans, and the Vietnam Veterans of America.

  “You don’t have to be a veteran,” explained DiOrio regarding participation with the local veterans committees. “You could be a civilian, and we just come up with ideas. We have a whole list of things that we’ve done. The proceeds, anything that’s raised today, goes towards the veterans. We also send money overseas to a M.A.S.H. unit, we help [regarding] our dogs with vets, we also work with Chapter 12 of the Vietnam Veterans to do a cremains project.”

Stephen Baker had an elaborate set up for his many hobbies, including RC devices, SIM racing and virtual reality gaming. (Photo by Mark Bator)

  Under the cremains project, the committee works with local funeral parlors to retrieve forgotten cremated remains of veterans which have been left at those locations. From there, the committee sees to it that those servicemen and women get a proper burial.

  “We will work together to get these veterans, and we get them buried,” continued DiOrio. “To this day, we’ve buried over two hundred veterans plus spouses and kids.”

  In addition to the MVACC and the OCSMR, other groups joined the fundraising event, including the Standard Gauge Module Association (SGMA), the Lucciola Insurance Agency, and JLM Trains.

  Attendance at the train show continues to grow each year, so donations made by the public, combined with charitable contributions made by the participating groups involved, help further assistance for area veterans. In addition, sales of merchandise made during the train show are donated to the Veterans’ Committee, as well.

  Model trains and the sophistication of the equipment has continued to progress through the decades, and many hobbyists build elaborate re-creations of actual rail lines, utilizing old photographs to depict historical accuracy. Many veterans, in fact, are participants in model railroad clubs, so the event has a unique crossover appeal.

Local WCBS weatherman John Elliott (left) taking time to shop for items at the fundraiser following his on-air remote spots. (Photo by Mark Bator)

  “My club’s goal,” said Ted Bertiger, the president of the OCSMR, “is to show off the hobby. We’re not looking to make money, or anything. If we sell anything, we donate it to the veterans. It’s fun.”

  Founded in 1987, the OCSMR currently has 38 members, ranging in age from 12 to 87, and has its permanent home in the basement of the Lakewood Historical Museum.

  In addition to the train show on March 15, the group makes other whistle stops around New Jersey, with ties to local Elks Clubs, and other community events in Wayne, Burlington, Brick and Toms River. The group even makes charitable contributions to local organizations, such as the Bradley Food Pantry.

  Visitors to the train show were also treated to a meet-and-greet with former New York Giants wide receiver Stephen Baker, who is an annual participant at the event. While at a nearby gym, Baker had noticed the MVAAC president wearing a Vietnam Veterans hat, and casually thanked DiOrio for his service during that war.

All proceeds from donations and sales made at the train show went to the Manalapan Veterans Committee. (Photo by Mark Bator)

  “We became friends,” commented Baker, speaking about DiOrio. “And he’s a diehard Giants fan, which made it even better. So, we talked it up and then he invited me to a train show because he saw my hobbies. I had no idea model trains were that intricate.”

  Besides the annual train show, Baker participates in several events a year with the MVAAC and the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 12.

  “I attend their annual dinner dance, and I was a keynote speaker one year,” continued Baker. “The reason I do it is because I really respect them, and I have always had a special place in my heart for Vietnam Veterans. They were just seventeen and eighteen years old when they went over there. They were brave young men.”

  While fans of all ages enjoyed speaking with the former Super Bowl winning wide receiver about the team’s victory over the Buffalo Bills, they can also learn about Baker’s other passions.

The Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders had numerous train layout displays at the event. (Photo by Mark Bator)

  In between posing for pictures and signing autographs, Baker spoke to visitors at the event about his interest in radio-controlled vehicles, sim racing, and virtual reality gaming.

  The MVAAC offers assistance to Monmouth and Ocean County area veterans through their website at manalapanveterans.godaddysites.com, and has links to other organizations to assist former servicemen and women and their families.

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