Every year, O Scale Central has elections to fill leadership positions in the organization. As a member, you have the responsibility to vote for your OSC leadership. This year, the Vice President, Treasurer, and three Director positions are up for election. Each candidate for this election will be elected to a term starting on January 1, 2026, and ending on December 31, 2027. Directions for voting are listed under each position.
All ballots are due back by December 1st via electronic submission. If you have any questions, email secretary@oscalecentral.com
Ken Nesper
Secretary, O Scale Central
Below are the candidates and their short biographies.
VICE PRESIDENT
Nick Bulgarino
Nick Bulgarino has been a train enthusiast since the age of 3. Like all good Millennials, Nick began his interest in trains with Thomas the Tank Engine. This developed into an interest in British prototypes, where he followed the Great Western Railway and London North Eastern Railway. Nick became familiar with American prototypes through the B&O Railroad Museum, where he began learning about the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
In 2003, after the Nor’easter dropped 7 feet of snow in the Baltimore area and collapsed the roof on the Museum’s roundhouse, Nick and his 1st Grade class took their first steps into the world of Railroad Preservation by creating a project called “Help Restore the Rails.” The project raised over $2,000 for the rebuilding of the roof.
As Nick grew older, he developed other interests, such as sports and music. Nick attended DeMatha Catholic High School, where he played varsity golf and played in their Wind Ensemble. Nick received his Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance from the Eastman School of Music in 2018 and proceeded to get his Master of Music in Trombone from the Peabody Conservatory in 2020. He is an active freelance musician.
While at Peabody, Nick joined the Baltimore Society of Model Engineers. There, he started getting involved in the O Scale 2-Rail (OS2R) community and attended his first OS2R show: the April 2019 Strasburg Show. There, he purchased his first OS2R engine: a Westside B&O Q4b with water bottle. He proceeded to burn its coal load and unsolder the tank from the tender frame (yes, quite literally both!) due to not understanding insulated trucks. Since that experience, Nick has become an avid supporter and proponent of Dead Rail (Power Onboard) train control.
Nick is a member of O Scale Central, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society, and the National Model Railroad Association.
Nick models the Baltimore and Ohio’s Baltimore Division in 1948. He enjoys doing extensive research on the prototype in addition to enjoying the model building side of the hobby. He is building the Pratt Street Line, and intends to build a layout modeling the Old Main Line from Baltimore City to Brunswick, MD via his hometown of Ellicott City, MD, the original 1830 terminus of the B&O.
TREASURER
Joe Norman
My name is Joe Norman and I am a candidate for reelection as Treasurer of O Scale Central.DIRECTORS
Walter Horlacher
I have been a member of “O” Scale Central since 2008. I have been an avid “O” scaler since I purchased my first All Nation Locomotive kit in 1982. I joined OSC because the organization promotes and fosters interest in 1:48 scale 2-rail modeling. The absolute best benefit of belonging to OSC are the special relationships I have developed with other members as well as individuals in the “O” Scale industry.
Born in Waukesha Wisconsin in 1957, my interest in trains is deeply rooted from my childhood even long before receiving my first Lionel train set. You see, I grew up alongside the Soo Line mainline as it ran through our backyard past my sandbox strategically located next to the right of way, I can still vividly remember waving off every locomotive and caboose as they rolled by. At age 10 Dad packed up the family and we moved to sunny South Florida but trains were still nearby with clear eyeshot of every train that ran up and down the Florida East Coast mainline.
Even with that said my primary interest are with the Mid-west railroads with emphasis on Milwaukee Road.
Upon High School graduation I did a 3-year stint in the Army and served as a Combat Engineer, afterwards I continue serving in the Air Force reserves serving as Civil Engineer for an additional 30 years, which included three Post 9-11 deployments to Southwest Asia including Iraqi Freedom and retired as a Chief Master Sergeant in 2008.
I have been married to my Wife Liz for 44 years and have a lovely daughter Alexandria and 2 very young Grandchildren that keep us busy.
My civilian career Included working for the Florida East Coast Railway and while working there I earned a nickname as so many railway workers have and was baptized as “Waldo”. I also worked in the graphics industry and finished up my working career as a Facility Services Project Manager with 26 years’ service with the North Broward Hospital District.
DIRECTORS
Daniel Raible
Daniel Raible resides near Cleveland, Ohio, where his lifelong fascination with industry and transportation first took shape. Growing up amidst an industrial landscape which included the American Ship Building Company, Republic Steel Corporation, and a colorful mosaic of merging railroads, Daniel was inspired by the constant motion and adaptation of these enterprises. The local abundance of lift bridges, ore unloaders and coal docks offered him a lot of subjects to study, and rail-watching at busy places like Berea nurtured a deep interest in industrial archaeology and transportation history.
Today, Daniel combines those interests with his craftsmanship in woodworking and kitbashing to create unique models of Midwestern prototypes—particularly those of the Nickel Pllate Road and the Lake Shore Electric Railway. In recent years, he has embraced 3D design and printing to produce distinctive finescale parts, and even completes entire 3D models made from resin, brass, and stainless steel.
A strong advocate of open-source collaboration, Daniel freely shares his designs online (github.com/DanielRaible76/3D-modeling) and conducts clinics and online tutorials to share techniques, exchange ideas, and crowdsource new projects. Looking ahead, he aims to continue expanding the library of shared components and to promote the creative and technical possibilities offered by O-scale modeling.
