about ELDCPS > Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Tim Stuy
President
Worked briefly for the Communications & Signals Department of Conrail.
Membership chairman of the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society 1985-1988.
Founded the NYS&W Technical & Historical Society in 1988 and served as president for 5 years. Co-chaired the restoration of NYS&W RDC M-1. Also ran numerous excursions including on featuring a full-service ex-Santa Fe dining car using NYS&W dining car china created for the occasion by the Society.
Founded the New Jersey Midland Railroad Historical Society in 1994 and have served as its president since. Oversaw merger of NJMRHS and the Railroadians of America (oldest continuosly operating railroad historical group in the U.S.) in 1998. Co-editor of revised edition of The Next Station Will Be... NYS&W Middletown & East. Created china as a fundraiser with the cooperation of the Morristown & Erie Railway. Currently involved with the restoration of the former Lehigh & Hudson River freight house in Allamuchy, N.J.; a cooperative effort between the NJMRHS and the Township of Allamuchy.
Michael Steinberg
Vice-President/Webmaster
Although born exactly two years after the last train ran for the Erie Lackawanna, Michael Steinberg still managed to grow up an EL fan. His first exposure to passenger trains were commuter runs on NJ TRANSIT's Pascack Valley Line, which continued to use EL-painted equipment until 1984.
Michael was an officer and the webmaster for the Bergen-Rockland Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. He is also a former officer and a founding member of the Rockland Model Train & Traction Club. In November 1994, Michael created "Hoboken Terminal - The Unofficial NJ Transit Website." He served as President of ELDCPS from its inception in 2001 until 2003.
Currently living in St. Louis, Michael began working for the BNSF Railway in March 2004 and is currently a Yardmaster at the former-Frisco Lindenwood Yard.
Paul R. Tupaczewski
Vice-President, Historical
Paul was born and raised in Boonton, N.J., and seeing EL locals and freights as a youngster colored his interest in railroads, and cemented the EL as his favorite road. He is active in many railroad organizations, and was Editor of NYS&W Technical & Historical Society newsletter Reflector from 1989 to 1991. Today he is the Erie/EL diesel locomotive advisor for the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society, and ran its 1999 Annual Convention. Paul also created and moderates the Erie Lackawanna Mailing List, an Internet-based discussion forum for Erie, DL&W, and EL topics. He is also modeling the EL Boonton Line, circa 1974, between Croxton Yard in Secaucus, N.J., and Port Morris, N.J. His latest project, an all-color book on the New York, Susquehanna & Western, was published by Morning Sun Books in early 2002. Served as Treasurer of ELDCPS 2001-2003.
Joel Long
Treasurer
Grew up in Bangor, Penn. watching the EL at "shops," hence his fascination with Alco 424/425s and GP-7s. Being from the cement belt and close to the EL main through the Water Gap is what kindled his main Railroad interests. Joel is an HO modeler, amateur railroad photographer and RR memorabilia collector. Joel current lives in Strasburg, Penn., where he runs his accounting practice. He is also a member of ELHS and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.
John Isaksen
Secretary, Event Coordinator, Director
Born and raised in Brooklyn, John’s introduction to EL came in the early 1960s through riding the former Lackawanna MU’s on the Morris and Essex line for visits to his grandmother’s home in East Orange, N.J.
He has had a lifelong interest in historic preservation and education, with involvement in various Living History and local historical societies.
In the railroad environment, John served as Vice President of the NYS&W Technical & Historical Society (1989-1992); with Tim Stuy he co-chaired the restoration of NYS&W RDC M-1 and participated in the planning, marketing and operation of numerous excursions and special events. Currently, he serves as Vice President of the New Jersey Midland Railroad Historical Society. He also is a volunteer with the Catskill Mountain Railroad, specializing in Maintenance of Equipment and Maintenance of Way.
John is an MIS professional for a Fortune 500 retail company. He and his wife, Suzanne, reside in Orange County, N.Y.
Pete Shepherd
Director
Pete was born in 1947 in Fulton, N.Y., on the Lackawanna’s Syracuse Branch. His bedroom was a long stone’s throw from the branch, and he credits the DL&W with kindling a lifelong interest in railroads, fostered later by many nights spent with the crew of the local freight. This interest led to a career in transportation; he worked for the Missouri Pacific after graduating from St. John Fisher College, and retired in 2004 from Regional Transit Service (Rochester’s public transit provider) after 31 years’ service. He also served as a lieutenant (junior grade) in the U.S. Navy.
Pete was on the Board of Directors of the Nickel Plate Road Historical and Technical Society for 23 years, serving as Trustee (1986), National Director (1987-1995) and Publications Director (1996-2009). He has written an all-time NKP diesel roster book and over 90 articles on various aspects of Nickel Plate history, including their passenger service and equipment.
An ELHS member since 1978, Pete joined the ELDCPS in 2003 and has taken a life membership. He is also a charter member of the DL&W Railroad Historical Society. The EL and predecessors have always been among his favorite properties. He is also a member of numerous other railroad societies, reflecting a wide-ranging interest in the industry, past and present.
Pete lives in Fairport, N.Y., a suburb of Rochester, with his wife, Nancy, and cats Katy and Frisco, and thoroughly enjoys his association with the ELDCPS.
John Cannizzaro
Director
John was born and raised in Lodi, N.J., and some of his earliest railroad experiences were hearing and watching Erie passenger and freight trains on the Bergen County Line during the 1950's. John's dad would also take him along for the ride on his trips into Manhattan via the DL&W and Erie ferries from Hoboken. John remembers bolting out of the truck as soon as his dad gave him the nod, and making a dash to the upper deck so as to get the catbird spot on the point of the bow.
As the youngest of three children, John was "dragged along" on shopping trips with his two older sisters. John's mom knew he was bored to death in the stores of Passaic N.J., so she would let him stand at the front doors to get relief watching Erie commuter and through trains stop a few feet away on Main Ave. Closer to home, John had the fun to watch (and occasionally ride) the NYS&W local drill on the Lodi branch.
To John, the late 50's & 60's were a blur of high school, college and riding and photographing as many Erie, DL&W, EL, and CNJ trains and fan trips as time and money would allow.
After a short stint as a CNJ brakeman in 1969-1970 and 37 years of teaching, John is happily retired and is enjoying a more active role in various railroad historical and preservation groups.