HRCV Incorporated

Paul H. Amundsen

Paul practiced law in Florida for more than 35 years, representing businesses and industries before government agencies and in the courts. He came to Delaware in 2013 to join Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ petroleum refinery, handling government regulatory issues. Now semi-retired, Paul teaches business law and business ethics as an adjunct professor at Trident University International. He is an avid baseball fan and played the game through college. Paul studied law at Florida State University and received his undergraduate degree from Elon University. Paul and his wife, Jean, live in Bear, DE, with two retired racing greyhounds and two cats.

Christopher H. Craig

Christopher has over 30 years of experience in the transportation industry and fifteen years in the construction and equipment rental industry. Chris is currently the Equipment Director for JJID, Inc., a multidivisional family-owned and operated company with roots in Delaware for over 100 years. The JJID Family of Companies consists of three main divisions: JJID General Contractors, JJID Transport & Hauling, JJID Site Services. Chris co-founded the JJID Transport and Hauling Division which focuses on providing specialized heavy hauling to clients throughout the contiguous United States. Under his leadership, JJID assembled a team of professional managers and drivers to address this market need.

Chris, a Delaware native, received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management from Goldey-Beacom College and is a lifelong advocate for the Wilmington & Western Railroad.

William Dale

Bill is a native of Massachusetts. He graduated from Cairn University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science and earned his master’s degree in divinity from Columbia International University in 1986, where he met his wife of nearly 40 years. He holds additional advanced degrees from Bethel Seminary (San Diego) and Wesley College (Dover, DE). Bill worked in churches and non-profits for over 20 years, including two years in Taiwan, and has recently been working in commercial maintenance/management while serving on the boards of several Wilmington non-profits. In 2019, Bill became the facility manager for the Patriot Ice Center in Newark, DE. He has two children, three grandchildren, and enjoys gardening, playing guitar, and history.

Sarah Edris

I have a lifelong interest in historic preservation and education as well as cultural practices and have dedicated myself to keeping care of many traditions and historic practices. While in my teens, I began exploring small engines with the guidance of my dad. Together, we tackled restoring and maintaining antique tractors. As I got older I began participating in groups with similar focuses, expanding my knowledge and interest. My interest and ties to my community led me to Kutztown University, where I originally set out to major in education, but felt a much stronger calling towards professional historic and cultural preservation. It was at KU that I began working at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, gaining skills in sign painting, conservation, preservation, archiving, cataloguing, and much more. I was fortunate enough to be hired as the museum registrar and event coordinator at the Heritage Center upon graduating with a bachelor’s in anthropology. The Heritage Center fostered and expanded my interest in historical topics, among these being types of historical photography including film and tintyping.

While in college, I expanded my interest in farm machinery by volunteering at Rough and Tumble in Kinzers, PA. Here, I helped caretake the organization’s Baker steam engine, learning lessons about steam maintenance, repair, operation, and safety along the way. I dealt one-on-one with state inspectors and saw the engine and several others through the state inspection process each year. I also served as a steam school instructor for several years, teaching students of all ages how to safely and effectively operate steam engines.

While my love for farm equipment is still strong, the opportunity to volunteer for a railroad in my local community piqued my interest, and for the last three years I have been an active volunteer at the Allentown and Auburn Railroad in Kutztown, PA. I have been fortunate to gain experience in every aspect of the railroad during my time here. I participated in marketing and sales, including creating content for social media, as well as event photography. I also have helped on many restoration and repair projects on the railroad, namely reupholstering a passenger coach for the spring 2024 season and lettering various cars. I have assisted with equipment maintenance at the railroad including passenger cars, cabooses, and diesel locomotives. My time at the A&A has not been limited to shop work, as I have also assisted with track work and tie replacement, including backhoe, hyrail, and tamper operation. I have also had public facing roles, including ticket sales, car hosting, photography for special events, and assisting with event management. Recently, I have also begun learning how to safely operate our SW, #206, so that I can assist in freight and passenger movement. I look forward to participating in the continued progress of the Wilmington and Western Railroad.

Gene F. Giuliani

Gene worked for more than 40 years in the construction industry for James Julian Inc. and JJID Inc. He supervised highway, bridge, sewer and water projects in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Gene retired in 2010 and now spends time with his grandchildren in all their sports activities, and working on wood projects at home. He is fascinated by the Wilmington & Western and all it can bring to the residents and visitors of Delaware.

Steve L. Jensen

Steve is a Delaware native and lifelong railroader, having been involved with the Wilmington & Western Railroad and Historic Red Clay Valley Inc. since 1970. A 1976 graduate of Delcastle Technical High School, he pursued a career in Welding and Fabrication. During his time there, he landed a co-op job at Mechtron, a company that specialized in railcar repair. After graduating with a Welding background, he worked at a number of other railcar repair companies, including Maryland Railcar, Triple C, and Delaware Car. He also briefly worked on the extra board for Chessie System as a yard brakeman. In 1978, he settled in at National Vulcanized Fiber in Kennett Square, PA as a Welder/Machine Operator. During his time with NVF, he got to know the Chief Mechanical Officer for the nearby Octoraro Railway, Calvin Nichols. He got to learn many of the skills necessary to maintain and repair diesel-electric locomotives including electrical systems and mechanical systems.

During the 1970’s, Steve became highly involved with the maintenance and operation of steam and diesel-electric locomotives at the W&W. He started out as a Student Fireman on No. 92 shortly before it was taken out of service, and continued his training primarily on No. 98 when it entered revenue service. He also worked closely with mechanical personnel, including former PRR boilermaker Weldin Stumpf, learning the many skills necessary to maintain and repair steam locomotives. These skills included replacing boiler tubes, packing valves, injector maintenance, replacing stay bolts, boiler inspection, and running gear repair. He also spent time performing various other volunteer tasks, including Trainman, Conductor, gift shop attendant, narrator, and track laborer. During this time, Steve also worked as a paid employee at the Magic Age of Steam, now known as the Marshall Steam Museum. As a paid employee under Tom Marshall, he was a locomotive engineer, Conductor, ticket agent, museum tour guide, and steam popcorn popper operator.

After five years with NVF, he hired on full-time with the Octoraro Railway as an Engineer in 1983, thanks to his volunteer experience as an Engineer with W&W, for which he acquired his certificate in 1979. Shortly after hiring with the Octoraro, Calvin Nichols left, leaving the CMO position vacant. Steve soon found himself in charge of the servicing, maintaining and repairing of the Octoraro’s motive power fleet. Over the next decade, Steve would be responsible for maintaining seven different types of diesel electric locomotives from three different manufacturers including American Locomotive Company, Electro-Motive Division, and General Electric. He would also maintain his Engineer certification at both the Octoraro and W&W. During this time, he would also briefly serve as the Road Foreman of Engines for the W&W.

In 1994, he left the Octoraro Railway shortly before the company went out of business. After briefly working for another railcar repair facility, he landed the job of CMO for the W&W in 1995, a position he would hold for 28 years. During his time as the CMO for the W&W, he would take on and lead many major projects. These include the transporting and complete overhaul of locomotive No. 58 after a 40 year retirement, the overhaul of locomotive No. 98, the conversion of a former PRR coach into an open air car, the conversion of a former Erie Lackawanna MU coach into a parlor car, assisting in the rebuilding of the tracks after both the 1999 and 2003 floods, and assisting in many other MOW projects. During his time as CMO for the W&W, he continued to volunteer his time on weekends to staff trains as an Engineer, Fireman, and Conductor, as well as assist with weekend MOW work. He was always near the phone on weekends in case something mechanically failed so he could jump into action to make sure the trains ran.

In June 2023, Steve retired from his full-time position as Chief Mechanical Officer for the Wilmington & Western Railroad. Although, he continues to volunteer his time for the W&W staffing trains as an Engineer and Conductor, as well as assisting the mechanical department with maintaining the railroad’s rolling stock, and occasionally in the railroad’s museum located in the Yorklyn station. During Steve’s 50+ years of railroad experience, he has fired seven different steam locomotives (both coal-fired and oil-fired), operated four steam locomotives, and completely rebuilt two steam locomotives. He has also maintained and operated several diesel-electric locomotives, many pieces of MOW and construction equipment, and maintained automobiles for the companies he worked for. In his free time, he enjoys working on and driving his 1911 Stanley steam powered car on tours and to local shows, as well as visiting other local steam railroads.

Diana North

Diana has been an elementary technology teacher (grades 1-4) at Caravel Academy for 20 years. Before becoming a teacher, Diana was employed by AstraZeneca, managing data for the FDA. She is a University of Delaware graduate with a Bachelor of Science in animal science, and a master’s degree in education from Wilmington University, in addition to a +15 certification in advanced study in applied technology education. For more than three years, Diana was an adjunct instructor in the master’s program at Wilmington University’s College of Education. She has coached field hockey, basketball, and softball at Caravel Academy, in addition to coaching Special Olympics. Diana and her husband, Mark, have been married for 39 years and have raised two children, Jack and Megan. The North family lives in Delaware and are active volunteers with the Wilmington & Western and the North American Railcar Operators Association.

Fulton Owensby, Jr.

Fulton was born and raised in Delaware, graduating from Concord High School. He studied heavy equipment and truck repair at Lincoln Technical Institute in Philadelphia. In 1987, he started working at the family business – State Line Machine Inc. – and now runs the business along with his son. Fulton has been married to his wife, Pam, for 36 years and they have a set of twins – a son, Ryan, and a daughter, Kelsey. Plus, they have a grandson on the way. Fulton and Pam enjoy gardening, yard work, and taking trips to Florida to see their daughter.

John Schmidt

• Member of the Wilmington & Western Rail Road for approximately six years
• Interested and involved with RR’s since age six (approximately 70 years)
• Served on numerous occasions as ‘car host’ on different excursion venues as C&O 614 trips in NJ and Michigan Bluewater Chapter NRHS
• A past crew member of the Walkersville Southern and Indianhead Central RRs in Maryland (approximately 15 years)
• Qualified conductor for operating trains; completed NORAC training as conductor
• Owned and operated motorcars; member of NARCOA for 20 years
• Have accumulated 159,000 miles riding the rails in several categories as paying passenger, motorcar operator, excursion crew member, train crew, and rail enthusiast in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America and Asia.
• Retired officer (26 years) from US Army, a good portion of which was served as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard, 261st Signal Command, Dover. Applicable military experience as engineer and communications job classifications. Have held an interest in the WWRR since the 1990s (frequently visited Greenbank while serving at DEARNG Headquarters).
• Have written articles which have been printed in rail related publications

Thomas Snyder

2016-2025

• Member Newark Elks 2281, where I am a Trustee, Chair of Charitable Gambling and Chair of Loss and Prevention.
• Wilmington & Western Railroad, working in the Back Shop for past 9 years

1991-2016

• T E Snyder Fabrication, LLC – I retired and closed my business building custom cars as a Licensed Chassis Builder for NHRA.

1998-2003

• I ran 4 national Drag Racing teams every weekend for 5 years.

1969-2003

• Worked as an Autobody Technician
• Received my Tool-Die papers
• Graduated from Ridley High School

Ken Wing

Ken has volunteered at WWRR since March, 2022, focusing primarily on the coaches, including fabricating new window and seat frames, window latch and frame repair and refurbishment, glass replacement, and responding to train crew incident reports. He has worked on 58, 98, 8408, 114, all three cabooses, parlor car, doodlebug, and flatcar. Completing a rainy brakeman class, he worked as AB in Marshallton yard.

As a board member, Ken will work to enhance the historical authenticity of WWRR’s Museum in Motion, with focus on its B&O heritage. As Editor of the B&O Historical Society Sentinel for the past eight years, Ken brings deep knowledge of the B&O, and a national network of relationships, including at the B&ORHS and the B&O Railroad Museum. Ken has already researched specific car histories, painting, and lettering for C-2042 and the wagontop boxcar.

Ken brings significant nonprofit board experience: currently Treasurer of his college alumni club, with past board roles at Haverford Partnership for Economic Development and Haverford Township Adult School, including at times Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, and President.

Now retired, Ken has extensive work experience in the nonprofit sector working as a consultant to foundations and other nonprofits performing program evaluation, strategic planning, and operational improvement, among other projects. Ken was lead author of The Nonprofit Almanac, 2nd Ed., and developed what is now named the Wing Model of nonprofit overhead funding. Ken is also a Certified Management Accountant, and Certified Six Sigma Black Belt in process improvement.

Robert H. Spencer

Honorary Vice President

Bob is a retired staff engineer from the Boeing Co. and is a member of the American Helicopter Society. He has authored numerous papers and reports on rotorcraft acoustics and has a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering from the University of Maryland. Bob is an active volunteer at the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center in West Chester, PA. He is a three-term past president of HRCV and was the long-time editor of The Lantern, the HRCV newsletter. Bob served on the Board of Directors from 1980 to 2009.

Andrew Schiebel

Roadmaster & General Services

Andrew has worked for the Wilmington & Western as the Roadmaster & General Services since 2013. From electrical services to metal fabrication, he has worked in all facets of railroad maintenance. He began his career in maintenance by working in the electrical trade for over 10 years before moving to the tri-state area. Additionally, he has obtained education in the mechanical field through automotive courses. In his free time, Andrew enjoys working with and restoring vintage equipment.