Thomas B. Barker

Thomas B. Barker is Professor Emeritus from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Before RIT, he was employed by Xerox as an engineer. Tom has a number of interests and has managed to integrate many of them. Photography and imaging play a central role in his activities. He has produced, written, and directed Distance Learning courseware for the MS program in Applied Statistics at RIT. His experience with both still and video photography has made these efforts possible. For six years he conducted a movie camp for his two grandsons and their friends in Amherst, MA. The kids made over 10 movies in this camp and have progressed amazingly with this communication medium. He also conducted a movie camp for a troop of Girl Scouts in his home town. His film "The Last Drop of Oil" was an official selection in the Greentopia Film Festival in 2012. Tom has written 5 books on Experimental Design and its applications. He has also authored a two volume Repair manual for Gilbert American Flyer electric trains which is now in its 4th Edition. His latest movie effort is with a documentary on the history of The A. C. Gilbert Company which depicts the invention of the Erector Set and the history of American Flyer Trains. He is considered an authority on Gilbert history. Tom has garnered many awards including: Accolade (McQuaid HS), Who's Who in Colleges (RIT), Outstanding Teacher (RIT), Outstanding Quill Award (Pultneyville YC), AC Gilbert Award, Lifetime Achievement in Distance Learning (RIT). His latest book, The Legend of the Pikesville Cave is his first work of fiction. It is inspired by his Gilbert American Flyer S Gauge train collection and the six layouts in his basement. He wrote this book surrounded by his trains where he did all the photography and illustrations. Tom lives in Webster, New York and has traveled all over the world with his wife Anne. They have a perfect sized Chinook motor home in which they travel throughout the USA.