a ModelersLife: Recent Episodes
Lionel Strang
All modelers have a life but what do we know of it. This podcast is as much about the people in model railroading has it is about the hobby itself. I've met so many interesting people in the hobby over the years I decided it would be fun to share their back stories with everyone else. So come along with me, Lionel Strang as we discover just how many fascinating folks there are in this great hobby of ours.
Another successful NMRA National convention has come and gone with one of the major highlights being a chance to operate on Chris Wehman's fabulous N Scale Norfolk Southern Heartland Division. Registration was handled through OperatingSessions.com, and attendance was limited because of the number of available crew positions. Plus layout tours were available for those who just wanted to stop for a look see, with all parking was supervised by Marcus Neubacher, the Foundation director for the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
Chris also hosted an operating session for members of the AML Nation. As the podcast's "videographer extraordinaire," he was in his element explaining the railroad, assigning jobs, and helping operators settle into their roles. Between trains there was plenty of the good-natured banter, with experienced operators helping first-timers and everyone enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. With the AML Nation in attendance somehow trains arrived on time, nobody drove a locomotive onto the floor, and the dispatcher only threatened to retire twice. By the end of the evening everyone agreed that operating sessions are a lot like ModelersLife podcasts—organized chaos, plenty of laughs, and somehow it all works out in the end... usually.
Wallace Locomotive Works is a small manufacturer specializing in 3D-printed detail parts and accessories for model railroaders. Rather than producing complete locomotives or rolling stock, the company focuses on the small prototype details that help make modern locomotives and railroad scenes look more realistic. Chris Wallace is having way too much fun creating parts that represent modern railroad equipment that larger manufacturers often overlook.
He also produces replacement and upgrade parts for commercially available locomotives, with many of the parts designed for straightforward installation with a hobby knife and CA glue. Recently Chris has added paints, tools and other needs for the modeler making his online store a one-stop shop. Wallace Locomotive Works sells directly through its online store and also through several hobby dealers, including businesses such as White Rose Hobbies.
Once again, it's time to answer our voluminous ViewerMail we gathered together some of the greatest minds in the AML Nation to carefully evaluate each piece of mail with the utmost care. Each one was carefully steamed open so that it could later be re-sealed and placed in the Busted Knuckle library to be enjoyed by future generations. The good news is we might answer your mail; the bad news is your DCC system might be obsolete by then.
If patience is a virtue, our ViewerMail contributors are saints. It's not that we ignore ViewerMail, we're just letting it gain value, like a brass locomotive. By the time we answer your email, your grandkids will have inherited your locomotive collection.So, gather round folks… You too kids, as we share stories of intrigue, bravery, daring and downright pluckiness on another episode of ViewerMail. Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded one cent stamps, a tall cool glass of melted glue sticks and enjoy !!
It's another exciting episode of "a ModelersLife" and this time we travel to the great state of Michigan to visit with Andrew ("Andy") Keeney, a highly respected HO scale model railroader best known for his large, operations-oriented Nashville Road layout.
This home is an impressive three-deck HO scale layout measuring roughly 48 x 56 feet, with over 1,100 feet of mainline, more than 40 staging tracks, and around 70 scheduled trains operating on a 24-hour timetable. It recreates the railroads around Nashville, Tennessee, in 1956, using a mix of prototype practice and selective freelancing. Andy is an awesome gentleman with a rich history covering several decades. If you don't do anything else today, listen to this great podcast!!
The thirty-seven epic road trip continues… Starting from his home in Texas, he traveled through the Midwest, Appalachians, and Northeastern United States, photographing railroads, visiting friends, and touring model railroads along the way.
Most people come home from a 37-day road trip with a cooler full of souvenirs. Blair came home with enough railroad photos to keep modelers studying scenery, weathering, and railroad operations for years.
Ken Patterson is one of the best-known personalities in model railroading today. He is a professional photographer, modeler, and media producer who has been published extensively in hobby magazines and has photographed dozens of model railroad magazine covers. He's best known for his "What's Neat This Week" a popular weekly video show featuring model railroading projects, starring the often enthusiastic Joshua Barton and the always peppy Mike Budde.
Ken's show features new products, techniques, industry news, and guest appearances from hobbyists and manufacturers around the hobby. Recently there was a major fire on the layout and thankfully the "Dude" is still here to tell us all about it. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded melted freight cars, a tall cool glass of extinguisher fluid and enjoy!!
It's time for another exciting edition of ViewerMail where every episode starts with hope and ends with somebody discovering there's a much more complicated way to accomplish what you're doing. It's your opportunity to listen as the AML Gang turns a simple two sentence email into a 14-page discussion.
Let's face it ViewerMail is cheaper than therapy while bringing together model railroaders from around the world to disagree about the same thing. ViewerMail is like switching cars in the yard—you never know what's coming next. If model railroading were easy, these podcasts would be a lot shorter, as we try to determine why cleaning the train room somehow ends with buying three locomotives. So please join us where weathering powder, benchwork, and life advice appear in the same sentence.
George Taylor has been hanging around the AML Nation almost as long as the modeler simply known as "Kelly." We've travelled a lot of miles with George through the years and it seemed like as good a time as any to catch up on what he's been doing. It's a great podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!
Bob Ginger is a well respected model railroader known for his detailed N-scale layout work and realistic operations-oriented design. He earned the prestigious Master Model Railroader (MMR #695) designation from the National Model Railroad Association.
The Pepper Valley Division is an N scale freelanced railroad inspired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and Great Northern railroads set in October 1954.
Op-sessions on the Pepper Valley are either one or two-man crews with operators working near each other, making it easy to coordinate train movements. Each train moves in an east or west direction for the duration of the job. The layout features a walk-in design, long mainline run for the size of the layout, realistic scenery and good traffic flow all wrapped up in a mid-century western railroad atmosphere. It's a great podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!
Dustin Whitten is a full time 1:1 railroader that's also an HO scale model railroader known for his coal-hauling Appalachian-themed layouts. His current layout was featured in the "Built by Others" series on Trains.com inspired by the Virginian project layout that first appeared in the pages of Model Railroader in January of 2012. Dustin's Norfolk & Western South Branch layout took inspiration from this project and adjusted it to fit his space. His freelance layout, the Norfolk & Western South Branch, models Southwestern Virginia in 1987 during the early Norfolk Southern era.
On this podcast he explains how he expanded and customized the original Virginian project plan with broader curves, a redesigned coal marshaling yard, realistic operations based on prototype railroad practices using a mix of Norfolk and Western, Southern Railway, and early Norfolk Southern power. It's a great podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!
Andy Zimmerman is well known in the model railroading community through his work with the National Model Railroad Association, as the Standards & Conformance Director. Andy's just one of those guys that makes the hobby go, being heavily involved with modular groups such as N-TRAK and T-TRAK. Recently he took on the role of "N-Rail" president because he has so much spare time.
Before his railroad hobby leadership, he served twenty-three years in the U.S. Navy, he's been president of the NMRA Sunshine Region, is active with the Big Bend Model Railroad Association in Florida. But for this interview he's here to tell us all about the T-Trak world record attempt at this year's national convention in Chattanooga, Tennessee. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded NMRA standards, a tall cool glass of warm salt water and enjoy!!
Long time friend of the AML Nation, Dave Owens stops by to bring us up to date about this year's Northeast Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet or NERPM (excuse me) as the regulars call it. For the past three years NERPM has run in partnership with The Amherst Railway Society and provides an opportunity for modelers to participate in a show where modelers of all skill levels are able to exhibit their work, learn about new products, and enjoy the company of other talented modelers.
Dave is always quick to point out NERPM (excuse me) is a "MEET" and not a "SHOW." This is where folks come together to show what they are working on and see what others are doing, enjoy some great clinics, chat with others and just generally have a great time. So, the bottom line is to go and see for yourself and if you happen to bump into Dave… Tell him Lionel sent you!!
This week, we hear from G4, aka Doctor G4, Notch 11, aka John Gardiner IV. G4 is a long-time friend of the podcast and a valued member of the AML Nation. In this sprawling conversation, we hear about G4's travel across nearly the entire Amtrak system from coast to coast to explore and photograph Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs). We discuss G4 biking across commuter rail systems, capturing thousands of photographs to support a future article for Railroad Model Craftsman.
There's also discussion about European and American DMU prototype equipment, currently available as scale models from Europe, and all the while, G4 does his best to absolutely annoy the Evil Overlord. So sit back, with a big bowl of shredded light rail schedules, slow down your podcast player's speed to 0.75x, and buckle up for a fun conversation. To learn more about G4, DMUs, or their podcast, "Proto-Future", visit their website: https://www.bgtmrring.org/
When speaking with a third-generation railroader, that usually means he or she comes from a family where railroading has been passed down through the generations, and in the case of our next guest, his grandfather started as a track worker in the very early years of the 1900s and took such pride in his job that his son followed in his footsteps. So it's no wonder that when Tom Holly came along with a wealth of knowledge from his father and grandfather, the next step seemed only natural.
Don't think it's unreasonable for us to assume that Tom didn't choose trains, trains chose Tom. In model railroading this kind of lineage is actually a big deal because by the time the third generation gets around the building a layout, they're able to call on a wealth of knowledge that not many modelers have access to. This is a great podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy.
Gordy Robinson is a well-known figure in the hobby of model railroading, particularly through his involvement with the National Model Railroad Association. He has served in leadership roles for the organization for several years and as president has led the NMRA out of the dark ages.
As a strong advocate for growing membership, encouraging younger hobbyists, and promoting innovation in the hobby and he's frequently seen at many NMRA conventions, regional meets, and some industry events held by leading manufacturers.
But more importantly, unlike some presidents in our past, Gordy is known for being very approachable and engaging with members of all ages, whether they're beginners or master modelers. Gordy is devoted to the hobby, and on this podcast, he talks about plans for the future and possibly a lower membership rate. This is a great podcast with lots of good info and interaction. Enjoy!!
When you've got a whole bunch of stuff and you need someplace to put it, where else would be more suitable than a Monday morning podcast. We get the gang together to introduce two segments that have not yet been heard on the free channel.
First, it's an interview about the "Flying Yankee" being produced in HO scale by Bethlehem Car Works also known as White Rose Hobbies and secondly, we have a segment that'll leave you on the edge of your seat with Steven Atwell, the owner of Midwest Model Railroad located right there in downtown Independence, Missouri. But that's not all, we manage to kill an hour with useless chatter on either end of those segments. Sit back and relax with a big bowl of shredded assembly instructions, a tall cool glass of super glue and enjoy!!
It's part three of the Blair Koostra epic 37 day journey across the northeast with camera and hand. One can only hope to achieve the mastery with a camera that Blair has done for decades and decades.
What makes railroad photography so important is that you're freezing that moment of a freight train grinding upgrade a sleep passenger train flying by creating a sense of drama you don't get with many other subjects you're not just photographing equipment you're capturing a place and time whether it's in the Appalachian mountains of the eastern United States small towns in the Midwest bridges, massive steel Mills in Indiana, or just a rural crossing railroad photography turns landscapes in the storytelling backdrops. This is a great podcast and one year show and enjoy.
The name Stephen Attwell probably doesn't really resonate very much with most model railroader, but it's a name in the hobby that folks should take note of because Stephen is the owner of Midwest Model Railroad one of the finest model railroad stores in the lower forty-eight. Located in Independence, Missouri it's a 15,000 square-foot store that's similar to walking into the Home Depot of model railroad stores.
Stephen started this business with his father in the basement of their home, not so many years ago and now are producing a highly detailed line of N-scale cars starting with a center beam car that is destined to be a winner. If you have any interest in what it's like to be in the model railroad retail business, this is the podcast for you. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded wheelsets, a tall cool glass of axle lubricant and enjoy!!
Jon Stackpole is everywhere these days promoting designing, overseeing construction of multiple products for Athearn while appearing in webcasts, manning show booths discussing upcoming projects with customers like the HO-Scale locomotive newest versions of the GE AC4400CW, EMD SW1500, and other Genesis-series models.
He's very excited about the Athearn Genesis Series a high-end model train line produced by Athearn. It's designed for modelers who want very accurate, highly detailed locomotives and rolling stock compared with the company's standard Ready-to-Roll models.
The Genesis line began in the late 1990s, when Athearn wanted to compete with other high-detail brands in the hobby. Before that, Athearn was best known for the classic Athearn Blue Box kits that many model railroaders grew up building, but they've come a long way and as you'll find Jon is excited to talk about it. Enjoy!!
You'd think when the gang at "a ModelersLife" got the chance to talk with the lead product manager with Athearn we'd have all sorts of questions to ask. Well, you'd be wrong, Jon has travelled such an interesting road to where he is today, Athearn barely came up. Once we discovered his Dad owned "The Hobby Depot," a small, well-known model train shop in Monroe, Wisconsin, we wanted to know more!!
Often times in life the journey is more interesting than the destination as you're about to find out with our next guest. Besides being a life-long model railroader Jon is also an accomplished musician, a one-time kayak guide off the shores of Lake Superior and prize-winning modeler. So sit back with a bowl of shredded fine wooden paddles, a tall cool glass of warm lake water and enjoy!!
Now that was the show, another year has come and gone at the Springfield train show and this one will be remembered as the great snowstorm of 2026. It was so anxiously anticipated that several vendors never even bothered to show up but those of us who did, had a great time in spite of all the problems created by the weather.
It was truly historic, bringing widespread snow across the northern Plains and into New England, impacting travel at airports, railway stations, and of course on the highways and bywaysDespite all this, a very large crowd showed up on Saturday and enjoyed what there was to see. Unfortunately the snow was scheduled to arrive sometime early Sunday morning and the AML crew along with several others left on Saturday evening, however we did still manage to get some good interviews. So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded snow tires, a tall cool glass of yellow snow and enjoy!!
Well, the show is over, the vendors are gone, there's no more tickets to be sold and the planning for next year's Springfield show is already underway!! As always there was lots to see and do, from checking out different manufacturer's new releases, fabulous layouts, renewing friendships and looking for deals on that one particular piece of rolling stock you need!!
Our favorite magazine editor Otto Vondrak stopped by to give us his take on all there was to see and decipher how the hobby is fairing and where it might be headed. Otto has a wealth of knowledge about the hobby and when you combine that with biggest model railroad show in North America (possibly the world) you've got yourself a great podcast. So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded floor maps, a tall cool glass of warm hot dog grease and enjoy!!
It's one of those great opportunities where we have the privilege of meeting a valued friend of a podcast regular. Believe it or not, our very own Chris Wehman, (videographer extraordinaire) does indeed have many friends and in this case, we get to meet one of his valuable operators and someone that's become a big help operating the Norfolk Southern Heartland Division in N-Scale.
Nick Kolankiewicz as it turns out met Chris just a few short years ago and has become a treasured member of the crew as well as helping Chris with various duties such as installing decoders and making the sound of each locomotive as accurate as possible, which is not necessarily that easy when it comes to N-Scale. This is a great podcast and a great opportunity to meet one of the younger members of this great hobby.
Blair Kooistra is a well-known railfan and railroad photographer whose work and life revolve around trains and railroading — not just as a hobby but also professionally and creatively and documenting rail operations through images. He's shared thousands of train photos online, especially on Flickr where his photostream includes rail action from classic lines like the Fort Worth & Western.
Recently after retiring from the railroad, he set-off on a thirty-seven-day road trip to photograph railroading and visit with friends and several model railroads. Originally a photojournalist, Blair turned his lens toward trains early in life and has published many of his railroad photos in magazines. He later became a railroad dispatcher based in Texas, which kept him close to the day-to-day workings of real railroads. This a great podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!
Central Georgia RPM is an annual gathering where model railroad enthusiasts of all ability levels (from beginners to seasoned builders) come together to display their scale models, share skills, and learn from one another. For those who don't know. RPM stands for Railroad Prototype Modelers and is organized as a friendly, community-focused event where modelers exhibit their work, talk techniques, and swap insights.
This year's meet is in Macon, Georgia on March 27–28, 2026 at Lundy Chapel Church in Macon. The meet moved from Savannah, where a similar RPM event ran from 1999 until 2023, and now continues that tradition in the Central Georgia region. In short, this RPM is a celebration of model railroading and is a weekend event for enthusiasts to connect, display their craft, and dive deeper into the art and technique of realistic model railroads. Enjoy!!
Another year has come and gone since we last talked to hero Smokin' Joe D'Amato. For those of you who don't know Joe's been a true friend of the podcast since before dinosaurs were born, along with his trusty sidekick, the modeller simply known as "Kelly," he's regaled with all sorts of interesting stories and never been afraid to share his knowledge of the hobby.
But's there's been some pretty big changes in Joe's life with the purchase of Micro Trains by the Atlas Model Railroad Company located in Newark, New Jersey. However, the folks at Atlas obviously know talent when the see it and made sure he'd stay on to continue the great tradition and quality that Micro trains is known for. He's been involved with design, production, and community outreach for decades and stopped by to give the inside scoop on this new chapter in his life. It's a great podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!
Once again, it's time to chat with John Sacerdote the long time show director of the Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show featuring many of today's most popular manufacturers, fabulous layouts, railroad history, photography, art, books, videos, vendors and a whole bunch more stuff for everyone to see and enjoy!!
John has been overseeing the show for almost twenty-five years and still enjoys meeting as many of the exhibitors and show goers as possible. Adult admission is eighteen dollars per day with children under the of fifteen enter free when accompanied by an adult. Maps and exhibitor lists are downloadable in advance from the show website which is strongly recommended. If you're passionate about model railroads, prototype railroads, or just want to see some of the most ambitious layouts in North America, this show is a must. Enjoy!!
Springfield is just days away which means it's time for our favorite hobby shop owners, Ryan and Tom to load up the trailer, gas up the truck and head north from York, Pennsylvania to the biggest model railroad show of the year!! This year they've got six tables some really cool estate stuff, a whole lot of paint to sell and very little help.
It's gonna be a challenging year for the boys because they decided to go it alone with any help from the shop staff. Tom has decided to go with very little preparation so when you stop by their both be patient and tell them Lionel said to hurry up. Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded purchase receipts, a tall cool glass of tap water from the restroom in the Better Living Center and enjoy!!
It's another first-time guest and this time it's a Norfolk Southern modeler with lots of talent and ambition, two qualities the crew here at the ole' AML Headquarters in downtown Busted Knuckle are desperately lacking. Baxter Barnes could be referred to as the new generation of model railroader armed with plenty of knowledge and the skill required to build a model railroad anyone could be proud of.
When not working in the aerospace industry you can find our next guest working on his current layout the Cedartown District of the Norfolk Southern which is representative of the railroading he grew up around. Baxter has great ideas and skills but isn't afraid to admit that a lot of his expertise can be attributed to Pelle Soeborg's books such as "Done in a Day." This is a great podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!
Based on this our latest cover photo, you may think were concentrating on the lovely little town of Ellicottville, New York, a village in Cattaraugus County about fifty miles south of Buffalo in the Allegheny mountains region. It's a pretty little town, right out of a Norman Rockwell painting and well known for its festivals, skiing and fall foliage.
But as we close the year of 2025, we've also discovered that the owner of one of our favorite model railroad manufacturers, JL Innovative, a popular brand with creative concepts, is owned by one of Ellicottville's most vocal distracters. Known to the kindhearted people of this little piece of paradise as, "that Costello guy." It's an interesting tale of one man's dislike of giraffes and a sleepy little town not far from the Pennsylvania state line. Enjoy!!
Once again, it's time for our first annual "Christmas Quiz," which, based on the response from the listeners could also be called our last annual "Christmas Quiz." We gathered together a crack staff, the best of the best, from the AML Nation's, vast and sometimes suspect, talent pool.
We even brought in a special mystery guest who lives just twenty miles from the picturesque town of Ellicottville, New York. Chris Costello and his brother operate JL Innovative in a sprawling manufacturing facility just a few feet north of the Pennsylvania state line. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded wrapping paper, a tall cool glass last year's egg nog and enjoy!!
It's part two of a vision for the new world with John Doehring and Riley Triggs. In its continuing quest to continue the NMRA's standing as the largest and best organization in model railroading, we invited two of it loveliest, handsomest and finest volunteers to help us understand what's in store for the future of the NMRA.
Rebranding is at the forefront and some of the goals include, appealing to younger audiences by actively working to engage younger hobbyists. Also as with many organizations today, promoting diversity within the hobby is seen as a key element for further growth and success. But wait, there's more… Part of the rebranding includes a stronger online presence, with updated websites, social media, and digital platforms to connect with hobbyists. The future looks bright and this a great episode to understand the future of this great organization!!
The Sipping & Switching Society is a modular-railroading group associated with HO-scale railroading and our next guest has a lot of knowledge about the society and we decided he was the one to talk with. The Society is originally based in North Carolina but there also versions in the Ohio Valley and Cincinnati areas.
With a well-defined "module standard," distinguishing it from other modular approaches the are modules typically 30″ wide and often built in 2-foot length increments but this can vary. Construction uses a "waffle-style" framework to make modules lightweight but stiff enough for transport and repeated assembly.
There's alignment pins/holes to ensure that the track ends match up exactly, typical track arrangement is two mainline tracks close to the "public" side plus an inside track for switching/yard operations. The result: very fast setup and teardown compared to less standardized modular systems. It's a very informative podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!
The National Model Railroad Association has been working on a new branding strategy and long-term vision for the future of model railroading, particularly through their Vision 2035 initiative and we here at the ole' ModelersLife world headquarters thought this topic required a more intense investigation and flew in the NMRA's Publications Manager Riley Triggs and Eastern Director John Doehring.
The NMRA has been updating its image to reflect a more current era of the hobby, making model railroading more appealing to a broader audience. The new branding is part of a broader effort to rejuvenate the organization, to stay relevant in an increasingly digital and interactive world. This is great discussion and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!
The fun part of any hobby is meeting interesting folks with a variety of different talents and Wayman Humphrey is no different. An American artist known for his unique, vibrant approach to many different forms of art, blending geometric shapes, bold colors, and dynamic compositions, that explore both structure and spontaneity.
While not as widely known in mainstream art circles as some of his contemporaries, Humphrey's work is respected for its originality and emotional depth, but more importantly for the listeners of this podcast, Wayman discovered the magic of model railroading just a few short years ago and hobby is far better off with him as a participant. This is a great podcast about a very interesting individual that we're sure you'll enjoy!!
It's a return visit to Mine Mount Models and our friend Ron Klaiss who's always sure to remind his name sounds like "nice." Things are really humming along and there's lots of new items on the website. Ron has been producing excellent craftsman structure kits for your railroad or diorama that create unique scenes on any layout for over seven years.
One of the best things about these kits from are the instructions, it may sound silly, but Ron produces some of the best instructions in the industry. This is a fun podcast as always, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded strip wood, a tall cool glass of Elmer's white glue and enjoy.
It doesn't matter who they are or what they've done, or what they model, whether they have a big layout, a small layout, or no layout at all. First time guests are always interesting regardless of the topic or any of the other usual interests that we've come to expect from our fellow model railroaders.
Scott Smith fills the bill, he's lived a very interesting life with an interesting vocation, as we find out everything there is to know about our next victim… Errrr, guest. Whether it's boat racing, coal dumps, weathering freight cars of all sorts, or selling some of his creations on eBay. It's all makes for a very thought-provoking and fun podcast!!
There's a new look on the horizon for the National Model Railroad Association, which was unveiled at Milwaukee's TrainFest. The new artwork is inspired by locomotives and rail cars symbolizing that the NMRA is on the move and propelling the hobby of model railroading forward into the future.
We here at the old AML Nation wanted to find out as much as we could about this new logo and the plan going forward and who better to help us understand than association president Gordy Robinson and his trustee sidekick Riley Triggs. Both Gordy and Riley were delighted to fill us in on all there is to know about the new logo and an exciting new vision to shape the future of this great hobby.
We often say that this hobby encompasses so many different aspects that there's always something for everybody to enjoy. Our next guest is all the way from New Mexico and is excellent example someone who enjoys many different aspects of the hobby including operations, building steam pro throttles, rebuilding brass engines working with Arduino's and building his own CTC machines, as well as several other, interesting aspects of the hobby.
John Symanski's story is an interesting one, especially when you consider what he did for a living most of his adult life and to his credit he was anxious to share many of his adventures both in and around the hobby. It's a great podcast and one we are sure you'll enjoy!!!
If your current day to day life is getting you down and you were hoping that ViewerMail would never make a comeback, we can promise you this day is not going to get any better, but we can assure that listening to this latest version of ViewerMail will surely make even the biggest problems seem small. After dealing with catastrophic climate change, flooded roadbed, improper routing through the transportation museum, the new crew finally caught up to the ViewerMail train just outside downtown Pagosa Springs.
We'd like to bring you some of the finest podcast entertainment the model railroad industry has to offer, but once again the crew at the AML Network reached the lofty goal of chronically disappointing. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded five cent stamps, a tall cool glass of warm saliva and enjoy!!
For those of you that don’t know our very own Marcus Neubacher is the Director of Administration for the North Carolina Transportation Museum and every few years or so he’ll get the chance to attend a convention for the Heritage Rail Alliance where the free exchange of information among members and working industry professionals is available.
This year the convention was held in Durango Colorado and we hear the ole’ AML Network, decided that we’d need to hear as much of the trip as possible. Of course it took us a while to get there, but eventually we managed to cover a wide range of subjects and produce a podcast well worth listening to. Enjoy!!
Old friends can be the best kind of friends, those folks you haven’t talked to for several years and then strike up a conversation as if you’d seen them yesterday. That’s what this podcast is about, catching up with our old friend Serge Lebel from Sept-Iles Quebec on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River.
We first met Serge several years ago when we discovered his O-Scale two rail layout known as the CN Sanmore Subdivision, a fantastic well detailed model railroad that is slowly developing into one of the finest layouts in North America. It’s a great podcast with lots of information and one more sure you’ll enjoy.
It’s another trip to the “Cow Palace” keeping up to date with all the comings and goings at JL Innovative and who better to do it with than the man himself, Chris Costello. There’s a great discussion about the new world of freight car manufacturing plus owning private rail cars and tearing up rail in beautiful downtown Salamanca, New York, all in one easy to open podcast. Enjoy!!
Located just 10 miles west of Horseshoe Curve the “Station Inn” is a unique bed-and-breakfast alongside the old Pennsylvania Railroad mainline. Built in 1866 only a dozen years after the completion of the “Curve,” it became a sanctuary for weary travelers headed east or west and a summer retreat for many folks that lived in the Pittsburgh area.
Run by Alex Lang and his wife Leah, it’s become their passion of carrying on the tradition of Tom Davis who originally turned the inn into a rail fanning hot-spot in 1993. Tom was a dear family friend of the Langs and when he passed away, it seemed only natural for them to take over and continue on the tradition that had been started so many years earlier. Alex has been on the podcast before, and this episode is just as entertaining and informative as ever. Enjoy!!
N-Scale is alive and well living in North Carolina, not far from the Hickory Motor Speedway. Scott Teague’s previous layout graced the pages of some of the finest model railroad publications out there, but that wasn’t good enough for Scott and not long after that layout was dismantled and a new one started.
Some people just have the knack for getting things done and Scott is certainly one of those folks. The new railroad is well underway and after just two short years of construction, trains are running, and scenery is all but finished with nothing left to do now but add a few details to what is already a beautiful design. This is a great discussion with some of the best N-Scalers in the country and you won’t be disappointed.
There’s plenty of action down at the old “Cow Palace” serving as the world headquarters of Costello Manufacturing and Chris Costello has stopped by to fill us in on all the excitement at the world center of model railroading just north of Bradford, Pennsylvania, and just east of Salamanca, New York.
We spend some time talking about the machine that nobody talks about. Learned how 3-D printing is becoming an important division of the vast Costello empire. Plus we discuss the newest release from JL innovative “the Dunmore Caboose” a steel caboose made for the Erie Railroad. So grab yourself a big bowl of steaming hot cow patties, a tall cool glass of 3-D resin and enjoy!!
This episode started out to check with Wallace Locomotive Works, but before we got a chance to do that, we lost a good friend and longtime supporter of the AML Nation. The one and only Ralph Renzetti a.k.a. the MudFather.
Ralph was a regular on the Wednesday night chats, ready to lend a helping hand to anyone who might have questions about their modeling, especially when it came to paint and weathering. One of the most talented modelers to ever grace the airwaves of the AML. Ralph was truly an artist, and we were fortunate to know him.
However, after a good cry for the first twenty minutes or so, we finally managed to get around to chatting with Chris and find out more about his ever-growing company. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s a return to the “Lone Star” state and a visit with locomotive engineer Emory Lehman. We haven’t talked to Emory for a few years since and decided it was about time to check up on what Emory‘s been doing. Things have changed quite a bit with his new job at the BNSF in Temple, Texas, a model railroader living across the street and his friend Mike making major changes to his layout.
We also discuss the possible merger of the Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific railroads, and what are the possible effects it will have on railroading across America. Once again, it’s a podcast with little or no direction, that’s lots of fun with great discussion about everything under the sun. Enjoy!!
It’s part two of the Rob Bennett thirty-two-part trilogy as we try to figure out what makes this modeler tick. Is it the vast array of instructional videos he’s created or his fabulous weathering or maybe it’s just simply a love for the hobby that he’s anxious to share with others.
Rob tries to learn something everybody while not taking the hobby to seriously whilst learning the operations side of things. He enjoys the hobby anyway he can, and you never know what kind of equipment you’ll see running across his layout. He approaches the hobby with a relaxed approach while enjoying the challenge of weathering and scenery. It’s a great follow up podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
After years of travelling about the country working on transformers, not the plastic kind like you’d see in the movies such as “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” but actual transformers that do all sorts of cool electrical things. Our next guest finally settled in Erie, Pennsylvania because like his friend and fellow modeler Mike Hauk his love of shoveling snow seven months of the year bonds these men together.
You can thank Rob Bennett’s son for his current layout which occupies approximately a 12‘ x 50‘ space after satisfying his love of European railroads they started over and now have a beautiful layout that mostly reflects the area of Western Pennsylvania. Rob is one of those guys that works at a feverish pace and after what would take most of us decades to complete he’s enjoying making instructional videos. This is a great discussion with a modeler that some would say, “just gets it done.” Enjoy!!
There’s nothing more fun than a visit down the road to Tillsonburg, Ontario with the sole purpose of a visit to the Otter Valley Railroad shop and visit with our friend Lorne James. You can always be sure that there will be lots of editing, lots of dizzying questions and answers with fun being had by all.
Lorne stopped by the ModelersLife studios to bring us up to date on all the new cars that he’s having manufactured regardless of today’s turmoil in the retail sector of model railroad industry. As always, it’s lots of fun talking to Lorne and finding out what’s happening in Tillsonburg, Ontario. My back still hurts when I hear that word. Enjoy!!
If you live in the Chicago area and a fan of railroading, you will no doubt be well aware of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad that’s been jointly owned by several railroads over the years. With over 320 miles of track in and around Chicago it’s kind of hard to avoid seeing this famous railroad that began in 1896.
We here at the ole’ AML world headquarters wanted to find out more and it seemed like a natural progression to simply talk to Dave’s dad Herman, who worked as a conductor on “the Belt” for over 30 years. Plus he spent time on the “City of New Orleans” and the “Broadway Limited” during a short stint with Amtrak. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
The Pittsburgh, Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Company was founded in 1897 by Andrew Carnegie to haul iron ore and other products from the port at Conneaut, Ohio on the Great Lakes to Carnegie Steel Company plants in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. At the end of 1925 B&LE operated 228 miles of road on 631 miles of track; at the end of 1970, mileages were 220 and 489. Enter our next guest who’s carefully modeling the B&LE in the early 50’s.
Ray Brown has worked all over the United States and finally settled just west of Erie, Pennsylvania for two reasons: To experience as much snow fall as possible and to faithfully recreate the Bessemer and Lake Erie in a fifty by thirty-foot basement on a double and triple deck layout. Introduced to us by our in-house medical staff of one, (Mike Hauk) Ray’s story is a great listen and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Have you ever wondered what happens to all those great model railroad clubs that don’t own their own building or eventually the owner of a private home that houses club passes away?? The most common answer is nothing and so was the case with the Southern Pacific Model Railway club in Rocky Hill, New Jersey. Except in this case a successful TV who also happens to be a lifelong model railroader decided to step in and save the day.
James Murray and his wife, Melyssa, who live a short distance away in Princeton, came to the rescue after an article was published in the Wall Street Journal. This is one of the most heartwarming stories we’ve come across since doing the podcast and James was happy to share the story as he walked us through the adventures of buying the Pacific Southern Railway Club.
It’s a return visit to White Rose Hobbies, in York, Pennsylvania. Only this time we’re talking with the non-model railroad partner get Thomas who apparently is in charge of ordering paint. We still haven’t gotten around to talking about some their great stories from the days of working on the Norfolk Southern but with White Rose agreeing to be the full-time sponsor of the podcast, we’ll look forward to it in the future!!
However, we here at the old AML nation enjoy hearing about the behind-the-scenes world model railroad retail and everything that goes into it along with it. This is just one of those classic ModelersLife conversations with a returning guest that really has no direction other than to enjoy each other‘s company. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
While it might seem to the naked eye that the preservation of America’s railroads from the past is sporadic at best, we here at the AML Nation would argue that it’s exactly the opposite. Recently, we had the chance to talk with Bryan Lalevee from the Norfolk and Western Business Car 300 Preservation Society an enthusiastic group of volunteers that’s already completed the restoration of one beautiful car.
No. 300 was built by the Pullman Co. in June of 1917 and served Norfolk & Western for its career before being inherited by Norfolk Southern in 1982. It saw sporadic use during and eventually sold at auction in 1987 to a private individual. It traveled across the United States and Canada behind Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada until 1991 when it was put into a warehouse.
Have you ever stumbled across a website and an hour later realized you’re still looking at it because of how much material was available?? That’s what happened to us at the ole’ AML World Headquarters in downtown Busted Knuckle, Kentucky. Surfin’ the internet we stumbled across “Hawkins Rails” one of the most comprehensive railfanning websites you’ll ever find.
Whether it’s mainline railroading or looking for an obscure shoreline you’ll most likely find it on Hawkins Rails. Starting with Jack Hawkins in the 1940’s it wasn’t to many years until his son Ralph started to enjoy standing trackside with his Dad. These days Ralph and his daughter Ella are carrying on the tradition of Hawkins Rails and the site just grows and grows. This is a great podcast with lots of great information about railfanning for the past seventy plus years.
On this podcast, we welcome back Ralph Renzetti a.k.a. “The Mudfather.” The Evel Overlord had lots of questions about paint, glues and everything else that’s needed to build an award-winning model. There’s plenty of discussion on the mixing of paints, which ones are best suited for each individual application and lots more.
Ralph Renzetti as well-known among his peers as an expert modeler and extremely knowledgeable about everything that’s required to build that prize running model that’s the centerpiece of your layout. He’s always willing to share his thoughts on a wide variety of topics without hesitation. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
RPM Meets have created a community for sharing information and experiences about and around the hobby of model railroading, what others are doing in the hobby, why they’re doing and what each individual is trying to accomplish.
There are many RPM events throughout the country. Some are national conferences like the Chicagoland or St. Louis events, while others are one or two-day local meets with a focus on displaying models and sharing a few clinics. Mr. RPM, Eric Hansmann joins us to discuss what’s happening in the world of RPM meets.
Details, details, details, with today’s HO and N-scale locomotive manufactures delivering engines with just about every detail you can imagine, we here at the old AML headquarters have discovered someone that’s producing even more details for every facet of your layout, including locomotives and rolling stock.
Chris Wallace is like almost everyone else in the hobby having been a model railroader for as long as he can remember but here’s the twist, he’s also a full-time 1:1 railroader that’s discovered 3-D printers and a need for many details that haven’t been available up till now.
Whether it’s trash cans, air conditioners, fire hydrants, tiedown chain, runaround hoses, or a whole host of details for specific locomotives Wallace Locomotives Works is your one stop shop. Tell ‘em Lionel sent you and see if that helps!!
One of the great things about this hobby of model railroading is that it’s always there when you need it, like a faithful companion, whether you choose to work on your current project every day, once a week or just a few times a month, it’s always there ready for the next adventure.
Our next guest, Wally Swaitly is typical of folks who revisit the hobby after years or perhaps even decades away, whilst pursuing other interests. But what makes Wally so interesting is how much he’s accomplished in just a few short years since his return and even more amazing are some of the projects he’s decided to tackle strictly for the enjoyment of it. Whether it’s the N-Scale railroad that runs around the ceiling, his beautiful HO-Scale shelf layout or his On-30 fantasy layout, each one is built with enthusiasm and excitement.
Here at the ole’ AML Nation’s world headquarters in downtown Busted Knuckle, Kentucky… It seems increasingly evident to us that RPM meets are becoming more and more popular with each passing year.
On this podcast, we talk with Jerry Britton and Matthew Hurst about the second edition of the Central Pennsylvania Short Lines RPM. There’s going to be plenty to do on Friday with layout visits in Statesville and operating session at the Bricktown Museum in Mt. Union. Friday evening after dinner will feature clinics that continue all day Saturday. Sunday will offer an opportunity to tour the Everett Railroad’s shops, followed by an excursion for those who are interested. It’s going to be a great event, and this is a great podcast to tell you all about it.
Imagine the excitement of having your model railroad appear on the cover of the hobby’s premier magazine for the first time?? That’s exactly what happened to Mike Hauk When his Susquehanna and New York, Railroad appeared on the cover of the May issue of Railroad Model Craftsman.
This HO scale railroad is based on a short line located in the central Pennsylvania mountains, north of Williamsport and along the West branch of the Susquehanna River. Mike first discovered this railroad while reading Tom Taber’s series on logging railroads, while more inspiration came from the family hunting camp that wasn’t far from an entire freight yard thick with woods after its abandonment years before. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
After a lifetime of serving a higher calling and a lifelong obsession with model railroading, it was time for our next guest to buy a basement with a house on top of it. Robin Montenay spent most of his life with the Lutheran Church and without a permanent site to build a model railroad.
What he ended with is a spectacular shelf layout called the “Barchester” that appeared on the cover of the 2024 December issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. Without ties to the church Robin has become a free to visit train shows and explore what the hobby has to offer other than through the pages of the most popular magazines. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if two guys with beards that worked for the Norfolk Southern joined forces to create a destination hobby shop in York, Pennsylvania?? The same question occurred to us and after an exhaustive search we stumbled across Ryan and Tom who just so happened to own White Rose Hobbies, a full-line hobby shop located at 4401 W Market St. in York, PA.
Ryan has been a life-long model railroader and Tom has been a life-long entrepreneur with a desire to be part of a successful business. Together they turned Ryan original dream of owning a prosperous model railroad store into a full-service hobby shop and e-commerce business that shows no signs of slowing down. This is a great story, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded beard clippings, a tall cool glass of clipper oil and enjoy!!! www.whiterosehobbies.com
Until recently, most model railroading products were imported from countries like China, Germany, or Japan under a specific harmonized tariff schedule. The tariffs were typically low and often duty-free under most trade agreements. For many imports valued under $800 shipments could often enter the country duty-free
But all that’s changed so we here at the ole’ AML Network decided it was time to find out as much as we could about this new world by visiting our friends Tom and Ryan at White Rose Hobbies in York, Pennsylvania to try and get as much of the inside scoop as possible. We were surprised by some of the answers we got and came away with a little bit better understanding of what’s happening in the world of importing model railroad products. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
Getting started in model railroading can be an overwhelming experience, with questions like what scale to choose, who makes the best products, do I need to be a skilled carpenter, will there be a need for a vast knowledge in electronics?? The questions are endless and in today’s world of social media the places to find answers can be almost as confusing.
But being a woman in model railroading can be both a rewarding and unique experience, though it sometimes comes with challenges due to the hobby’s historical male dominance. The good news is that the landscape is changing, with more women getting involved and making their mark. Our next guest Linda Eskin isn’t afraid to take on a new adventure and decided to jump in with both feet. Join us we discover what the hobby looks like from the perspective of a complete beginner!!
Our next guest may not be well known in the world of model railroading but he’s the son of Larry Wolfe, AMA Hall of Fame member and world-renowned RC jet pioneer. Chris Wolfe grew up in the back room of Jet hanger Hobbies while being exposed to all aspects of the radio control hobby.
His passion for the hobby started at an early age when he began building plastic models, by age eleven he was flying RC aircraft. Chris has built numerous award-winning competition scale aircraft and loves to build as much as he loves to fly. Sharing his knowledge and techniques he’s developed and honed on his own can be found in his series of books available at: artofscalemodeling.com/bookorder
This is a great podcast, So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded ailerons, a tall cool glass of aviation fuel and enjoy!!
Getting back into the hobby after a long hiatus isn’t as simple as it might sound, things have changed, prices are different, tools are better, the models run so much more smoothly, and the AML Nation is now here to help.
On this episode, we talk with Bill Ford who’s always been a Model Railroader, but took time off for to pursue his career in punk rock and becoming an licensed electrician. Bill never actually lost his enthusiasm for the hobby but as with so many things, life got in the way and laying track was put on the back burner for a while. This is a great podcast about returning to a hobby that’s seen significant changes over the last three decades. Enjoy!!
Turns out there’s other hobbies besides model railroading, who knew??... So here at the ole’ World Headquarters in downtown Busted Knuckle, Kentucky have decided that for the second decade of “a ModelersLife” we’re going to occasionally explore life outside this great hobby of ours.
The hobby of wargaming has been growing in popularity over the last several decades, and we decided to strike up a conversation with someone that has an excellent website, a great YouTube channel, lots of tutorials and a personality that fits perfectly into the AML Nation. “Spikey Bits” a.k.a. Rob Baer was excited to talk to a couple of model railroaders and tell us all about his hobby of wargaming. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded Blast Masters, a tall cool glass of air brush cleaner and enjoy!!
It’s always fun when we talk to somebody for the very first time and on this episode, we head to the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois to talk with David Lund an avid model railroader, brand new dad of beautiful twin girls, son of a full-time railroader and a man that understands the finer things about hotdogs.
If you’re interested in anything other than model railroads as David has been for most of his life, this is a great discussion about plastic plane modeling and some of the crossover techniques that might be used when working on any model railroad. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded wing-flaps, a tall cool glass of paint brush cleaner and enjoy!!
One of the great things about this hobby of model railroading is the ability to meet people from all walks of life and while we’ve talked with Andy Zimmerman before, it’s always interesting to start the discussion talking about life on an aircraft carrier and around the world.
But after that, there was plenty of talk about T-Trak, the evolution of Kato Precision Railroad Models, advancements in DCC decoders over the years and some of the best model railroad benchwork money can buy. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded locomotive wheels, a tall cool glass of warm sea water and enjoy!!
It’s part two of the Joe Desmond chronicles, and in this episode we discover some very cool 3-D printed pick-up truck models at Showcase Miniatures, from the original Mad About Cars series.
There’s also a great discussion and some excellent instruction on how to paint these particular models while Joe introduces us to the Army Painter series of paints and supplies. Joe also tells us how he learned to curve wood and make his fabulous control panels look like they were built directly into the layout facia. So grab a big bowl of shredded paint brushes, a tall cool glass of thinned Radiation Glow paint and enjoy.
It’s been a while since we checked in with our friend Joe Desmond, an N- Scale modeler with a passion for the hobby, Conrail and connecting with other hobbyists through social media. There’s a great discussion about the pros and cons of spending valuable modeling time making YouTube videos versus working on the layout.
Joe has for some years now publicized his Central Jersey Conrail layout on TikTok and other social media avenues. There’s some good discussion on why the layout isn’t finished yet, life’s curveballs and never sacrificing quality for speed or getting the layout finished, as well as a variety of other topics. It’s a great podcast and we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Bad behaviour or making hurtful statements can often be an insight into one’s soul, sometimes showcasing the dark and often unexpected sides of our personalities. It challenges traditional notions of morality and explores the complexity of human spirit.
Bad behavior can help analyze the intricacies of the human thought process, showcasing how past traumas and insecurities can shape individuals' particular actions and decision-making. Creating a ripple effect of damage to not only ourselves but those around us. This podcast is about bad behavior, life lessons, course directions, and most of all, how to go forward being a better person.
We’ve interviewed so many folks over the last decade sometimes it’s hard to remember who we’ve missed over the last little while, but thanks to the modeler simply known as “Kelly,” we’ve once again teamed up with one of the most prolific and imaginative folks we’ve ever met on our travels throughout the model railroad world.
Smokin’ Joe D’Amato has for over two decades been a key element in the design and production of the fabulous N-Scale line from Micro-Trains in Talent, Oregon. Never at a loss for words or ideas, Smokin’ Joe has been a big of N-Scale scene since the early 2000’s. Lately he’s even helped the company branch out into HO-Scale with a great line of weathered cars from Accurail. It’s a great podcast and as always, Joe doesn’t disappoint!!
On this episode of who has the Evel Overlord managed to lure into the studio, the story about three guys who’ve taken it upon themselves to move the Savannah RPM to a new location is revealed, continuing a tradition in the great state of Georgia, and making it bigger and better than ever.
Paul Spilman, Stephen Floyd, and Ken Preston have taken it upon themselves to keep the tradition of what many have known as “the Savannah RPM’ going strong. Since 1999, from their roots in Port Wentworth, GA until today, in Macon, GA the Central Georgia Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet has been focused on providing a space for modelers to meet, display their work, and most importantly, engage with each other.
Paul tells us all about this great RPM meet new facilities and they found, great local railfanning, abundance of hotels plus everything else need to make this a great even. If you’re in the area this is a definite must see and you can check out their website here:
https://www.centralgarpm.com/
It’s that time of year again, the best train show in all of North America (and maybe the world) is just a few days away, and has become our yearly tradition, John Sacerdote the show Director has stopped by the AML World Headquarters in Busted Knuckle, Kentucky to tell us all the latest news that’ll get us so excited we won’t be able to sleep until the doors open.
The Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show has been going for decades and since it’s humble beginnings as a swap meet, the show moved to the exposition grounds in 1982. Twice, the show received the Walther’s Showmanship Award in recognition of our efforts to promote interest in railroads and model railroads. Plus, the show supports the work of many railroad-related non-profit organizations. Since 1991, they’ve donated $829,252 to railroad preservation and restoration projects all over the country. Once again it was a great pleasure to speak with John. Enjoy!!
It’s an all new “All-Star Variety Hour” without much variety. We’ve got just one guest for this show and Daniel Banks is just starting his initial term as the Superintendent of the Central Indiana Division after serving three years as train master. When he’s not busy trying to make the NMEA grow he can be found pursuing his favorite favorite parts of the hobby, building and operations.
Dan has recently begun a new laser kit business called Wabash Model Works, modeling primarily 1875 Old West. It’s somewhat Disney-fied, much romanticized, just plausible enough to be believable kits and scenes that will draw you in, like a good paperback western full of adventure. There’s plenty of chat with this modeler and a podcast we hope you enjoy.
What does Harry Potter and railfanning have in common, well nothing really, unless of course you add in an Ohio native named Adam Matthews, railroad preservationist, photographer and model railroader who was inspired by his grandfather, a retired vice superintendent of shipping at US steel in Lorain, Ohio.
We’ve been wanting to interview Adam for quite sometime now, after stumbling across his website “Train Wizard Productions,” a must see for anyone even remotely interested in trains, model railroading and great photography. With more than 150,000 followers on Instagram, Adam is a preservationist heavily involved with the Nickel Plate Historical Society, Mad River and NKP Museum, plus the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society. He’s also got a great O-Gauge 3-Rail layout. There’s so much information in this podcast by the time you’re finished you’ll be dizzier than a trout in a blender. Enjoy!!
Started in 1971 as a one day show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trainfest grew as the decades rolled by into a two-day show sponsored by the Wisconsin Southeastern division of the NMRA. Eventually the show moved to the Wisconsin State Fair Park and for decades was a huge success but as with everything, changes happened and those who took over were unable to maintain it’s popularity.
Over the last few years, the shows doors have only been open sporadically with those in charge unable to keep a successful show running. Fortunately, this year a group of individuals more capable took over and the show was held at the Baird Center in downtown Milwaukee. We sent two of the AML’s crack reporters to mingle and schmooze with the attendees. The show was a great success this year, with many familiar faces in attendance. So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded floor plans, a tall cool glass of half-finished coffee and enjoy!!
Christmas stories bring a special warmth and magic to the season. From heartwarming tales of kindness and family to the whimsical adventures of Santa Claus and his reindeer, they capture the joy and wonder of the holidays. Nothing can bring the spirit of the holidays to life quicker than two grown men dressed in polar bear costumes.
This is the heartwarming story of the AML Nation coming together to share the magic of the season with each other and all those around them. Our very own Seth “Doc” Gartner and Kevin “Hard Part” Marks decided to pay a visit to Marcus Neubacher at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Find out what happens when our two intrepid heroes decide to see how much fun could be packed into twelve minutes. It’s an exciting adventure and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s time once again to check in with “Uncle” Dave and find out what’s happening in the Abeles clan. Whether it’s dealing with day-to-day life, unboxing of Rapido Trains fabulous new E8 locomotives or the trials and tribulations of day-to-day life. It’s always an interesting discussion while throwing another log on the fire and sitting back with your favorite wobbly pop.
In this installment, Dave shows his new enthusiasm for Conrail’s Office Car Special and how much fun he’s having learning all about passenger cars, plus some modelling tips about stripping paint from a Union Pacific sleeper car. But that’s not all, if you listen close enough, you might even get a hint about the next book he’s planning. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
Balancing a hobby with the responsibilities of raising a family can feel a lot like a well-practiced juggling act, but it’s definitely possible and even beneficial, for both the modeler and the family!! The hobby of model railroading can provide an outlet for creativity and stress relief, which can make you a more patient partner and parent. Finding ways to involve your family in your hobby or setting aside dedicated "you" time can help strike that balance.
So, we here at the ole’ AML Network in downtown Busted Knuckle, Kentucky gathered together three of our favorite Dads to find out their secrets to enjoying the hobby while at the same time fulfilling their obligations to their kids and even more importantly, life partner. Model railroading is a great way to teach kids about craftsmanship, history, and in some cases involve everyone in the layout building process. Enjoy!!
The Station Inn located in Cresson, Pennsylvania was built in 1866, situated just ten miles west of the famous Horseshoe Curve, it was originally built as a hotel for weary travelers heading east or west on the Pennsy Railroad. Over the last hundred and fifty years it’s gone through many changes including the early 90’s when it was purchased by Tom Davis and turned into the place railfans of all kinds from across the globe would come to stay.
Fast forward to present day, after Tom passed away in 2021 it was purchased by Alex Lang and his wife Leah who over the years had built a deep friendship with innkeeper and decided they wanted to keep the tradition and memory of Tom alive. It’s been an adventure for the couple who reside an hour and a half away but as you listen to this podcast, you’ll quickly realize their passion for the Station Inn is something we can all be truly thankful for. Enjoy!!
It’s time once again for our courageous crew of confused modelers to gather around the studio to discuss the latest happenings. Originally this podcast was intended to be about Bradd Williamson’s new talking detector, but it quickly morphed into a loosely produced edition of the “Fans.”
“the TableMaster” talks about ripping out his current layout and replacing it with something of lessor quality while the “the Queso Cowboy” describes his latest freight car model he purchased from 3D Central. In 1973, the Norfolk & Western Railroad converted a number of their F-20 53′ Flatcars to haul cab assemblies for Mack trucks from supplier to assembly plant.
And then finally “the stubby Professor” his talking detector he purchased on E-Bay from DJHayes electronics. It’s a speedometer kit measuring the speed of your train and doubles as a detector and works in any scale. It’s a fun podcast backed with tons of info and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Is the hobby growing or shrinking?? If you hang around the AML Studios long enough, there will be no doubt in your mind that we here in Busted Knuckle, Kentucky are convinced the hobby is growing rapidly day after day. But the age-old question remains, how we entice the younger generation to join the old guard in the never-ending quest of introducing model railroading to the world!!
This is a continuation of our discussion with Derrick Magnotta, a lifelong model railroader who as he approaches his mid-thirties can’t find any reason to join the NMRA. However, Derrick is definitely open to new ideas and there’s even a great discussion about the possibility of an entry level free membership. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
So, you’re wondering what’s neat this week?? That’s easy just check out what Ken Patterson and his gang are doing over there on YouTube with the show that’s got its finger on the pulse of the hobby. We wanted to find out more about “the Dude,” Joshua Barton, Mike Budde and James Reiger, so we sat them down in front of a microphone and let the magic happen!!
This is a fun podcast that goes in all sorts of directions, and we find out all about the guys just before they’re about to record another show. Ken is an accomplished, professional photographer, featured in numerous model railroad publications and marketing material over the years and is happy to share some of his secrets. Enjoy!!
John Doehring might be the most enthusiastic man in the National Model Railroad Association, as the Eastern Director he is obviously putting his heart and soul into figuring out how to make the organization and the hobby of model railroading grow. This is part two of a response and discussion about his email pointing out his view of what direction to take the NMRA.
In these changing times of social media, video games and a myriad of distractions in today’s world, John along with his fellow directors want to keep up with changing times. The podcast is a mix of ideas and discussion with plans to double the size of the membership over the coming years. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s time once again for another exciting episode of “Uncle” Dave’s Fireside Chat. On this edition of the “chat” Dave tells the history of the latest New Jersey Transit Heritage unit, a replica of Conrail’s 4208 and the behind-the-scenes story of how it came to be, all the folks involved, and the excitement felt around the railroad as it was rolled out during a very special ceremony.
Plus we talk about Dave’s excitement with the release of his newest book “Designing and Operating Yards,” which is an update on Andy Sperandeo’s original yard book published some years ago. We find out if there’s plans for another book and what the topic or topics might be. As always, it’s a busy time in the Abeles household and fun to be along for the ride. Enjoy!!
It’s the wonder from down under, visiting from the land of Oz, throwing another shrimp on the barbie, Australia where everything happens tomorrow and home to the one and only NMRA Worldwide Director at Large, Martyn Jenkins. Fresh from his time in the lower forty-eight having a walk-a-bout and here to give us a full report on what was accomplished at the latest Board of Directors meeting at the NMRA’s national convention in Long Beach, California. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
The NMRA has long been the flag ship organization of model railroading, originally being organized in the mid 1930’s serving a critical role through the years in the growth of the hobby. But with everything times change, people change and in today’s world organizations like the NMRA struggle to maintain their membership.
Our next guest Derrick Magnotta who belongs to a generation that’s never known life without the internet, wrote a very insightful email about how people his age and younger struggled to see what value there is in belonging to the NMRA. So we here at the old AML Network decided to gather together in the studio some of our most knowledgeable old guys to understand the problem and perhaps offer some solutions. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
The NMRA Achievement Program also known as the “AP” is a guide to help you master the many crafts and skills necessary in the hobby of model railroading. As you get more proficient in of each of the skills, you can through various means have your work judged by others and if certain standards are met, will be issued a certificate acknowledging your achievement and work towards becoming a Master Model Railroader.
Getting involved in the AP program is incredibly easy and recently a good friend of the AML Nation was announced as the new chairman of the Achievement Program. Ray Persing, a lifelong model railroader and all-round good guy stepped up to the plate to take over this important role from his predecessor Frank Koch who’d held the position for many years. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Just like that old bean casserole that you found in the back of the freezer from your Aunt Mildred at Thanksgiving four years ago, or the twenty bucks you find in an old pair of jeans, this version of the “Kelly Questions” has aged like a fine wine.
Emory Lehman III is a locomotive engineer for the BNSF and a longtime member of the AML Nation. After stopping by to remind us we’d forgotten about his attempt at the hobby’s most hard-hitting collection of questions, he tries on the tin-foil hat. There’s also a brief discussion about an upcoming showcase on the Iron City N-Scalers Facebook page. It’s a fun podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Hey “yinz,” this is a really good podcast but unless you understand Pittsburgh slang you might not understand it all. Fortunately while our next guest is a lifelong resident of the area where three rivers converge to create the once hallowed ground known as “Three Rivers Stadium,” home to the “Immaculate Reception.” Ron Bohin is an avid O-Scale three rail modeler who graduated from school qualified to be aircraft mechanic, which of course explains how he ended up working for U.S. Steel and eventually became a locomotive engineer.
Then after that successful career, it was time to move on to the Port Authority of Allegheny County, now known as Pittsburgh Regional Transit. They needed signal maintainers and when Ron submitted his resume it seemed as though, no one else could be better qualified. If you’re as confused as we are, it’s time to fire up the Motorola and give a listen to this podcast, it’s actually pretty good!!
Once again, it’s time for another great discussion with “Uncle” Dave, so warm up the Motorola, get comfortable with a warm cup of cocoa as we settle in for a “Fireside Chat” with one of the hobby’s most interesting personalities. There’s lots to talk about and even some friendly fire as “Uncle” Dave takes exception with some of the Evel Overlord’s opinions about the NMRA
Plus, we pay homage to one of the great model railroaders of the modern era, Paul Dolkos whose contribution to the hobby has been extensive over the last fifty years. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure enjoy.
Have ever wanted to see one of the best model railroads in the world, one that will take your breath away, one that seems so real it could easily be used a movie set. Well after an exhaustive search by our crack investigative reporters here at the ole’ AML Network, we’ve discovered just such a model railroad not from Detroit or as we like to refer to… HockeyTown U.S.A.
One of the greatest assets of this hobby is the ability to express oneself artistically, while still be able to enjoy so much more and our next guest Norm Charbonneau has managed to squeeze every last ounce out of what this hobby has to offer. His YouTube channel about his 3-Rail O Gauge layout is full of beautiful scenes of glamorous Pennsy steamers running through magnificent scenery plus tons of how-to’s about all sorts of interesting projects. This is a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
T-Trak is one of the easiest ways for any individual to get started in the hobby of model railroading. Building a small one-foot square module can easily help speed up the learning process of building a layout of any size, plus there’s numerous groups to join where you can join with others to create sizeable layouts to run your favorite equipment.
One of the most prolific T-Trak modelers is Andy Zimmerman who when he’s not busy being head of the Standards and Conformance Department for the NMRA has built dozens of modules strictly for the enjoyment of participating. Now he’s here to tell us all about the T-Trak world record attempt at the NMRA’s national convention coming up in 2026 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Model railroading, or railway modeling, in Switzerland is alive and well, with many of the country’s hobbyists focusing on North American prototypes. We first met our guest several years ago as he was wrapping up a career as a locomotive engineer and beginning a new career as a police officer.
Our guest Robin Felder is a big fan of Norfolk Southern Railroad and brass locomotives in general, plus weathering HO scale equipment for himself and others is what keeps him busy when he’s not in training to become one of Switzerland’s finest. There’s also a philosophical discussion about the hobby and where it’s headed plus information about the local hobby scene. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Answering ViewerMail is one of our favorites here at the ole’ AML studios, whether it's pro or con, it’s a chance to connect with your audience, hear their thoughts, and engage in meaningful dialogue, even when the feedback is critical. Recently John Doehring the Eastern of representative the NMRA’s board of directors took exception to some our views about the way the organization is being run and sent us a very thoughtful and insightful email stating his concerns.
This is a special edition of ViewerMail with John and some of the regular AML crew to discuss some of those concerns. It’s a great podcast with plenty of back and forth, in fact the discussion was so interesting we only managed to get halfway through and invited John back for a second episode. It’s a great podcast and one I’m sure you’ll enjoy!!
What happens when you take two guys who are excited about the hobby of model railroading, add some raw talent with electronics and over the top details?? You get John McGuire of Garden State Modelworks LLC and Scott Lupia of KV Models with his specialty, etched detail parts.
Aside from yelling at people across the aisle from their booth at the Springfield Train Show it’s been a very successful union between these two friends. Scotts foray into the world of 3-D printing, has also created some new possibilities for his friend John, and we discover some new ways of doing business in the model railroad industry. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
Go west young man, these were the words that our next guest followed, leaving behind a beautiful model railroad that had been started in his parent’s mid-western basement. After spending several years refining his weathering techniques our next guest is thinking about the next great layout.
With law school successfully behind him, we decided here at the ole’ AML Network it was time to catch up with John Cafarelli and find out what he’s been up to. It’s a great podcast with some weathering techniques. Suggestions of other, YouTube channels to watch and plenty of interesting conversation.
It’s time for another healthy chat with your favorite “Uncle Dave.” Whether it’s discussing Scandinavian model railroaders, or the future of journalism in this great hobby of ours, you can be sure, that “Uncle Dave” has some well thought out opinions.
This chat features a great story about visiting the home Tony Koester one of the most iconic names in the hobby. “Uncle” Dave took his sons Teddy and Pete to see Tony’s wonderful Nickel Plate layout and by all accounts everyone had a great time. Dave also discusses his excitement of purchasing a couple TOFC cars from Rapido Trains. Plus somebody pushed the wrong button and there’s Rapido commercials where you’d never expect them. Enjoy!!
What happens when you take a dream, start small and end up with one of the most comprehensive hobby stores east of the Mississippi?? This was the vision of our next guest Ryan Thoman the owner of White Rose Hobbies a full line hobby shop located in York, Pennsylvania right there on the Lincoln Highway.
Originally in a bedroom of his parent’s home it wasn’t long until the store occupied a seven hundred square foot space. During this time Ryan started to work for Norfolk Southern and then a few years later his friend told him of a great location owned by his family and today’s version of the store was born. Plus, we find out what the future of Bethlehem Car Works is and why you should never purchase some else’s layout.
It’s time for another thrilling episode of what’s happening at Rapido Trains?? This time our intrepid hero Jason Shron is all hot and sweaty having just arrived from a family outing with his restored fishbowl TTC bus. (Toronto Transit Commission)
On this addition of what’s “Jason Doing Now??” The only man to have a licensing agreement with Conrail, (“Uncle” Dave) his on knees with hands clasped asking for a C30-7a, while Jason is trying to find enough customers that are desperate for a MLW S13 switcher. It’s another exciting podcast, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded handrails, a tall cool glass of left-over soda found on the Rapido bus and enjoy!!
It’s part two of the Todd Treaster, twenty-seven-part trilogy, and in this episode, aside from learning that our guest is single-handedly keeping the N-Scale industry alive, we also learn how to build big city backdrops.
Todd details how he re-created downtown Pittsburgh in a very realistic manner, and we try to talk him into writing up an article for Railroad Model Craftsman. This is a great podcast and one that we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
With a commitment to quality and the customers they serve ScaleTrains has become one of the leading manufacturers in the model railroad industry. Shane Wilson has been the captain of the ship since the beginning and has faithfully led his team and the company through some stormy weather, but always with a smile and a determination to make his product one of the best.
After the podcast entitled, “Retail Wars,” Shane didn’t necessarily agree with everything that was said and asked if he could have a chance to rebut some of the comments and give his point of view which, which we were happy to do, and that’s what this podcast is, an honest discussion about the industry, retail sales and the future. Enjoy!!
So you’re asking yourself what do Henry Mancini, West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Tony Dorsett, the Conway Yard and the Norfolk Southern have in common with our next guest?? Well basically nothing other than all these people and places were mentioned on this podcast as we discovered the secret of hollow core door layouts.
Richard Shirey has been working for the Norfolk Southern for over a decade and has a vast knowledge of all things railroading and in particular, railroading in the Western Pennsylvania area. We were introduced to Richard by our good friend Bradd “the Professor” Williamson who claimed to have a vast knowledge of our guest. So grab a big bowl of shredded sheet music, a tall cool glass of horn spit and enjoy!!
Almost everybody has a favourite relative, whether it’s cousin Eddie who borrows your favorite HO scale SD70ACE, or Aunt Sally who’s always ready with a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Here at the ole’ AML Nation, our favorite relative is none other than “Uncle” Dave who’s always ready with a story or helping hand, as we travel through the hills and valleys of our model railroad experience.
This month Dave talks about his desire for Rapido Trains to finally make his beloved C30-7a and talk about all the trials and tribulations of his new yard book from Kalmbach. (or somebody) As always, it’s a fun chat with our favorite relative, so sit back with a big bowl of shredded Conrail schedules, a tall cool glass of writer’s ink and enjoy!!
Everybody’s got a YouTube channel nowadays, whether it’s Larry showing you how to change that all important sprinkler head, Jennie taking the family dog for a walk, or dinner at Aunt Martha’s house. There isn’t much you can find you can’t find on YouTube.
However in our never-ending quest to make each moment of our listeners life’s better than the last, we’ve scoured the internet and found one of the best railfanning channels on the world wide web. Delay in Block Productions was started by Drayton Blackgrove in 2011 and along with our very own Chris Wehman, we find out what it’s like to be a premier track-side railroad videographer in North America. This is a great episode and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
So what exactly is an RPM meet and where’s the best place to find a comprehensive listing of all the events in the coming year? That’s easy, just head over to Eric Hansmann’s blog to find a listing of all the meets during the calendar year.
Dave Owens is the head poo bah of a Northeast Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet, running this event with his crew for two decades. So it seemed like a good idea to bring these two gentlemen together to talk about Eric’s event calendar and all things RPM. So get yourself a big bowl of shredded calendars, a tall cool glass of New England stream water and enjoy!!
The world is changing and so is the hobby of model railroading with an ever-increasing number of people whose primary interaction with the hobby has been via the world wide web. This is part two of talking with a twenty-six-year-old hobbyist who’s built a fantastic layout, with a countless number of incredibly well done instructional and operational videos.
Kelly stops the show with one good question and Cam Nealy, takes us through the construction of his Marias Pass railroad and why he changed from Crawford Hill. The hobby is indeed changing with a tsunami of new modelers coming and sooner or later, will all be covered in model railroad goo. Enjoy!!
It’s time once again for another edition of “Uncle” Dave’s Fireside chat and as usual no topic is left uncovered from improvements to the Onondaga Cutoff blog, witnessing the eclipse in full darkness to model railroad operations with his two boys Teddy and Pete on Ted Pamperin’s exquisite C&O Hinton Division in HO scale. Plus, we hear about being the keynote speaker at this year’s Island Ops.
But wait there’s more, what happens when the epicenter of a 4.8 earthquake is less three miles from your home in Lebanon, New Jersey and you’re at work in at Newark’s Penn Station. Aside from your family being on the local Fox News Station and being part of the earthquake protocol for the rail side of New Jersey Transit, it’s just another typical day in the life of “Uncle” Dave. So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded safety forms, a tall cool glass of Passaic River water and enjoy!!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own one of the most complete collections of N-Scale in the world and a beautifully completed basement sized layout to run all that equipment on?? Well, here’s your chance to hear from the man himself Todd Treaster, with 22,000 freight cars, 2,300 passenger cars and 2,800 locomotives on a 35 x 38’ layout.
But wait there’s more, Todd has been a locomotive engineer with the Norfolk Southern for almost thirty years and is about to retire. Aside from telling us about his great layout he regales with stories of running helpers across Horseshoe Curve and operating the Norfolk Southern’s office car special to places like Latrobe, Pennsylvania. This is a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Are you ready for TomStock 2024?? The Queso Cowboy’s Birthday Round Up?? Of course we’ve brought together some of your favorite AML regulars from across the nation to talk about this year’s great events.
We’ll kick off with ceremonial leaving the Evel Overlord behind for Wednesday’s dinner at the Shady Maple, then ride the Reading and Northerns RDC to Jim Thorpe PA. Friday will be Jerry Britton‘s fabulous cheese ball run across Pennsylvania and then finally the great barbecue with and the golden spike ceremony on Queso’s fabulous Reading layout. It’s going to be another fabulous AML gathering and here with all the details is that affable crew you’ve come to know and love. Enjoy!!
On this episode of a ModelersLife, our friend, the always popular Dave Owens returns to the AML studios to bring us up to date on the latest happenings in NERPM. (Excuse me) As can be expected since last year, the gang of the Northeast/New England Railroad Prototype Modeler‘s Meet, have a closed down another hotel, and have moved on to better digs with the help of the Amherst Railway Society.
Dave of course is once again his fun-loving self, with lots of information about this months this year’s event, plus we discuss all the clinics and after the Evel Overlord screws up again, Ted DiIorio’s name is officially changed to Teddy Dee!! Enjoy.
Here’s a question for everyone in the AML Nation, how many times is too many times to chat with our illustrious NMRA President, Gordy Robinson?? Not sure of the answer?? None of us here at the old AML headquarters know the answer either, but we’re thinking it’s probably something like, to infinity and beyond!!
The crew was lucky enough to catch up with Gordy Robinson at his parents’ home just before heading to the local infirmary for some surgery and finding out how many of the doctors and nurses he could sign up for memberships to the NMRA. Also Gordy tells us about another great way to save on your NMRA membership. It’s another excellent Gordy Robinson interview. Enjoy.
It’s time for “Great Layouts Part Two” and in this episode, we cover everything from how important snacks are and if snacks are important at all. Obviously, we must all agree that abundant and plentiful snacks make for great model railroad operations, but even more importantly, when visiting one of the fabulous layouts that populate the North American landscape layout, you must approach with the attitude that you are there to bring the layout owners model railroad to life and make him feel rewarded for a job well done.
There’s plenty of discussion on how and where to get experience operating model railroads and that makes for some great back and forth chatter amongst the panel members. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Chris Wehman is becoming an increasingly popular guest on ModelersLife with a fabulous N-Scale layout, tons of enthusiasm for the hobby, unparalleled railfanning videographer skills, devoted to replicating model railroad operations and a burning desire to make this hobby of model railroading, as much fun for every around him as it is for himself.
Well, it turns out he’s now a bona fide, YouTube influencer in the hobby of model railroading featuring Scale Trains N-Scale, SD 40–2 on his layout and while hosting a very informative video with tons of great information about the locomotive. This podcast was lots of fun to record, and it’ll be even more fun to listen to. Thanks for Listening!!
It’s time for another star studded, All-Star Variety Hour with some of the biggest names in the hobby, and some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. John Sacerdote the Director of the big Springfield Model Train Show held each year at the end of January and YouTube sensation Ron Marsh, who’s channel Ron’s Trains N’ Things continues to grow each week, are both interesting enough to for their own one-on one interview.
We had meant to include John‘s interview in one of our previous Springfield Reports, but got distracted by Ron Marsh who kept pestering us about stopping by the ModelersLife Studios for another interview. Dave Owens gives us some great insight into what goes on behind the scenes at Springfield while Ron Marsh talks about what it takes to create an awesome YouTube channel. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s always fun to revisit old friends from the AML Nation and we’ve travelled all the way to Missoula, Montana for a catch-up with Cam Nealy. There’s been big changes since our last visit, a new job is just underway, and the railroad has a new emphasis on Marias Pass in the western portion of Montana.
Staging yards have been removed. Track arrangements changed, and the whole layout has a new meaning with helper districts being the emphasis of operations. Cam has built a beautiful layout and in this first installment he explains why the changes were made and what the future holds. It’s a great layout it’s a great podcast and one more sure you’ll enjoy.
It’s Springfield Report number four where the action is exciting, and the interviews leave you hanging on every word. Once again, we sent out our intrepid reporter, the “Queso Cowboy” to find all the latest gossip in model railroading.
In this episode, we talk with the Four County Society of Model Engineers, there’s another visit with Matt Stern from Bachman, Jim Wiggin with all the latest news from Athearn, and a visit with one of our favorite freight car manufacturers, David Leilbach of Tangent Scale Models.
And if that’s not enough, some of the regular gang stop by to give their opinions on everything from the world cricket championships and travelling the highways and byways of America. It’s a great podcast and we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
It’s part three of the “Springfield Interviews” and this time our very own Queso Cowboy takes to floor to get the latest scoop on what’s happening around the hobby.
In this report Queso stops by Mine Mount Models to find out about their first limited edition kit, there’s a visit with Rudy from Garbely Publishing and a great chat with the folks at Valley HO Trak. Plus he checks in on all the latest news from Walthers before stopping by the White Rose Hobbies booth to discuss they’re recent acquisition of Bethlehem Car Works and finally Matt Herman from 3D Central tells us all about this great new company.
So sit back with some week-old candy floss, left over soda from your brothers BBQ and enjoy!!
It’s Part Two of the Springfield Reports with more exciting interviews, more headline grabbing quotes, and an opportunity to hear about some of the exciting action in and around the ModelersLife booth in the Better Living Center.
In this episode, we hear from all sorts of different folks in the hobby, including Gordy Robinson the president of the NMRA, Bill Ford an avid AML listener, Matt Stern from Bachman, Kent Carrier from the R.I.T. club in Rochester, Brandon Bolwerk the travelling companion of “Mr. Jingles,” Michelle Kempema from the Colorado Model Railroad Museum, Matt Dawson one of the AML‘s favorite sons, and finally Otto Vondrak, the editor of Railroad Model Craftsman. It’s a great episode and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to operate on some of the most famous and greatest model railroads ever built or to be a regular crew member on Tony Koester‘s Allegheny Midland/Nickel Plate railroads or to visit Harold Werthwein’s fantastic Erie Railroad layout.
On this podcast we talk with some folks who’ve done just that. Tom, Doug and Ralph have known each for decades operating layouts regularly, operating on layouts throughout the northeast. In part one we lay the foundation for further discussions about what’s expected when visiting such layouts and what’s it’s like to be a regular on some well-known layouts. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
Another year has come and gone at the great Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show. With over twenty-six thousand people in attendance it was a roaring success with lots of folks to talk to, bargains to be had, layouts to seen, friends to reconnect with and new friends to be made.
In our first series of interviews we talk with folks who stopped by the booth to answer some hard-hitting questions. Ray Persing talks about his son Steve, Cale Leiphart about what’s new in the world of Lego modeling, John Frantz on taking his model railroad in a different direction, Ken McCorry on selling parts of his steel mill to make way for some new structures and Lucy Dormont on becoming the social media manager for the NMRA. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!!
What happens when two guys from Pennsylvania who claim to be lone wolfs in the hobby, take over a Facebook page from a third modeler and then realize what they’ve done?? This is the heartwarming tale of Patrick Moore (the other guy) and Bradd Williamson from Crater, Pennsylvania, formerly known as Oval, Pennsylvania nestled in the sleepy valley of Nippenose.
From the first time they met until present day, the relationship between Patrick and Bradd reads like the finest “Harlequin” romance novel ever written. Together they created the “Iron City N-Scale” group that’s gone from just two members to well over six hundred and continues growing each day. Fellowship is the name of the game for these two model railroaders, and we’re glad they stopped by to share their story.
There are hundreds and hundreds, probably over a thousand volunteers in the National Model Railroad Association. (NMRA) Each one working tirelessly to make this great hobby even better and one of our favorite department heads of the NMRA is Andy Zimmerman.
Andy oversees the Standards and Conformance committee guiding an enthusiastic volunteer force of almost a hundred dedicated folks each of whom spend several hours a week making sure manufacturers produce products that will perform well right out of the box. There’s also a lively chat about marketing and selling the NMRA. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded conformance applications, a tall cool glass of battleship gray paint and enjoy!!
Building a model railroad layout is a rewarding hobby and documenting the process on YouTube can be both educational and entertaining for fellow hobbyists. From researching prototype railroads to designing and constructing the layout, there's a lot to cover and share with your audience. Peter Borcherds has an entertaining YouTube channel detailing his build of the BNSF Chicago Sub.
As well as being a lifelong model railroader, devoted AML listener, Peter is also the newest president of the NMRA’s British Region a vibrant model railroad community in the United Kingdom that provides valuable support and resources for members and others throughout Great Britain. This is a great podcast with a view of modeling an American prototype from across the pond. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded seaweed, a tall cool glass of salt water and enjoy.
It’s that time of year again, the Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show is about to open and once again we got John Sacerdote the show director for over two decades stops by the studio to tell us all about. We’re also joined by our very own “Uncle” Dave and Northeast RPM coordinator Dave Owens to get all the scoop.
From the Lego layout, 1:87 Scale Vehicle club, hundreds of vendors, Rapido Trains, who’s buried in the levy, chalking out the tables and getting the coveted parking pass, it’s all right here. Every year several charities benefit from some of the monies collected from admissions and table rentals, it’s the largest model railroad show in North America. Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded vendors list and a tall cool glass of left-over cola and enjoy!!
With the Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show in Springfield, Massachusetts just around the corner, we here at the ole’ AML World Headquarters decided it was time to gather the crew together to coordinate all the weekends activities. Of course, the AML offices are a buzz with the with news that the Saturday Night Pizza has been replaced by the AML Dance Party in the same location and the same cast of characters.
Also there’s the typical back-and-forth between the Mailboy and the Queso Cowboy about who’s in charge of the jingles, plus the modeler simply known as “Kelly” takes an in-depth look at Keen Boots. Things get heated when the Mailboy and the Queso Cowboy heatedly discuss the value of manufactures giving customers an indication of what data will appear on the side of their next freight car. So grab a big bowl of shredded Bobby Socks, a tall cool glass of liquid boot protectant and enjoy!!
It’s time to check in once again with our old pal "Uncle” Dave and see what he’s up to. On this episode of the “Fireside Chat,” we talk about instant gratification, and how it pertains to Model Railroading. There’s more discussion about the “Chicago Line” book, plus our in ability to coincide our calendars with each other and how the Buffalo Sabres got involved.
There’s nothing more the Evel Overlord enjoys than a chance to chat with Dave about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When life is getting you down and the brakes just aren’t going your way, there’s no better medicine than being trackside with the Onondaga Cutoff. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded hockey tape, a tall cool glass of melted rink water and enjoy!!
Another year is in the books, and a new one is about to begin. Across the AML Nation there’s hope and optimism, with another chance for all of us to inspire and help each other reach even greater heights. This hobby provides an opportunity for so many folks from diverse backgrounds to come together and enjoy what each of us has to offer.
Scott wants to raise his layout up to even greater heights of completion, Peter has taken on the role of the president for the NMRA’s British Region and plans to work feverishly on it for an upcoming convention and Bradd looks froward to installing a signal system on his Railroad. It’s going to be another exciting year for the AML Nation, TomStock here we come.
You’ve had too much egg nog, your dog ate most of the bacon and you keep refreshing the water bowl for your artificial tree but it doesn’t seem to get any greener. Christmas is a time to spend holidays with family and friends, the Queso Cowboy has had major dental work done but stills speaks with the velvet tomes of Mel Torme. After a lively discussion about artificial trees we discover that the TableMaster has a seventeen-foot tree set in the main foyer of his estate.
Next was a great discussion about your favorite Christmas movie. Everyone had excellent selections and it was all going along fine until we asked Kelly because little did we know or expect “Kelly’s” favorite movie would be a chick flick starring Hugh Grant, yes that’s correct “Kelly’s” favorite Christmas movie is “Love Actually” a bonafide chick flick, we’re all stunned and still aren’t sure how to react. Enjoy!!!
The model railroad industry lives and dies on the ability to appeal to the buying public, it seems easy to us consumers that merely have to check out what’s in stock and part with our hard-earned dollars. We take a peek behind the curtain to find out what’s it actually like to own a store dedicated to this great hobby, what to offer, dealing with wholesalers, consumers who just can’t seem to be satisfied no matter the problem and everything in between.
Stephen Atwell owns Midwest Model Railroad in Independence, Missouri a successful retail shop that’s becoming a destination, with a large selection of products and a great team ready to help. Lorne James owns Otter Valley Railroad in Tillsonburg, Ontario another wonderful store with an excellent selection of products and some of there own manufactured cars. It’s a great podcast with lots of great info from these leaders in the hobby. Enjoy!!
Sports announcers are a breed of their own and few stand out from the rest, such as John Madden in football, Vin Scully known as “Mr. Baseball, Foster Hewitt the long-time announcer of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dick Vitale who began broadcasting college basketball games in 1979. Each one of these men had a quality you can’t teach, their unbridled passion for what they loved was infectious and so it is with our very own “Uncle” Dave.
Dave brings a special kind of enthusiasm that can’t be taught, to this great hobby of model railroading and anyone that tries to keep up with him is almost surely going to fall behind. Just listen to him as he describes his new book from Kalmbach about yard design or his self-published book, Guarding the Chicago Line, and his excitement about refurbishing a couple of Kato SD40-2’s. It’s time well spent with “Uncle” Dave we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Brass locomotives are dead. There’s no point in buying them. They’re a bad investment. In fact, we couldn’t understand why anybody would even want to buy and sell them until we met Matt Dowd at Resourced Rail’s. Not only is Matt an avid Model Railroader but he’s been an avid collector and trader of brass locomotives in all scales for decades, and now he’s turned it into a full-time business.
We decided to have a return visit to find out how this fledgling company turned into a full-time job for Matt who now employs seven people to help him keep up with demand. Plus he tells us all about his exciting trip to the “Land of the Rising Sun” and what model railroading is like in Japan as he introduces us to some of the great brass locomotive builders of our time. It’s a great episode and one we’re all sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s the OVR Pop-Up event #2 with several great guests, a mediocre introduction, and a Marginally Adequate wrap-up show. We’ll hear interviews from Nick Masney of ITLA Models, with lots of great products and is as excited about the future of the hobby as anybody, next up is Andrew Duns, who’s partners with Lorne James in the OVR Trains manufacturing business, then we hear from our old buddy George Bogatiuk from SoundTraxx who can dispense more information in 10 minutes than most people can in an hour.
Finally, we meet legendary accordion player Walter Ostanek, a three-time Grammy award winning musician who’s travelled the world and been on just about every show there is such as Johnny, Carson, Lawrence Welk, Don Ho, Phil Donahue etc. etc. Walter is still going strong at the age of 88 and it was a real thrill to meet him and spend quality time chatting about his life. This is a great podcast and one you’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s the end of the Ken McCorry forty-seven-part trilogy of one of the best layouts in all of North America, from its humble beginnings in a townhouse to a dedicated thirty-three hundred square foot barn this story about a man and his dream is completed for now. There so much to learn about the Buffalo Line and in this series of podcasts we only managed to scratch the surface.
With an actual quarter mile of mainline and eleven different branches, this one of the most extensive and exciting to run model railroads ever built. But don’t be mistaken, operations on this railroad are taken very seriously and you can’t just step into a job of your choosing without being fully qualified as the Evel Overlord found out. Ken was a great guest and after a brief pause due to medical complications, we were able to bring this series to close. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Tillsonburg, Tillsonburg, my back still aches when I hear that word. However, one thing that Tillsonburg does have, is one of the best model railroad shops in all of Canada, ideally located about two hours from Toronto, Buffalo and Detroit. Our very own, Lorne James and his wife Sara are the proud owners of Otter Valley Railroad and decided to host a day long show for some of the best manufacturers in the hobby.
The AML Nation decided to send one of its crack reporters to this event for interviews and what’s happening in the hobby. None of those people were available so instead they sent the Evel Overlord, and he got a chance to talk with several of the attendees. It’s a great podcast, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded sales receipts, all cool glass of left-over soda and enjoy!!
It’s part three of the Ken McCorry Chronicles, and during this episode, we tried to convince him to let us take the Corvette out for a spin. We also investigate the changing eras and railroads on the three-hundred-mile-long Buffalo Line and what’s behind them. We find out how difficult it is, how much different equipment is needed and what’s behind it all.
For this podcast were joined by former Conrail employee Doug Watts who’s been operating on Ken‘s layouts before the barn was even built. Plus, there’s plenty of discussion about how to maintain one of the largest layouts in the country. It’s a great podcast and one for sure you’ll enjoy!!
Back in the studio is a newly discovered AML talent with a resume that would impress any railfan, modeler or locomotive engineer in just about any generation. Mike May has been a railfan his whole life, a steam and diesel engineer for about half his life, the guy in charge of the “Polar Expess” Christmas extravaganza and now has decided to dip his toe into model railroad manufacturing.
About ten years ago Mike began building my third layout, the White Pass & Yukon Route. The railroad is an unusual prototype which led to many challenges and solutions along the way. This turned into an idea to start offering high quality kits of prototypes that haven’t been available for this unique railroad. Hopefully these kits can help others start modeling the WP&YR or find great freelance homes for them as well.
It’s another great edition of the always popular All-Star Variety Hour, and there’s plenty of good discussion with two people who are involved in the manufacturing and retail side of the hobby. First up, we talk with Jordan Smith of Rapido while attending Dealer Daze at their world headquarters just north of Toronto, Canada. It was a very busy event and Jeremy the video guy even gets involved.
We also chat with Chris Palmieri of Home Shops who has stopped by the ‘ole AML studios many times, this is a model railroad company that specializing in custom painted quality freelance equipment. It’s an interesting story and we catch Chris as he travels from show to show trying to sell all sorts of distinctive freight cars from various manufacturers painted and lettered for many different freelanced railroads. It's a great podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!
It’s part two of our thirty-seven, four-part trilogy featuring the life and times of Ken McCorry. In this episode we try to find out just exactly how Ken ever managed to develop such a superb track plan with an HO-scale mainline that’s one-quarter mile long for his magnificent Buffalo Line model railroad.
There’s also great discussion about the care and feeding of the operators for this fine railroad. You can’t just walk into the Buffalo Line, pick-up a throttle and choose whichever job you’d like on any day, many of the jobs on this model railroad are highly skilled and can take quite some time to learn. It’s a great podcast with all sorts of interesting information about operating a thirty-two hundred square-foot layout. Enjoy!!
There’s no way a guy living in the North Atlantic off the coast of Scotland on a tiny rock could have any sort of significant impact on an organization such as the NMRA with the majority of its membership located in the lower forty-eight. Turns out nothing could be farther from the truth, not only has our next guest’s hard work resulted in major changes, but in reality, his leadership has helped to improve the hobby of model railroading for everyone involved.
As the NMRA continues to struggle with declining membership lack of renewals and a younger generation that sees no immediate benefit from belonging, one man stands alone against almost insurmountable odds, with a single-minded goal of making the NMRA and all its members get as much from the hobby of model railroading as possible. So grab yourself a big bowl of haggis, a tall cool glass of lukewarm sea water and enjoy!!!
What would happen if you grew up in the 1960s alongside the four track Pennsylvania Railroad main line in Berwyn, Pennsylvania?? There’d be a good chance you’d end up becoming a lifelong model railroader and that’s exactly what happened to our next guest Ken McCorry. But that’s not where the story ends, an American Flyer train set, a short stent in the Navy, a couple of N-scale layouts followed by an introduction to model railroad operations, and the rest is history.
After the switch to HO scale Ken decided to model the Buffalo Line based on an article, he’d read in the Penn Central Railroader magazine. Early retirement at the age of forty-six, allowed for the opportunity to build a specially designed building behind his home that would eventually house a thirty-two-hundred square foot multi-deck layout. This great podcast is the first part of a fascinating story and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
Let’s head back down to the Station Inn on the Norfolk Southern mainline at Cresson, Pennsylvania for some words of wisdom from “Uncle” Dave and “the Wiz.” In part two of the “Chronicles” Rich Wisneski gives us some detailed background about the grades heading east and west as the tracks cross the summit near Gallitzin, Pennsylvania. We find out more about a seventeen-year-old Dave that’s made the same trek every year for the last three decades and how he managed to keep going.
Much has changed at the Station Inn over the last couple of years as Alex Lang along with his lovely wife have purchased this historic property, Alex describes some of the challenges they’ve faced running the Inn while making some major improvements. Several trains pass while conducting interviews on the porch which just adds to the excitement of sitting just a few feet away from a busy mainline. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
So you’re asking yourself, who’s that guy sitting beside the “Dude” each time you watch “What’s Neat This Week” featuring Ken “the Dude” Patterson?? Why it’s none other than Joshua Barton, a man of many skills including to help keep the “Dude” on track so to speak, with product announcements, guest line-ups and looking after the always popular Mike Budde.
Joshua has had a very interesting life as a chef, musician, video tech to name just a few of his talents. He’s also currently building a layout featuring the area around Desoto, Missouri in a friend’s basement, with benchwork that could support an M1 Abrams tank from the U.S. Military. Most of us know him as Joshua “SugarFire” Barton but he’s moved on from that career and for now is concentrating on the hobby of model railroading. It’s an interesting episode and one we’re sure you’ll leave with more questions than answers. Enjoy!!
Have you ever stood on the shores of Lake Erie looking wistfully across towards Canada only to wish you had more foreigners use your bathroom. Have you ever stared at the photos from the Collinsville Railroad Prototype Modelers wondering what it would be like if Buzz and Lorne went?? Well, then this is the podcast for you.
On this addition of “a ModelersLife,” we learn about such things as using a hovercraft to get across Lake Erie, burying assorted model railroad train supplies on a farm, heat stroke at the St. Louis Cardinals game, and what to do if you’re Canadian and you like trains. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded marine maps and a tall cool glass of Cleveland Harbor sludge and enjoy.
What do you say to somebody that tells you they’re building a four-deck model railroad, we weren’t sure either, but were determined to find out. John’s love of railroads in the Chesapeake Bay area during the 1970s has led him to create a model railroad with multiple helixes several decks creating what believe will be in layout for the ages. Our next guest is a lifelong modeler, who recently joined the Rapido Trains team as project manager number 347.
But wait, there’s more, after a short stent at Custom Model Railroads in Baltimore and creating laser cut acrylic structure kits. John moved on to producing accurate decals for all major scales of the hobby, as well as stenciling for the restoration of some full-size railroad equipment with his Mount Vernon Shops becoming a growing concern since the early 2000’s. It’s a great interview with tons of interesting info, enjoy!!
Time has passed, a year has gone by, and another visit to the Station Inn in Cresson, Pennsylvania has produced more great interviews with some very interesting characters. Situated beside the Norfolk Southern’s main line from Altoona to Johnstown, Pennsylvania fighting over some of the steepest mainline grades east of the Mississippi. It’s a busy helper district with high-volume traffic.
In part, one of the Cresson Chronicles, we interviewed a delightful fellow known as John Zelehoski with a plethora of unfinished stories. We talked to Doug Watts, a former Conrail employee, lifelong railroader and finally someone that’s becoming a fan favorite with his cheerful personality, Ralph Heiss, or we like to refer to him as Ralphie Boy. This is a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
The hobby is dying, there’s nothing but old guys in it, and soon there won’t be anything left of model railroading. We here at the old AML Nation don’t believe that for a second and this podcast is solid proof that the hobby is alive and well. John McGuire is a 22 year old enthusiastic modeler with a talent for installing LED lights and DCC decoders.
Installing LED lights in model railroad locomotives can add a realistic touch to your layout, making the trains more visually appealing and immersive. John decided to start Garden State Modelworks and is quickly becoming known as a master craftsman with installations. When “Uncle” Dave found out that all he had to do was meet John with a box of locomotives at a gas station on the interstate he was sold on the idea and seeds of this of this podcast were planted. Enjoy!!
Much like President Franklin D. Roosevelt's series of radio broadcasts during WWII, “Uncle” Dave’s fireside chats have become a cornerstone of the AML nation, bringing calmness and stability to the fast-paced, ever-changing world of model railroading. Just like FDR, “Uncle” Dave’s fireside chats are designed to make complex issues and policies more accessible while at the same time avoiding that most common of all mistakes… Gluing your finger to your eyelid.
Whether Dave is discussing the ebb and flow in world of business and railroading, the hiring of conductors and engineers, getting ready for next year’s big Springfield show, his family taking precedence over all things railroading or just talking about one of his favorite railfanning spots, it all makes for great conversation. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded hotel bed sheets, a tall cool glass of melted candle was wax and enjoy!!
The hobby of model railroading just continues to grow and grow, and today’s electronics is opening up all sorts of avenues that we never thought possible just a few short years ago. One of those companies that is increasing enjoyment of the hobby is a small business located in Warwick, Rhode Island, called East Coast Circuits, specializing, in lighting affects for emergency vehicles, such as police, cars, firetrucks, ambulances and other vehicles like the UPS five-ton delivery van.
There’s also a whole range of circuits for crossing gates, traffic lights, burning fires and a range of other random lighting circuits. In just a few short years East Coast Circuits has made a name for itself and continues to grow. This is an amazing story of some enterprising fellows that decided to turn the hobby on its ear using nothing but a few LED lights, nine-volt batteries and a bit of wire. It’s a story we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
This is the story of a boy and his heavyweight passenger car known as “Erie Business Car One.” When not running JL Innovative Design with his brother Mike, Chris Costello can be found pursuing his other hobby of collecting full size 1:1 railroad equipment and the center piece of his collection is “Erie One,” a private railroad car operated by the Erie Railroad Company.
Private railroad cars, also known as business cars or executive cars, were used by railroad executives, dignitaries, and sometimes wealthy passengers for luxurious and comfortable travel. These cars were equipped with lavish amenities, including comfortable sleeping quarters, a dining area, lounges, and even office spaces to conduct business while on the move. Chris bought the car and with the help of some dedicated individuals is slowly bring it back to life. This is a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s the final part of all our NERPM interviews from this year’s event, we heard from more than a dozen different participants and each with an interesting story to tell. RPM meets continue to grow and attract a wide range of modelers with various interests in all types of different railroading. This year’s event attracted well over two hundred modelers and we’re already looking forward to some more great interviews next year.
In this episode we hear from avid Penn Central modeller Blair Davis, Erik Hansmann also known as Mr. RPM, the always lovable Chris Adams, Springfield show director, and man about town John Sacerdote and finally the man, the legend, none other than Dave Owens making sure everyone has a great time and occasionally gives people rides to dinner. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded resin kit instructions, a tall cool glass of used decal water and enjoy!!
If you’re gonna be in the Navy it might as well be on the deck of a carrier during the storm of the century and if you’re gonna be a member of the NMRA, it might as well be as the Conformance and Standards Chairman. Our next guest is Ex-Navy and the now serving the NMRA with the same commitment and enthusiasm as he did when firing jets off the deck of a carrier. But after trying to explain T-Trak to the Evel Overlord he’d rather be tied up in the Port of Memphis, Tennessee.
We first met Andy on AML’s Wednesday night Patreon chats and after finding out from Gordie the NMRA prez he’s running the Conformance and Standards department for the NMRA, it seemed only natural to have him stop by the ‘ole AML Studios for a more in-depth investigation of this model railroader. From filling the basement of his parents home with plywood to helping out with the Big Bend Model Railroad Association, Andy wears a lot of different hats and they all seem to fit just fine.
Its’ ”Part Two” of the NERPM (excuse me) interviews direct to you from downtown Springfield, Massachusetts home each January to the big Amherst Society’s model railroad show held at the Eastern Exposition grounds and each June modelers gather together at the NERPM meet in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts to celebrate model railroading in a different way. With various activities such as clinics covering topics like weathering techniques, scratch building, layout design, historical research, and some hands-on instructional workshops.
In this episode of the NERPM Chronicles, you will hear from such great modelers as Jim Homoki who discusses recent events on his Penn Central layout, Rob Hinkle fills us in on what’s up at the Operations Special Interest Group, Luis Segarra talks about being part of the show crew. Dave Oppedisano discusses starting his dream layout featuring his love of BNSF and Ted DiIorio tells about his hands on instructional weathering clinic that’s always a hit at any show he attends. It’s a fun podcast we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Modeling the New Haven Railroad in the mid-1950s can be an exciting and historically accurate project. The New Haven Railroad, officially known as the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H), was a prominent railroad company that served the New England region of the United States during that era.
Our next guest is recreating as much of the New Haven Railroad as possible on three levels, with a track plan scaled down from the prototype, while enjoying the process and letting his creativity fill in the blanks. For Bill Chapin modeling the New Haven Railroad in the mid-1950s allows him to recreate a fascinating era in railroading history and bring it to life for the rest of us to enjoy!!
Railroad Prototype Modelers meets, (RPM) are an excellent way to connect with other model railroaders who share a passion for realism, exchange ideas and discuss techniques. There’s a wide variety of detailed locomotives, rolling stock, structures that closely replicate real-world railroads, time periods, and geographic regions with precise attention to detail.
This podcast features interviews with attendees David Yale, Jim ”the Hammer” Lincoln and Rapido’s own John Frantz. Overall, attending railroad prototype modelers meets can be an enriching experience for model railroaders. It allows you to immerse yourself in the world of prototype modeling, learn from experts, discover new techniques, and forge connections with like-minded individuals who are as passionate about the hobby as you are.
Allen Keller is a name that everyone in model railroading, young or old should recognize as a contributor to the hobby through his video series ”Great Model Railroads.” Travelling all around the lower forty eight over three decades to visit and record some of the best builders and their railroads.
Allen’s Bluff City Southern also a great model railroad in it’s own right, is alive and well today set in the area around Memphis in 1950 when cotton was king, operating throughout the Mid-South providing interchanges in the Memphis area with the IC, Frisco, L&N, Southern and the Missouri Pacific. This is a great podcast discussing some of the most interesting layouts and thier owners from the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s. Enjoy!!
The Northeast/New England RPM Meet has been growing and growing over the past twenty years until it became one of the go to meets in the country. RPM Meets are all over the country and they truly began as simply someplace to display models finished or otherwise, meet old and new friends, learn some new techniques and leave by the end of the weekend enthused as ever about the hobby.
The NERPM is not an exclusive group of super modelers, they are regular folks' like you and me. Some may be more talented than others, but most aspire to be better, to produce more realistic looking models and share ideas. Dave Owens and his band of merry men encourage modelers of all abilities to share what they accomplished so far: Finished or otherwise, completed or in-progress. There is no judgment, no one telling you that you are wrong, just good camaraderie. This is a great podcast that we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It's always fun to welcome a newcomer to the AML Studios in downtown, Busted Knuckle, Kentucky and this week our guest travelled all the way from North Carolina. Marcus is a veteran in the world of N-Scale and his beautiful layout the Charleston, Roanoke & Eastern Railway set in the late 80's/early 90's when there was still a lot of variety on the Class One railroads and operations from that era were what kept the country moving.
When our wandering reporter Nick Santo stopped by for a visit, we knew that there was much more to learn about the layout and the owner. Overall, Marcus's combination of interests in N-scale model railroading, his work at the North Carolina Transportation Museum, and his affinity for the Norfolk Southern Railroad showcases a deep passion for railways and a dedication to preserving and promoting their legacy.
It’s coming, like kids at Christmas or standing rail-side waiting for Union Pacific’s “Big Boy” the anticipation for this year’s NMRA National convention in Dallas, Texas continues to build. Model railroad enthusiasts are passionate about their hobby, and conventions are a chance to share that passion with others, talk about their layouts, share modeling techniques and show off their latest creations.
Chris Atkins and Riley Triggs stop by the AML studios to give us an update on all the exciting events taking place at the Supercharged Highspeed, Texas Express !! There’s plenty of great layouts, prototype tours, clinics and of course the chance to get your very 3D image thanks to Bernard Hellen at MiniPrints. Be prepared for surprises, whether it's a creative new design, a new locomotive release, structure kit or unexpected celebrity sighting, you just never know what you might see at the NMRA National convention.
What happens when a prospective member calls up and asks for advice??...
We say leave a message and we’ll get back to you, or we gather together some of the greatest minds in all of AML Nation to answer the call. Last week’s guest Bradd Williamson had fallen asleep in the studio while trying to decide whether or not to join the NMRA, so it only seemed natural to make a podcast out of it.
Bradd was trying to decide if joining the NMRA was worth the money and answered his own question as the night went on. He really wanted to attend a local NMRA regional convention with his buddies and in a final effort to get the ball rolling the “Queso Cowboy” stepped up to the plate and offered a challenge. If Bradd joined Tom Jacobs said he’d follow suit and before the show was over the NMRA had two brand new members added to their ever-growing membership list!!
Members of the AML Nation come in all shapes and sizes from all corners of the globe, with this episode of “a ModelersLife,” we meet one of the Iron City N-Scalers, a group of friendly fellows brought together by some other fellow, who’s name we can’t recall at this time. Bradd Williamson was destined to be a lone wolf modeler, until one day he decided to find out if model railroading had a presence on the internet.
A high school physics teacher from the Jersey Shore has had a passion for model railroading as long as he can remember, quite content to live out his life alone in railroading while the hobby slowly died away. Then one day this creature called social media reared its head and Bradd discovered a whole world of modelers just waiting to become close friends and help him set out on all sorts of exciting adventures!! Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded standardized tests, a tall cool class of Newtonian fluid and enjoy!!
After a quick chat at Springfield, Jason Shron expressed an interest to come back on the podcast and talk about what’s the landscape of the hobby post pandemic, what the future holds and the importance of pre-orders. Running a successful model railroad manufacturing company based in Canada, or any other country for that matter, requires a strong business plan, good communication with suppliers, a solid understanding of the market with a commitment to quality and customer service.
There’s also a discussion about Jason’s deep commitment to his faith, working on his layout, “Canadian National’s Kingston Sub,” spending more time with his family, Rapido in the United Kingdom and of course one of the latest offerings from Rapido… The GE 44-Tonner. This is an interesting chat with lots of twists and turns, so grab a big bowl of shredded N-95 masks, a tall cool glass of fish fry oil and enjoy!!
Here comes another podcast with another great story from the AML Nation, this time we travelled all the way to Switzerland to visit with a locomotive engineer that’s about to change careers and become a police officer. Transitioning from being a locomotive engineer to a member of the local constabulary will involve several changes for Robin but it quickly became obvious to us that it won’t be getting in the way of his ongoing enthusiasm for the hobby.
American prototype modeling is alive and well in Switzerland with an active group of dedicated modelers accurately depicting railroading in north America. Robin has enjoyed weathering locomotives and rolling stock for some time now and with an impressive collection of brass engines his modeling can stand with the best of them. Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded moving citations, a tall cool glass of day-old coffee and enjoy!!
It’s the final installment of all the Springfield 2023 interviews and this time interview several folks from Rapido trains on late Sunday afternoon, plus we hear from John Sacerdote the show director for more than twenty years. After a tough couple of years, the show bounced back with big crowds and tons of new product announcements.
We finally get to meet some Rapido’s brightest minds, chat briefly with “Uncle” Dave and catch up with our old pal Kaylee Zheng. Bruce the Mailboy stops by at the end of the show to wrap things up and give his thoughts on hands free driving, it’s a great podcast with an interesting cast of characters. Enjoy!!
Well, we’ve come to the end of the Mike May thirty-seven part trilogy and a good time was had by all. We discovered that there is no bear on the “Polar Express,” learned all about the Hesston Steam museum in LaPorte County, Indiana, found out what it’s really like to a locomotive engineer on the Durango and Silverton and had a chance to hear about running on Amtrak.
We took in so much information during this series, it feels like our head is about to esplode, but fortunately for the AML Nation Mike agreed to come back and update us on his latest adventures. What a great story, a true railfan since he could remember, supportive parents and a journey through railroading that most of us can only dream about. This is another great podcast we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s part three of the Springfield, “Big E”, Amherst Society train show reports, where a great time was had by all. This show is a wonderful opportunity to connect with old friends make new ones and browse a through a large variety of vendors all in one location, plus the pre-show clinics giving everyone a chance to learn more about the hobby. On this podcast we hear from the folks at Hattons, one of the largest model railroad vendors in Britain, learn more about the Reading Historical Society, chat with our old friend Ron Klaiss from Mine Mount Models and promise George that next year we’ll visit his layout. This year was the first show since weathering a worldwide pandemic and the snowstorm of the century. The crowds were huge, and the fun was enormous. Enjoy!!
Running the “Polar Express” is a full-time job and yet our guest Mike May still has time to occasionally put his name on the extra board and run some of the most iconic locomotives in North America. In this episode we dive deeper into what it takes to keep the “Polar Express” on track at several different locations around the continental United States and various spots around the globe.
Mike has been an avid railroader most of his life whether it be model or prototype and his opinions on the hobby of model railroading and the influence railroading of any kind has on the population as a whole are interesting to say the least. There are so many that ride the Durango and Silverton that might only have a passing interest in are yet drawn to Colorado by the hundreds of thousands each year to ride a train. It’s a great episode with lots of thoughtful discussion. Enjoy!!
It’s always fun to chat with folks you only see face to face very occasionally and this Springfield report is no different. Whether it’s Ralph Heiss, one of “Uncle” Dave’s regular crew or Shane Wilson the controlling hand at ScaleTrains, the conversations are always fun and always full of interesting tidbits.
We also get a chance to visit with Riley Triggs who heads up the NMRA’s Publication Department, the “Queso Cowboy” has a great chat with Rob Hinkle the president of the Operations SIG. We were introduced to “That Train Couple” Jasmine and her husband Frank you’ve just begun a journey into the world of model railroading utilizing Facebook and YouTube. Finally, we get a chance for a quick chat with Stephen Atwell the owner of Midwest Model Railroad in Independence, Missouri. It’s a great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s part two pf the forty-seven-part Mike May trilogy and in this episode, we discover how a young boy from the suburbs of Chicago eventually is drawn to the wilds of Alaska and one of the most famous three-foot gauge railroads in the world, the White Pass and Yukon Route. Mike has built a beautiful rendition of this railroad in HOn3 that’s just eighteen inches wide and over twenty feet long.
Today the White Pass is the busiest tourist railroad in America after being shut down in 1982 due to lack of freight traffic and then re-open for tourism few years later. Mike has carefully modeled the railroad and eventually become a Master Model Railroader. We also discover that he enjoys writing, having had several articles published in the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette as well as having the layout featured in the 2022 edition of Great Model Railroads. It’s another great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Another Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show has come and gone and by all reports was a rousing success!! With an attendance of well over twenty-thousand enthusiastic model railroaders, hundreds of vendors and dozens of layouts the Springfield show is back in full swing after a worldwide pandemic in 2021 and the snow storm of the century in 2022.
As always, the AML gang was in attendance and this year, we had four tables featuring Iowa Scaled Engineering and our very own “Uncle” Dave Abeles. We met and interviewed so many fans of the podcast, took a group photo with well over fifty of the finest podcast listeners you’ll find anywhere. This is part one with Andy Zimmerman, David Heyde, Drayton Blackgrove, John Frantz, John Dohring and NMRA president Gordy Robinson. Enjoy!!
We’ve met a lot of interesting people on this podcast but every once and awhile somebody comes along that just makes you sit up and take notice. Mike May’s lifelong love of trains has taken him all sorts of interesting places but if you’re wondering how a guy that studied theatrical lighting ended on a Brightline train in Miami in the month of November you’ve come to the right place.
Whether he’s waxing poetically about his love for the White Pass and Yukon Railroad or telling stories of his journey to become a locomotive engineer on the Durango and Silverton. One thing is abundantly clear Mike’s story is to big for just one episode. Find a comfortable place to sit, grab a big bowl of coal ash, a tall cool glass of melted driver grease and enjoy!!!
Well, it’s time once again, when we carefully select which candidate is best suited for the job and on this podcast the NMRA president Gordy Robertinson introduces us to Fred Soward who’s running against John Coy for Central District Director.
Fred spent twenty years as a commissioned officer in the US Army and has been a member of his local Division 8 Board of Directors since 2016. After two years as a Trustee, and four years as the Superintendent, he’s now the Assistant Superintendent and also serving as the Secretary for the Mid Central Region.
John Coy has been a model railroader for over fifty years, finally joining the NMRA in August 2018. By November of that same year, he joined the Central Indiana Division Board and has served the NMRA continuously since then. He’s currently the Assistant Superintendent of the Central Indiana Division and served as the Midwest Regional Director at large for almost four years. John Coy is heavily involved at both the regional and divisional levels and is excited about an opportunity to advance his career as a volunteer in the NMRA.
Before the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad it was simply the Lackawanna Railroad, connecting New York City across state to Buffalo, New York and that’s all you need to know. Unless of course you’re a retired police officer in New Jersey with fond memories of running across the Lackawanna Cut-off in a speeder car with your dad. Which then brings us to our guest Tom Schmieder.
After years of preparation, planning, collecting supplies and learning to build an addition to an already beautiful home, Tom Schmeider is well underway with the construction of a model railroad layout for the ages, based on the memories of a young boy riding the “the Cutoff.” We’ve brought in some New Jersey’s most enthusiastic model railroaders to help us find out as much a s possible about Tom and his railroad. It’s a great podcast with tons of info to enjoy!!
Who doesn’t like a party, especially one that celebrates a milestone like the 90th anniversary of Railroad Model Craftsman. We were fortunate enough to convince RMC editor Otto Vondrak to stop by the ole’ AML studios and tell us some of the history of the magazine, learn about some of the previous owners, plus interesting discussions about some of the key players over the years.
The magazine was started during the depression era of the thirties, when the NMRA was getting started beside some industry leaders that are still recognizable names today. Tony Koester played a big part in the seventies and was instrumental bringing Allen McClelland to the fore front of the hobby. We learn of the great contribution Bill Schaumburg made to the hobby as editor, long-time publisher Hal Carstens and a host of others that spent many years working with the magazine. This is a great podcast that we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
What can we say about our next guest other he’s one of the greatest goalies the people of Durango, Colorado have ever witnessed, standing tall between the pipes this behemoth of a man turns back shot after shot while constantly thinking about ways to improve SoundTraxx decoders and get them out to the world so modelers from all across the globe can learn the infinite possibilities this product can deliver.
But wait, you say you’d like to know the best way to paint your goalie pads?? George takes time out of his busy scheduled to carefully describe the painstaking effort using a rubberized paint to turning you into the best beer league goalie this side of the Mississippi River. Then George takes us on a great tour of his present layout with a detailed description of how it was built in a garage that it shares with a car. This is a fun episode we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
Lorne James is just one of those people you’re glad to know, someone that always leaves you with a smile on his face. He one of the exciting young men that continue to make this hobby grow beyond anyone’s expectations. Having started in the retail end of the hobby in his teenage years and continuing to grow that business to present day with a great retail shop in Tillsonburg, Ontario.
Never one to sit still, Lorne and his partner have now expanded into the freight car manufacturing side of the hobby with the National Steel Car 6,400 Cubic Foot gondola used mainly in the construction and waste disposal industries hauling waste to transfer sites. This podcast is full of excitement as a young modeler tells the tale of trying to get his new company off the ground. Enjoy!!
“What if we gave away our 1,000th ProtoThrottle to raise money for the Colorado Model Railroad Museum that Michelle Kempema runs??” These words were spoken to me by Michael Petersen whom I hadn’t heard or seen from since we worked side by side as bus boys on the Orient Express during the late eighties. Stunned by the offer, but anxious to help Ms. Kempema who in recent times had taken a job as a t-shirt model to raise money for the museum, I quickly accepted.
Michael stated there were a few conditions that must be met, apparently his time in the Orient had prohibited the fine folks at Iowa Scale Engineering from mailing any ProtoThrottles across the Atlantic and as of this broadcast Bhutan was strictly off limits. But fortunately, if you live in Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the United States of America you’re eligible to enter the free draw at the Amherst Railroad Hobby Show. So bring a pen, a couple of bucks for the museum and you too could be operating your layout with one of the finest throttles on the market today.
What can you say about someone that’s brought so much joy to folks young and old by simply standing trackside with a camera in the great state of Florida. These are the videos of someone with the expertise of a professional broadcaster and the excitement of a teenager railfanning for the first time.
Railfan Danny Harmon was born and raised in Florida, trying to catch all the rail action in Sunshine State while still taking the time to explore railroading as far away as Ohio. Shooting with a Sony AX-700 camcorder, GoPro Hero 7 Black, DJI Air 2 drone, and editing all the footage he’s captured on his iMac with Final Cut Pro X software the final product is well worth watching. This is a great podcast, and you can find the Distant Signal YouTube channel right here:
https://www.youtube.com/@distantsignal/featured
Hey kids, it’s almost time for the annual Springfield Train show time, the Big “E”, the Amherst Show, the “Great” Train Show, the “Big” Railroad Hobby Show, the show that John Sacerdote runs every year with help from a cast of thousands and its official name is “the Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show.” Dating back as far as the 1960’s, the show covers hundreds of thousands of square feet in four buildings on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition.
Since 1991, the Amherst Railway Society started an annual grants program that began to support the efforts of other railroad-focused organizations. In the years since, the Society has donated $814,373 to railroad preservation. This is a great podcast with lots of great information that we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
If model railroad operations is your thing or you’ve never had the opportunity to operate a model railroad of any kind and you’ve got no idea where to start, then you’ve come to the right place. Eric Smith has created one of the most useful tools we’ve ever seen connecting model railroaders and operations-oriented layouts.
OperatingSessions.com is a free service that’s been purpose-built to help support model railroaders host operating sessions. Whether it’s individual sessions on a single layout, or multi-day events with dozens of sessions.
Scheduling operating sessions or finding operators can sometimes be quite a pain but with OpertingSessions.com even the most complex operating weekend can be simplified with ease. This is a great podcast with tons of information that we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s the day after Christmas and for many of us around the globe it’s known as Boxing Day, while for many others, it’s simply known as Monday and while recovering from heaping mounds of turkey, bread stuffing and Aunt Emily’s Christmas pudding at the AML Nation’s world headquarters, we decided there was no need for a podcast on such a magical day.
But wait, while some of the AML gang were cleaning up the studio after what can only be described as an epic Christmas party, someone hit the switch and microphones went live and we loaded up the recording on our trusty cassette player so everyone could hear what could only be described as our “Boxing Day a.k.a. Monday” podcast. Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded plastic bows, a tall cool glass of week-old tree water and enjoy!!
As another year draws to a close it’s time once again for our annual state of the hobby and with so much happening in the hobby, we here at the ole’ AML world headquarters decided this would be the ideal time for the newest editor of Model Railroader magazine to share his thoughts about where this great hobby of ours is headed. Of course, such an interview wouldn’t be complete without help from everybody’s favorite “Uncle” Dave, who’s always excited to talk all things railroading.
Eric White is a veteran journalist with a wealth of model railroading knowledge behind him, he joined Model Railroader as an associate editor and looks forward to leading it into the future. Leading the hobby’s flagship publication is an important role which Eric plans to take very seriously. He enjoys the operations side of the hobby and meeting readers of the magazine. This is great podcast and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
It’s time once again to don the tin foil helmet and have our latest contestant attempt to answer a series of hard-hitting questions about model railroading and the choices they make on the journey of life. While cleaning the office and looking for spare change behind the filing cabinet we found this old cassette tape labeled “O Scale” in Quebec. Imagine our surprise when we discovered it was actually talented modeler Serge Lebel on the hot seat.
Turns out his superhero alter-ego would be “Stop Time Man” and all over the world people are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting patiently to hear what type of uniform he’d wear, perhaps a spandex one-piece uniform with his underwear on the outside and a gold cape. This is a great podcast with our old friends the “Spoon” and “the Mayor of Horne Payne.” So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded poutine, a tall glass of melted yellow snow and enjoy!!
Model railroad manufacturing in all forms continues to grow across the hobby and one of the most exciting companies we’ve found is “ITLA Scale Models,” producing some of the finest laser cut craftsman style kits available today. Renee and Nick Masney have been in business over ten years producing laser etched wood materials representing masonry, steel, and concrete when painted using basic techniques.
One of the unique features of these kits is the ability to build in a variety of footprints and varying wall combinations including “flats” and “shallow relief” suitable for the growing shelf layout segment of the hobby. The gritty rail-side architectural look that’s still easily found across North America today is easily reproduced with ITLA’s fine line of kits and wall modules. It’s a great episode with some great insight into what makes the company tick. Enjoy!!
It’s part two of “What’s the Deal with Dave” more interviews, more questions and more insightful commentary into what makes this young man tick and why his mission in life seems to be spreading happiness and joy throughout the human race. In other words, “Uncle” Dave would like to buy the world a Coke and furnish it with love, grow apple trees and honeybees and snow-white turtle doves.
In this episode we hear from even more of Dave’s guests at the Station Inn as dozens of Norfolk Southern trains continue to roll by just a few feet away as he tries to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. So imagine yourself relaxing on the porch on a warm summer’s evening with a cool refreshing Coca-Cola and enjoy!!
It’s part two of “What’s the Deal with Dave” more interviews, more questions and more insightful commentary into what makes this young man tick and why his mission in life seems to be spreading happiness and joy throughout the human race. In other words, “Uncle” Dave would like to buy the world a Coke and furnish it with love, grow apple trees and honeybees and snow-white turtle doves.
In this episode we hear from even more of Dave’s guests at the Station Inn as dozens of Norfolk Southern trains continue to roll by just a few feet away as he tries to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. So imagine yourself relaxing on the porch on a warm summer’s evening with a cool refreshing Coca-Cola and enjoy!!
We found him… We found the guy that actually wrote the book. After years of searching, asking questions, tracking down leads and interviewing thousands of possible witnesses, there he was… Hiding behind a big box of “ArrowHead Models.”
We first met Bob Zink eight years ago through our mutual friend Keith Thompson. Later on, we discovered he’d written the book about the Krause-Maffei locomotives, a diesel-hydraulic road switcher built in Germany during the sixties. Bob is a fountain of knowledge on this subject, but the interview suddenly took a different turn when we discovered he’d visited John Allen as a teenager. Tighten your chin straps, you’re in for a wild ride!!!
There’s nothing like having the opportunity to meet new people and spend quality railfanning time with friends. The Station Inn - https://stationinnpa.com/ - located along the Norfolk Southern mainline just west of Altoona is probably one of the best railfanning spots in all of North America. First opened in 1993, as the brainchild of Tom Davis a retired school administrator from New Jersey.
Not long after it opened, an advertisement was placed in one of the more popular rail magazines of the day and a young “Uncle” Dave along with his brother and a couple of friends spent a weekend at “the Inn.” Dave’s been coming back every year since with an ever-growing band of characters, this was the twenty-nineth straight year for Dave and the first for the AML crew. With microphone in hand the “Evel Overlord” decided to find out what’s the deal with Dave through the eyes of his friends and brother Ben. It’s a great interview that we know you’ll enjoy!!!
Our next guest has led a life of railroading since the day he opened his eyes, with parents that were supportive, Mike Burgett has been a railroader his entire life. Whether he was planting signals in the backyard of his childhood home or writing letters to the presidents of railroads, and sleeping in his own private caboose, high iron has been in his blood forever.
This is a fantastic interview with one of the most talented model railroaders on the planet and Mike is more than happy to tell his story, share his ideas and help others achieve the same level of success he has. After a visit to the Chesapeake & Ohio, Clifton Forge Division, “Uncle” Dave insisted that we get Mike on the phone and organize an interview. This podcast is packed with information, so find a comfortable spot with pen and paper in hand to take notes!!
On this podcast we re-connect with an old friend of the AML Nation who’s taking his career to new heights. If you’ve never listened to the “Roundhouse” podcast we highly recommend it (https://theroundhousepodcast.com) Since the last time we chatted, Nick’s company Streamliner Media (https://streamlinermedia.com) and his podcast have soared to new heights making videos of all sorts while primarily focusing on railroads.
His East Broad Top introduction video is of the highest quality and is an excellent example of what Nick is capable of. Whether he’s interviewing Cheryl who created her latest musical album while riding an Amtrak train or producing a video for the aerospace industry, Nick is always on the move from one project to another. We had fun recording this podcast, look forward to chatting with Nick again and we’re sure you’ll feel the same way.
On this podcast we re-connect with an old friend of the AML Nation who’s taking his career to new heights. If you’ve never listened to the “Roundhouse” podcast we highly recommend it (https://theroundhousepodcast.com) Since the last time we chatted, Nick’s company Streamliner Media (https://streamlinermedia.com) and his podcast have soared to new heights making videos of all sorts while primarily focusing on railroads.
His East Broad Top introduction video is of the highest quality and is an excellent example of what Nick is capable of. Whether he’s interviewing Cheryl who created her latest musical album while riding an Amtrak train or producing a video for the aerospace industry, Nick is always on the move from one project to another. We had fun recording this podcast, look forward to chatting with Nick again and we’re sure you’ll feel the same way.
What do Broadway musicals and model railroad operations have in common?? Well not much unless you happen to live in New York city and make your living working on the “Great White Way.” Stephen Atwell has been part of the AML Nation since the early 70’s but only recently had the opportunity to get involved in the operations scene in and around the “Big Apple.”
This is a fun podcast as we learn about Stephen’s first opportunity to operate on Phil Monat’s layout and travelling just a little further west into beautiful New Jersey to operate on Tony Koester’s “Nickel Plate” railroad. While at the same time being the resident electrical guru on Broadway’s next musical hit show, “K-POP.” Get comfortable in an aisle seat and follow along with the program as we find out Waz’ Happenin’ with our next guest.
What do Broadway musicals and model railroad operations have in common?? Well not much unless you happen to live in New York city and make your living working on the “Great White Way.” Stephen Atwell has been part of the AML Nation since the early 70’s but only recently had the opportunity to get involved in the operations scene in and around the “Big Apple.”
This is a fun podcast as we learn about Stephen’s first opportunity to operate on Phil Monat’s layout and travelling just a little further west into beautiful New Jersey to operate on Tony Koester’s “Nickel Plate” railroad. While at the same time being the resident electrical guru on Broadway’s next musical hit show, “K-POP.” Get comfortable in an aisle seat and follow along with the program as we find out Waz’ Happenin’ with our next guest.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say again, social media, the digital age and access to so much more information through the wonders of the internet is changing model railroading at supersonic speed. One of the leaders in all of this is TSG Multimedia and John Abatecola, a very talented videographer and storyteller based in San Jose, California.
With an impressive catalog of over two thousand YouTube videos featuring an extensive series with Jack Burgess and his Yosemite Valley Railroad, product reviews, plenty of trackside action, chats with the always lovely Michelle Kempema, Wiley’s Wanderings and a host of other great videos, there’s more than enough to keep you busy while munching down a hastily thrown together hoagie at lunch time. So get ready to enjoy another great podcast.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say again, social media, the digital age and access to so much more information through the wonders of the internet is changing model railroading at supersonic speed. One of the leaders in all of this is TSG Multimedia and John Abatecola, a very talented videographer and storyteller based in San Jose, California.
With an impressive catalog of over two thousand YouTube videos featuring an extensive series with Jack Burgess and his Yosemite Valley Railroad, product reviews, plenty of trackside action, chats with the always lovely Michelle Kempema, Wiley’s Wanderings and a host of other great videos, there’s more than enough to keep you busy while munching down a hastily thrown together hoagie at lunch time. So get ready to enjoy another great podcast.
It’s time for another victim errr… We mean guest, to put on the tin foil hat and get ready to test their skills in the Kelly Questions. This time we travelled out west to the beautiful state of Oregon to find one of our favorite guests taking a nap deep in the forests of the Rogue River Valley. From doing a stint in the Navy, his roots of building architectural models, scale ships and whatever caught his fancy, Joe finally ended up at Micro-Trains in the booming metropolis of Medford with his faithful companion “Kelly.”
This round of the Kelly Questions was more difficult to score as Joe had trouble staying awake through the entire process. Constantly referring to scenery techniques as landscaping, convinced the only beer that mattered was Fosters, discussions of teaching “Kelly” how to properly take a photograph and singing Supremes hits from the sixties it was a long and difficult process. Get comfortable in your favorite chair with big bowl of shredded pine needles, a tall glass of standing water and enjoy!!!
It’s time for another victim errr… We mean guest, to put on the tin foil hat and get ready to test their skills in the Kelly Questions. This time we travelled out west to the beautiful state of Oregon to find one of our favorite guests taking a nap deep in the forests of the Rogue River Valley. From doing a stint in the Navy, his roots of building architectural models, scale ships and whatever caught his fancy, Joe finally ended up at Micro-Trains in the booming metropolis of Medford with his faithful companion “Kelly.”
This round of the Kelly Questions was more difficult to score as Joe had trouble staying awake through the entire process. Constantly referring to scenery techniques as landscaping, convinced the only beer that mattered was Fosters, discussions of teaching “Kelly” how to properly take a photograph and singing Supremes hits from the sixties it was a long and difficult process. Get comfortable in your favorite chair with big bowl of shredded pine needles, a tall glass of standing water and enjoy!!!
The Penn Central Transportation Company is and was, one of the most maligned and disrespected railroads to ever grace the rails in the lower forty-eight. The result of a merger in 1968 with three different railroads, Pennsylvania, New York Central and New Haven it was a disaster from the start, filing for the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history just two years later in 1970.
But miracles do happen, the Penn Central is once again alive and well in the basement of the Homoki home in Central New Jersey. Jim has built an impressive layout highlighting some of the operations of the PC while combining it with the Central of New Jersey and Reading Railroad. This is a great podcast with lots of info on a variety of topics that we’re sure you’ll enjoy. So, sit back with steaming hot mug of joe in your favorite PC mug and enjoy!!
The Penn Central Transportation Company is and was, one of the most maligned and disrespected railroads to ever grace the rails in the lower forty-eight. The result of a merger in 1968 with three different railroads, Pennsylvania, New York Central and New Haven it was a disaster from the start, filing for the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history just two years later in 1970.
But miracles do happen, the Penn Central is once again alive and well in the basement of the Homoki home in Central New Jersey. Jim has built an impressive layout highlighting some of the operations of the PC while combining it with the Central of New Jersey and Reading Railroad. This is a great podcast with lots of info on a variety of topics that we’re sure you’ll enjoy. So, sit back with steaming hot mug of joe in your favorite PC mug and enjoy!!
Variety is the spice of life, and this All-Star variety Hour is the spiciest one yet, with multiple introductions, on the spot reporting and a visit to the world scanning championships it sure to put you to sleep before you know it.
After a poor attempt at an introduction, Kelly is brought in to help out, then Bruce the Mailboy and the Evil Overlord recount the fun they had with Hard Part in downtown Toronto. Next up is some excellent reporting from the S-Scale convention in beautiful Buffalo, New York.
Finally, we visit the World Scanning Championships in Reading, Pennsylvania with three-time scanning champion Kevin Marks. It’s an action-packed podcast that’s sure to bring a smile to your face with plenty of opportunity for introspective look at why raccoons prefer to be night owls.
So, you‘re asking yourself, how does a guy from Austin, Texas end up modeling the Port of New York or more specifically the Hoboken Shore Railroad?? The answer is simple… Bananas, plus the desire for something different offering a lifetime of research and modeling. Long before modern day railroading there were so many railroads running into New York with lots of ports and barges etc., it seemed like a natural for our next guest to model.
But that’s not all, this layout uses the CVP Products “Airwire” to control the trains, it’s DCC but there is no power to the track. Each locomotive has a receiver and a battery. There is no wiring on the layout at all. But wait, there’s more… Riley is also the NMRA’s publisher and played a major role in getting the magazine to its digital format. This a great episode and one that we’re sure you’ll enjoy!!
So, you can’t find a ski rack tall enough to hold your Batman snowboard, still trying to figure out why the engaging essence of your deodorant called “Salt of the Sea” smells more like worms in a can, or perhaps you’re trying to match the color of your 70’s avocado green refrigerator to paint your newly restored AMC Pacer.
We can’t help with any of these problems, but we can help you waste another ninety minutes listening to the latest edition of “Kelly” Questions. This time we’ve managed to lure in another unsuspecting model railroad manufacturer with the promise of increased sales based on his ability to get the highest score possible. Chris Costello of JL Innovative stops by the studio to try his luck under the tin foil hat. Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded packaging tape, a tall cool glass of acrylic caboose red and enjoy.
Milestones are often times something to be celebrated and here at the ole’ AML Network we think Episode 200 is something definitely worth getting excited about. Thanks to the persistence of “Bruce the Mailboy,” the dedication of folks like the modeler simply known as “Kelly” and a host of others, we’ve arrived at a place many didn’t think was possible.
Model Rail Radio played a significant role in the birth of this podcast and with that in mind we decided there was no one more suitable to be part Episode 200 than its creator Tom Barbalet. Tom was always available during the infancy of “a ModelersLife” ready to answer questions and offer advice. So, with that in mind it’s time to find a comfortable place on the couch with a refreshing beverage and enjoy!!
Milestones are often times something to be celebrated and here at the ole’ AML Network we think Episode 200 is something definitely worth getting excited about. Thanks to the persistence of “Bruce the Mailboy,” the dedication of folks like the modeler simply known as “Kelly” and a host of others, we’ve arrived at a place many didn’t think was possible.
Model Rail Radio played a significant role in the birth of this podcast and with that in mind we decided there was no one more suitable to be part Episode 200 than its creator Tom Barbalet. Tom was always available during the infancy of “a ModelersLife” ready to answer questions and offer advice. So, with that in mind it’s time to find a comfortable place on the couch with a refreshing beverage and enjoy!!
It’s time once again for another exhilarating round of the Kelly Questions!! In this episode we travel to the shores of Lake Erie and the snowbound village of Fairview, Pennsylvania to visit with our favorite retired navy doctor.
It’s an exciting episode with all the twists and turns you’ve come to expect from the Kelly Questions. Find out why Mike’s favorite spoken word song and Star Trek are one in the same. Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded snowblower drive-belts, a tall glass of melted yellow snow and enjoy!!!
It’s always fun to talk with folks who are enthusiastic about the hobby but when you stop to think about it, I’m not sure we’ve ever talked to anyone that’s not excited about being involved in this great community of model railroading. Are next guest is no stranger to regular listeners and certainly doesn’t lack enthusiasm.
This edition of Waz’ Happenin’ features the one and only Chris “Fitness.” Whether he’s fretting over the next section of backdrop, finishing up another great magazine article or trying to figure out what color to paint the fascia it’s always fun to hear why he’s doing what he does.
So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded discarded backdrops, a tall cool glass of old Pullman green paint and enjoy!!!
It’s always fun to occasionally check in with manufacturers and find out what’s new or what plans there are for the future. So, we here at AML headquarters decided it was time for a return visit to Arrowhead Models to see what our buddy Blaine had been up to and aside from announcing his latest project, the ACF 4600 covered hopper, he’s also about to release a new book, “One Hundred Ghosts” documenting the last of grain elevators across the west.
You can find out more about both projects here: https://arrowheadmodels.com
As always Blaine strives to make the products delivered by Arrowhead Models to be some of the finest models available to the general model railroading public. It’s a great interview that as usual has some interesting twists and turns. Plus, there’s an interesting discussion about the restoration of a steam locomotive in downtown Sheridan, Wyoming.
It’s always fun to occasionally check in with manufacturers and find out what’s new or what plans there are for the future. So, we here at AML headquarters decided it was time for a return visit to Arrowhead Models to see what our buddy Blaine had been up to and aside from announcing his latest project, the ACF 4600 covered hopper, he’s also about to release a new book, “One Hundred Ghosts” documenting the last of grain elevators across the west.
You can find out more about both projects here: https://arrowheadmodels.com
As always Blaine strives to make the products delivered by Arrowhead Models to be some of the finest models available to the general model railroading public. It’s a great interview that as usual has some interesting twists and turns. Plus, there’s an interesting discussion about the restoration of a steam locomotive in downtown Sheridan, Wyoming.
What’s that you say??... The NMRA is dying, and membership continues to decline?? Well sir on this podcast we have two gentlemen that would very much respectfully disagree. Gordy Robinson a.k.a. “Young Master Robinson,” a.k.a. “the Prez” and board member John Doehring are here to present a case for just the opposite, in fact they are convinced the NMRA can grow and surpass all-time high membership numbers.
If you’re not enthused about the future of this great organization after listening to this podcast you probably should check yourself for a pulse. These guys are deadly serious about growing the NMRA and making it a place for all model railroaders to gather and grow together. So, get behind the wheel of your 1978 AMC Gremlin shove a cassette into the tape deck and get ready to be excited about the future of the NMRA.
There are so many great folks to talk with in the AML Nation and one of the best, is our very own Jim Scorse the owner NCE. Jim has spent over twenty years building NCE into one of the most important companies in the hobby while he continues to innovate and improve his products year after year.
But like so many of our guests Jim isn’t just NCE, he’s passionate about model railroad operations along with his many outside interests such as trivia nights at the local pub, online racing, and his love of music. It’s a great interview and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded car cards, a steaming hot mug of melted solder and enjoy!!
There’s nothing like going to an NMRA “Gateway 2022” convention to get the most out of the hobby and this year’s national convention is no different. With over a hundred different clinics, dozens of layouts to visit and operate on, lots of prototype tours, this is going to be a great event for all to enjoy. Plus, the St. Louis Cardinals baseball stadium is just down the street from the hotel.
Brad Joseph stops by for another visit to give us an update on all the comings and goings of this great convention, Brad’s full of energy and if his enthusiasm is any indication of what this year’s edition of the national convention is going to like you won’t want to miss it. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded tour maps, a tall cool glass used decal solution and enjoy!!
After numerous phone calls, several neutral site meetings, mountains of email and having our people talked to their people. It’s finally gonna happen, the editorial staff of Railroad Model Craftsman stopped by the AML studios in Busted Knuckle for an in depth interview. Now that Otto Vondrak is the editor of RMC he wants to promote the staff and let the world who’s behind some of the pages you’ve been reading.
This is a great interview and really helps everyone listening realize that RMC has some of the most knowledgeable people from the industry. So, sit back with a big bowl shredded expire Christmas cards a tall cool glass of printers ink and enjoy !!
Third time’s a charm or at least that’s what the gang at ScaleTrains world headquarters in Benton, Tennessee are thinking. When Shane Wilson and his wife set out on the third leg of, their journey across America, towards the southeast and a whirlwind trip through Florida. Visiting several clubs and private layouts while meeting new friends and catching up with old. This was much more than just an opportunity to sell more product but more to discover just how vast the model railroading landscape is.
They also managed to visit the Daytona International Speedway and take in the Daytona 500, visit with old friends from Shane’s Athearn days while taking in an Indy car race from the balcony of a condo twenty floors up. It’s a great recap of this latest leg of the ScaleTrains journey across America and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy !!
Some modelers stand head and shoulders above the rest, our next guest has proven time and time again that he takes the hobby seriously while getting as much enjoyment as possible from every aspect of model railroading. Scott’s Milan Branch of the Iowa Interstate Railroad is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable model railroad layouts in the hobby.
So, we here at the ole’ AML World Headquarters decided it was time to swing back and find out what Scott’s been up to. We decided to include Bernard Hellen of Miniprints because it was Scott who introduced him to us in the first place. This is a fun episode with lots of twists and turns, so grab your favorite 3D printed chair, a big bag of pork rinds and enjoy!!
What’s the deal with guys named Dave?? Every Dave we’ve interviewed on the ole’ AML has a passion for model railroading that almost can’t be described in words and when you think about it, that’s why the Evel Overlord decided to start this podcast. Not only is he one of the most capable French horn players in the world, but our next guest also has limitless enthusiasm for the hobby.
This is a great discussion describing how the hobby helps David cope with the day-to-day pressures of a job that requires him to perform his best at all times. Plus, he describes the joys of friendship, some cool new products and how he eventually intends to replace the lawn in front of his home with static grass. Grab a big bowl of shredded musical scores, a tall cool glass of horn spit and enjoy!!
We try to interview everyone here at the ole’ AML Network but sometimes one or two important members of the hobby slip through the cracks. In this episode we discover a someone that’s been a major contributor to the hobby for quite a while now. Our very own “Bruce the Mailboy” has been moderating some valuable discussions in the Groups io and we’ve only just now found out.
Plus, we have a great interview with Eric Hansmann who’s been researching and compiling as much information as possible about railroads from more than a century ago, “Uncle” Dave helps host this segment and brings us his perspective as only “Uncle” Dave can. Sit back in the lazy-boy close your eyes and before you know it your wife Dolly will yelling at you about cutting the grass. Enjoy!!
What’s the deal with guys named Dave?? Every Dave we’ve interviewed on the ole’ AML has a passion for model railroading that almost can’t be described in words and when you think about it, that’s why the Evel Overlord decided to start this podcast. Not only is he one of the most capable French horn players in the world, but our next guest also has limitless enthusiasm for the hobby.
This is a great discussion describing how the hobby helps David cope with the day-to-day pressures of a job that requires him to perform his best at all times. Plus, he describes the joys of friendship, some cool new products and how he eventually intends to replace the lawn in front of his home with static grass. Grab a big bowl of shredded musical scores, a tall cool glass of horn spit and enjoy!!
They say variety is the spice of life and we here at the ole’ ModelersLife headquarters feel the same way. In this podcast we get an update from Ron Klaiss of Mine Mount Models and news of his latest kit, McQuirk Coal and included with this kit is a coal conveyer Ron designed and built. If you ask Ron nicely and tell him the crew at the AML Nation sent you, he might just sell the conveyor separately.
After the subway chimes, we meet up with Keith Revell who fills us in on the progress of his HO scale Shay locomotive, gives us an update on how his company KR Models continues to grow and how to start a model railroad manufacturing company simply by Googling it. There’s a whole lot of info in this podcast, so don’t get started unless you have a pen and paper handy.
So, you’re wondering what it’s like when a fully qualified heavy truck mechanic and a world class chef decide to start their own 3D printing company?? Well as luck would have it, we found two such guys and learn their story from the ground up. Steve and Dan are a couple of lifelong model railroaders with an itch to improve the hobby for as many folks as possible.
Yelton Models is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with, with such products as the HO Scale replica of AC Tower in Marion, Ohio. There was unfortunately a little bit of ugliness when the Evel Overlord discovered they’d yet to create a website for their wonderful products, but after some negotiations and careful thought it was decide that it would be best for all if one was created post-haste. This is a great episode to be enjoyed well sipping margaritas on the beach in St. Maarten. Enjoy !!
What better way to find out what’s happening with your friends than getting them on the ole’ AML podcast?? We haven’t heard from our resident 7 ½” gauge expert Adam for a quite a while and there’s been plenty of changes at Prospector Models with a new 2 ½” scale gondola kit ready to be released and there’s plenty of news about building steam engines.
Then of course there’s our little buddy “the Mayor of Hornepayne” with all his adventures as a full-time employee of the Canadian National Railroad. There’s plenty of discussion about being trackside to see our very own “Boy George” at the controls of Train 451. Get comfortable in your favorite chair with a big steaming mug of cocoa, a large bowl of crushed ballast cereal and enjoy !!
It’s time for another exciting round of the Kelly Questions and this show’s featured victim…Errr… Guest, is none other than Jim Lincoln, railroad conductor, track laying expert, NASCAR fan… Actually, check that. He’s purchases used trucks, built by well-known NASCAR race teams. Aside from his many other interests Jim, is a lover of all things Disney and even named his model railroad the Carolwood Pacific.
A fan of all different aspects of railroading Jim’s love of the hobby easily comes to the fore-front as he’s grilled with question after question and then finally falling asleep at the end of the couch. It’s time to get yourself a big bowl of shredded mouse ears, a tall cool glass of melted amusement park ice and enjoy !!
It’s finally happening, our long AML Nation nightmare is finally coming to an end and TomStock 2020 is literally just weeks away. One of the greatest gatherings in AML history is about to take place with four days of peace, love and little trains !! It’s a jam pack festival with your fellow AMLer’s coming from all over the globe for this special event.
Starting with dinner at the Shady Maple restaurant on Wednesday evening, a Budd Car ride on Thursday to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania via the Reading and Northern Railroad, a bus tour on Friday to Strasburg Railway, a hobby shop, Dairy Queen and Ken McCorry’s fabulous Conrail layout. Saturday is the sometimes-annual AML BBQ followed by an evening game of double “A’ baseball with the Reading Fightin’ Phils taking on the Portland Sea Dogs.
This is gonna be an AML event to remember, so pack plenty of sunscreen, your favorite AML t-shirt and get ready for the time of your life !!
Every once in a while, we meet a model railroader that brings more to the table than most and our next guest fits this description perfectly. With three personal layouts, several books, dozens of articles in the model railroad press and a successful private layout construction business, Lance Mindheim is a true asset to the hobby of model railroading.
This is a great podcast about one individual’s dedication to a hobby that’s provided him with a lifetime of enjoyment and in recent years a steady source of income. Along with Tom Klimoski and William Sampson, Lance answers our questions, provides plenty of thoughtful commentary, lots to think about and most of all makes his enthusiasm for the hobby well known. Enjoy!!
It’s back!! It’s back!! After a long and lonely absence, one of the best RPM meets in the country is alive and well. The New England or Northeast (honestly, it’s been so long they can’t remember the name exactly) Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet has been revitalized and is back for another great gathering with lots of fabulous models on display, dozens of clinics and as always, the best model railroad raffle east of Trout Run, Pennsylvania!!
Dave Owens and the crew have found a new hotel in Springfield, Mass., enlisted the help of Amherst show director John Sacerdote and rounded up some of their favorite model railroad vendors. You can pay in advance online, $40 bucks, or $45 bucks at the door and this year there’s a one-day registration for just $25 bucks!! So toss those beautiful models in a box, gas up the Subaru and head on out to the next great NERPM (‘cuse me) meet !!
What is it they say…?? All good things must come to an end, after years of work and enjoyment model railroads are most often subjected to the same fate, total destruction with hopefully structures, locomotives and cars being saved for a future layout. Our next guest has already experienced what it’s like to take down a beautifully crafted model railroad but in it’s place he built a newer and better version of the Denver & Rio Grande Western. The website can be found here: http://drgwrr.com and you can follow along on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/LexParkersModelRailroad
There’s only one thing that could possibly make this story have a better ending; the layout has been sold in its complete form to a gentleman on the other side of the word in Tasmania. Lex’s layout will live on and continue to bring hours of enjoyment folks in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s a great story, so get comfortable in your favorite chair, throw another shrimp on the Barbie, cuddle up with your favorite Tasmanian Devil and enjoy!!
There are some people in this world that just can’t help but make you feel good about life and so it is with our next contestant under the tin foil helmet. She’s been spreading happiness and joy throughout the model railroading community for several years now, whether it’s flying all over the lower forty-eight checking out the latest in railroading, both model and prototype, or holding down the fort at one of the country’s top model railroad attractions.
This was one of the toughest versions of the Kelly Questions to score and after several large pads of scrap paper, boxes full of erasers and enough pencils to outfit your local high school Bruce the Mailboy was able to finally establish a score. It’s a great episode, so grab yourself a big bowl of leaded pencil shavings, a tall cool glass of melted museum floor wax and enjoy!!
Ever wonder what it’s like to be the president of a model railroad club with a long and storied history in southern Louisiana after a hurricane?? Our next guest is that very person and after Hurricane Ida decide to cut a path of destruction through New Orleans it was time to inspect the damage.
The Crescent City Model Railroad Club sustained serious damage after a neighbor’s roof came off his home causing multiple holes in the club’s permanent home, but the problems didn’t stop there. With insufficient insurance and a mountain of government regulations to overcome, Greg decided it was time to roll up his sleeves and do the best he could to save the club. It’s a great story of perseverance against what some might see as insurmountable odds. Enjoy.
It’s time for another exciting edition of the Springfield show report with a few of the same characters and some folks who’ve never heard before on the podcast. After the big Geep-30 announcement from ScaleTrains we wandered back into their booth to talk with Bailey the human ball of energy, Todd Arnett a long-time contributor and Norfolk & Western devotee. We of course talk to the big cheese Shane Wilson and Jesse the winner of the paint scheme contest.
Next up is a great interview with Jeff Springer of Custom Model railroads and Tom Jacobs the “Queso Cowboy.” Finally, two fellows who made their first ever appearance of the big show, Tom Schmieder and Ralph Heiss, regular operators on the Onondaga Cutoff. It was fun to talk with everyone but Ralph’s discussion about Uncle Dave’s ability to play the triangle is classic AML material. Sit back and relax with a big bowl of shredded OC bulletins, a tall cool glass of melted cheese and enjoy !!
For years we were told the possibility of having the NMRA’s monthly magazine going digital just wasn’t possible, it just didn’t pencil out, there just weren’t enough electrons in the universe for such a thing to even consider doable. It seemed as if all was lost and the vision of taking the NMRA into the digital age would be gone forever, until one day a stranger sitting tall in the saddle, rode into town with little more than a sack of dreams and a trusty sidekick named Riley.
People came from far and wide as the stranger stood on a mountain of blue boxes telling them not to be afraid, he’d round up the electrons and soon, they’d be able to load it on their tablet, phone, laptop, or tabletop computer without fear of the apocalypse. It’s a great story, so warm up the Motorola and gather round for another exciting tale of life in model railroading’s wild west.
Its back, it’s back, the Springfield, Big “E”, Amherst train show is back and we sent a crack team of reporters to find out what’s new in the world of model railroading. After closing down the show last year, John Sacerdote and his team decided it was full speed ahead, fighting mother nature as the snowstorm of century arrived just as the doors opened to the general public.
Despite less than capacity crowds, several vendors missing in action, there was still plenty to see and do as folks from all over stopped by the ModelersLife booth to say hello and spend time in the hot seat answering questions. So grab yourself a big bowl of leftover week-old coleslaw, a tall cool glass of melted slush and enjoy!!!
The AML Nation is pretty well acquainted with Dave Abeles and his model railroad. Turns out his 37-part Trilogy was just the beginning with big news from The Onondaga Cutoff. "Uncle" Dave finally decided to go ahead with it, “OC” has started its very own Patreon page!
After creating his very popular Facebook Live 'Trackside on the Onondaga Cutoff' shows during the pandemic it felt like something was missing so Dave decided to produce a channel dedicated to the story behind what you've seen in those Live videos and numerous articles in both Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman.
So grab a seat and ride along through Central New York as we listen to how Dave is working to create videos that take you backstage to one of today's most popular model railroads.
Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/onondagacutoff
The old cliché of: if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again has never been more appropriate than for the gang of the NMRA’s 2020 convention. After the disheartening decision to cancel because of a worldwide pandemic and the subsequent cancellation of the national convention scheduled for Birmingham, England this group of tenacious volunteers has decided to pick up where they left off.
Brad Joseph came by the AML studios to give us the low-down on what’s planned for the Gateway convention 2.0 and there’s no doubt this convention will be well worth the trouble of attending. Headquartered downtown at the Marriott St. Louis Grand with reasonable rates and an excellent location within walking distance to many of great attractions in the center of St. Louis this promises to be a first-rate affair. So get comfortable in your favorite chair, warm up the Motorola and enjoy!!
One of the most popular model railroad gatherings these days is any Railroad Prototype Modelers meet. (RPM) You can find these meets just about anywhere and they are open to all modelers, regardless of their abilities or interests. Most of the time these meets have plenty of vendors displaying their products, modular layouts, and large areas to display current and finished modeling projects.
The Cocoa Beach, Florida RPM has been a popular destination of modelers for decades looking for relief from the winter and this year was a welcome relief from all the difficulties of Covid over the last two years. We sent our crack staff to interview some of the movers and shakers of the hobby in an attempt to keep our loyal listeners up to date with everything that’s occurred at least two months ago. So, sit back with a big bowl of beach sand, a tall refreshing glass salt water and enjoy !!
The Midwest, Mid-Central, and North Central Regions of the NMRA along with the Chicagoland Railroad Prototype Modelers, are joining together this year to host Indy Junction 2022, an NMRA Tri-Regional Convention, in the beautiful city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Registration covers both the NMRA’s Tri-Regional convention as well as the RPM meet and is open to any and all modelers.
Scott Kremer stepped up to the plate to chair this convention along with a capable group of volunteers, with reasonable hotel rates, clinics from both NMRA and Chicagoland RPM, over fifty layouts on a self-guided tour, this promises to a great convention with lots to do and see. This convention is AML certified and here’s a direct link to the convention website: https://www.indyjunction2022.org/
Have you ever wondered what’s it’s like to buy a gift certificate from Otter Valley Railroad, it’s easy, unless of course you’re the Evel Overlord who usually gets frustrated trying to purchase a quarter pounder at the local McDonald’s drive-through on a blustery Saturday afternoon. This edition of the “Variety Hour” features our favorite hobby shop owners, Lorne James who knows more cliché, buzzwords and more acronyms than anyone else in the hobby.
We also hear from our much-loved NMRA president who’s quickly becoming known as simply “Gordy.” It’s a great discussion about how to connect the NMRA with so many others and how the community of model railroading is becoming as much about brotherhood as it is about the newest freight car release from your preferred manufacturer. So grab yourself a bowl of shredded hamburg wrappers, a tall cool glass of salt water from the North Atlantic Sea and enjoy!!
We’re checking back in with Chris from Homeshops.net for progress report and to discuss the possibility of creating a PS-1 boxcar from the Allegheny and Lackawanna Southern. All of the cars that come HomeShops are manufactured by Tangent one of the finest freight car manufacturers out there.
There’s also a rather long-winded discussion as Chris tries to school the Evel Overlord on the advantages of embracing social media and why the A&LS so desperately needs a Facebook page. Find yourself a comfortable seat, grab yourself a steaming hot bowl of shredded unnecessary discussion notes, a shot of your finest whiskey, (make it a double) and enjoy!!!
So you’ve watched “Uncle” Dave doing his Facebook live updates from the Onondaga Cutoff and can’t figure out how he manages to concentrate with all the action going on around him or wonder if he ever stops to catch his breath. Well here at the ole’ AML we’ve done some investigative reporting, digging up all the dirt that goes on behind the scenes with the help of our buddy Rich Wisneski.
But wait there’s more… You’re wondering how it’s possible that Midwest Model Railroad is quickly becoming one of the premier hobby shops in the country and do they offer their customers fresh donuts on arrival?? It’s another great podcast, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded take-out boxes, a steaming hot mug of electrons and enjoy!!!
Have you ever ever wondered what would happen if you tried to power your layout using Mother Nature and 1.21 jigiwatts of electricity?? Well as we all know the first thing, you’d have to do is change the flux capacitor, then carefully run some heavy-duty wire from the tallest tree in your backyard to a spot on your layout with the most electronic equipment and wait for the next thunderstorm coming down your street.
It's only been a few short months since Mother Nature wreaked havoc on Jerry’s PRR Middle Division and with the AML Nation cheering him on and an unwavering determination, things are slowly getting back to normal. Find yourself a comfortable chair and get ready for an inspiring tale of one modeler’s perseverance to not let anything stand in his way of enjoying this great hobby. Enjoy!!!
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be big man on campus, constantly worried if your hair is just right, which pretty girl to out with this week, the decisions would be endless?? Well, multiply those problems by a hundred and you get an idea of what it’s like to be the NMRA’s Director-at-Large.
Martyn Jenkins has been doing a stellar job in this position for some time now and it’s time for re-election, so what stump is better to explain his vision for the future of the organization than right here at the AML Nation. Martyn has been a great supporter of the NMRA for decades and has decided to dedicate even more of his time to making it better. This is a great podcast with a great guy, so get comfortable in your favorite chair and find out what the future holds.
Tillsonburg, Tillsonburg… My back still aches when I hear that word. But these days if you’re a model railroader, Tillsonburg and a stop at the Otter Valley Railroad store has become an absolute must see destination, our pal Lorne James has created a great shop with plenty of stock and lots of courteous staff to go along with it.
Not long-ago Lorne produced a manufacturers day and the AML crew was on the spot with our portable recording equipment to found out what’s new in the fast paced world of model railroading. So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded cash register receipts, a steaming hot mug of packaging tape glue and enjoy!!
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be the Director of Operations and Maintenance System Integration, Digital Systems Program Rail Delivery Infrastructure and Place Transport of New South Wales in Australia?? Well here at the ole’ AML Nation we were curious and decided to go right to the source and find out.
Australia is a hot bed of modelers with all sorts of enthusiastic participants, our next guest has spent a lifetime loving trains and all that goes with them. He even started a Facebook page devoted to shelf layouts with over seven thousand members. The is a great episode with tons of information suitable for modelers of any level, so sit back with a refreshing beverage and enjoy!!
Not much is known about ScaleTrains fearless leader Shane Wilson, other than both he and Willie Nelson have a lot in common, because neither one of them can wait to get on the road again. Travelling the highways and byways of America along with is wife and trusty sidekick Bear the dog they’re spreading the word of this great hobby to anyone that will listen.
This podcast reveals some stops at some great clubs, museums, inspection stations and camping spots. So sit back and relax with a big bowl of shredded road maps, a tall cool glass of windshield washer fluid and enjoy!!!
Not so long ago, purchasing a brass model could as exciting as buying a new Chevrolet for the family chariot. Over the last few decades plastic models have become almost as exquisite as imported brass models but nothing will ever replace the magic of opening the box and removing a scale model that rivals the finest of jewellery.
This episode features the expertise and excitement of someone that’s always cherished the rich tradition of brass models in our hobby, so much so, he created his own company for refurbishing some of the finest models ever produced. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded packing foam, a tall cool glass of gear lubricant and enjoy!!
This last virtual chat of the year is open to all of the AML Nation.
Just open up Zoom and type in the meeting ID and Password.
Meeting ID: 813 1965 8126
Password: 764073
The presents have been opened, the turkey consumed and now all that’s left is waiting for the new year to start. The week between Christmas and New Year’s always seems like halftime at the big game when we gather our thoughts and get ready for the new year. If you’re like all of us at the ole’ AML world headquarters in Busted Knuckle, a change of pace is as good as a rest and with that in mind we’ve brought in our favorite magazine editor to discuss the miracle of Christmas through television.
If you thought Tony was an encyclopedia of knowledge when it came to all things model railroading wait till you hear him talk about TV and especially his favorite network NBC. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded TV Guides, a tall cool glass of left-over egg nog and enjoy!!
There’s always something going on down at Otter Valley Railroad and even on Christmas day Lorne is getting the Evel Overlord all worked up. This is a special announcement of a very limited-edition locomotive and the AML Network slides in for the scoop, after a lengthy discussion about hamburgers and chicken the news is released. OVR in conjunction with Rapido Trains is producing this special release model and telling the AML Nation before anyone else.
Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded pine needles, a steaming hot mug of day-old hamburger grease and enjoy!!!
It’s part two of our annual “State of the Hobby” and this time we hear from Model Railroad News editor Tony Cook, Rapido president Jason Shron and our very own Gordy “Action Man” Robinson president of the National Model Railroad Association. The future of the hobby is so bright you’ll need double strength sunscreen and the coolest sunglasses you own just to renumber your favorite locomotive.
We even got our very own “Uncle” Dave to spot by to help with introductions, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded superhero utility belts, a tall cool glass of reusable printing ink and enjoy!!!
And so, this is Christmas and what have you done in the hobby of model railroading this past year. Perhaps you got benchwork started, finally completed the plan for your dream layout, tackled your first craftsman kit or just simply made new friends. With another year over and a new one just about to begin it’s time for our annual state of the hobby, interviewing folks who spend most of their days trying to make the hobby more exciting for all of us.
These are difficult times for everyone, but the community of model railroading gets stronger with folks like Joe Fugate and Shane Wilson leading the way. So sit back with a big bowl of shredded wrapping paper, a steaming hot mug of egg nog and enjoy!!!
Road trips are always fun unless Aunt Mable insists on coming along with her soggy egg salad sandwiches and collection of 8-track tapes to play the entire audio soundtrack from War & Peace. Fortunately, this podcast takes us on a trip to Chama, New Mexico with our good friend Rich Wisneski, proving once and for all that anybody can be interesting.
Rich has been part of a group called “Friends of Cumbres and Toltec” for quite some time and he along with hundreds of others have volunteered their time and services to keep the railroad well maintained and running so that future generations can enjoy this slice of history for decades to come.
So, grab yourself a big bowl of dusty coal ash, pour yourself a two-finger old-fashioned and enjoy!!
What can we say, what is there to say but simply thanks? Along with the hundreds of articles, dozens of books and countless hours editing magazines, Tony Koester has been kind enough to spend more than twelve hours across six podcasts patiently answering our questions and telling us all sorts of interesting stories about his journey through the decades as one of the hobby’s leaders.
It’s time to wrap up this series of great interviews and we here at the AML Network feel extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to share with our listeners and give them an opportunity to look behind the curtain. So, sit back and enjoy another interesting podcast with one of the hobby’s most interesting personalities.
It’s an exciting time in the hobby and nothing is more exciting for us down at AML Nation headquarters than Gordy Robinson becoming president of the NMRA. It’s so great to see someone with so much enthusiasm and energy lead this great hobby of ours into the future. As we like to say up here on the forty-eighth floor of the Stewart Sterling building… Model railroading, it’s younger than you think and Gordy’s here to prove it.
With some new directors in place, new department heads, a full-scale effort to produce a digital copy of the magazine and a hopper car full of other great ideas, the sky’s the limit for the new NMRA. So, grab yourself a big bowl of old shredded paper membership forms, a steaming hot mug of envelope glue and enjoy !!
Our long national model railroad nightmare is over, well actually, it’s more like just calmed down enough that things can finally start going back to normal. More importantly our friend John Sacerdote can get back to doing what John does best… Running the Annual Amherst-Springfield-Big E, fourteen building on 200 acres annual train show.
Once again, the annual pilgrimage to West Springfield, Mass. can take place. Friendships can be renewed, new products can be announced, hot dogs can be consumed, and all will be right with the world. Even our very own “Mr. Fitness” (Chris Adams) will be there to make sure you eat right and lead us in a series purchasing exercises.
So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded blue boxes, a tall cool glass of warm two-year-old soda and enjoy!!
Social media and model railroading is a match made in heaven and our next guest is a classic example. Since his mid-teens he’s been providing a source of free learning, community, and entertainment for the hobby through his YouTube channel “NSmodeler24.”
Along with his father Tom together they’ve been building a Norfolk Southern HO scale layout for nearly eight years loosely based on the "S-Line," which runs between Charlotte, NC and Knoxville, TN. This is another great example of how the hobby is growing and modelers from all over the world are finding each other. Get comfortable in grandpa’s rocker and enjoy listening to a fantastic modeler describe his journey.
Yes, we were wondering the same thing… What’s “Snookums” up to now?? This podcast spans the globe as we teach an Aussie how to end each segment, Don and Mark stop by to tell us about HO scale derails and we find out about all the progress that’s been taking place on the Greenville and Northern. We even get a guided tour of the workshop with our very own Seth Gartner.
We also learn about the South-East Narrow Gauge Museum and everything you’d ever want to know about Hickory, South Carolina. So, grab yourself of a big bowl of shredded paperwork, a steaming hot mug of scenery goop and enjoy.
How many episodes will it take to interview what many say is one of the most influential model railroaders of all time. Here at the ‘ole AML headquarters we fired up our IBM 5150 trying to come up with a reasonable number and decided this could be part three of a forty-seven-part Tony Koester Trilogy.
Tony had lots of stories to share about his travels with Jim Boyd whom he worked alongside during his days at Railroad Model Craftsman. We’re also joined by our very own magazine editor extraordinaire, Tony Cook who plans to someday release a book of Jim Boyd’s night photography. It’s a great episode filled with lots of interesting, fun and adventurous anecdotes from years past. So, get comfortable in your favorite pjs and enjoy!!
The world is starting to wake up again, just like Bert the Bear after a long winter’s hibernation and one sure sign is that model railroad shows are beginning to open up. We here at the ole’ AML Network pride ourselves on bringing you the latest news from around the hobby several weeks late. Our old friend Ron from Mine Mount Models is so excited about finally getting a chance to display his fine products in person again, he’s dancing around the workshop listening to his favorite Pointer Sisters album.
So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded shingles, a steaming hot mug of Titebond 2 glue and enjoy !!
It’s part two of the “Koester Chronicles,” covering lots of interesting topics such as the origins of “Trains of Thought” and all those unpublished versions. We even found out where the puff ball tree got its start and discover how a youthful “Uncle” Dave decided that cutting up one of his mom’s pillows to create an HO scale forest, probably wasn’t the best idea he’d ever had.
Pull up your favorite easy chair, grab a big bowl of dried foliage clusters, a steaming hot mug of scenic cement and enjoy !!
We here at the ole’ AML Network constantly strive to bring you all of the latest up to the minute news in the world of model railroading. Unfortunately, we don't think that's actually ever happened except for once, when “Kelly” drove off his driveway and give us an on-the-spot report, but all he said over and over is that he's the safety officer for the Medford Railroad Park.
This podcast is over a year old, but fortunately we keep all our podcasts in the fridge, so they have that just recorded freshness. It's another exciting round of the Kelly Questions so you the listener can learn as much about our next victim errr… I mean guest.
So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded newspapers, a tall cool glass of printing ink and enjoy!!
When it comes to the world of model railroading our next guest literally needs no introduction after decades in the hobby, literally hundreds of articles, different magazines edited under his watchful eye, a monthly column read by tens of thousands, Tony Koester is simply an icon in the hobby. An alumnus of Purdue University, co-founder of the Nickel Plate Historical Society and some would say along with his good friend Allen McClelland, he popularized the idea of proto-freelancing.
This is part one of a five-part series in which Tony graciously takes the time to answer our questions, tell great stories and give us his “Trains of Thought.” Enjoy !!
We need a guy that’s spent quality time with the Secretary of Transportation, befriended a full-sized one-to-one railroad, worked with the governor of New Jersey to bring rail service in the Tri-State area to an exceptional level and stood knee deep in flood waters from Hurricane Ida.
In all of AML land there can only be one guy to fill this void and of course we speak of our very own “Uncle” Dave. When troubles a brewin’ there’s a job to be done, a cat to be rescued … Wait look, what’s that up in the sky, is a bird, is it a plane?? No… it’s “Super” Dave here to save the day and make your railroad big or small, operate the way it should.
So sit back with a big bag of movie theater popcorn, a large paper cup full of nearly flat soda and enjoy !!
This episode features a well-respected modeler from the northeast that runs his own detail parts company, spent time as an associate editor at Railroad Model Craftsman magazine, wrote numerous articles for the model railroad press and authored one of the premier books for anyone wanting to learn how to detail model railroad locomotives. Scott shares experiences from over thirty years of building exquisite models.
When he’s not building models or selling detail parts, he’s a full-time locomotive engineer with New Jersey Transit running on some of the same lines other family members worked in the past. You can find his company KV Models here: http://kvmodels.com/
We here at the ole’ AML World Headquarters have been concerned for quite some time that the Kelly Questions weren’t very popular anymore… Kinda boring and uninteresting, so we decided it was time to test the waters again. We held a series of meetings to determine who might be the most boring person in all of AML land and let him or her take a stab at these this hard hitting, investigative questions for a chance to find out what makes an AMLer’ tick.
So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded score sheets, a tall cool glass of tattoo ink and enjoy !!
It’s always fun to visit with old friends and catch-up with folks who’ve been on the podcast before so on this episode we visit with Tom and Bill who discovered each other through their YouTube channels. It’s a great example of the friendships that are being created through social media. They’ve become great friends and learn a lot from each other, so we thought we’d share it with the rest of the AML Nation.
Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded note pads, a tall glass of refreshing freshly squeezed electrons and enjoy!!
So, you're asking yourself, “what should I do with those unbuilt kits sitting on the shelf above the cheeseballs for the last thirteen years??” Well friends, we here at the ‘ole AML Network have discovered the perfect solution, Railroad Model Craftsman’s Dremel Kitbashing Award. Each month Otto Vondrak scours the globe for suitable submissions for the award and he’s joined us in studio to tell us all about it.
So, get yourself a new number eleven blade, a fresh tube of glue, some paint and before you know it, you too could be a SuperFan!! Enjoy!!
There’s nothing like catching up with old friends and this edition of the “Variety Hour” gives us the opportunity to do just that!! It’s always fun to find out what weathering guy extraordinaire Rob Arsenault has been getting dirty and our favorite emergency room doctor (retired) is always got something going on and this time was no different. Whether you’re interested in painting an Argus aircraft or visiting the Queso Cowboy’s layout, this podcast has it all.
So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded paint brushes, a steaming hot cup of paint thinner and enjoy !!
Just a quick thank you for all those folks that unselfishly help with Lionel’s “One More Year” campaign to help those dealing with the mental stress of cancer. It’s the eve of another 100km/60mile walk so who better to share it with than the Moderately Agitated Mailboy and the modeler simply known as “Kelly.” Every dollar donated goes directly to the Psychosocial Oncology Clinic at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
Here’s a link to the webpage: supportthepmcf.ca/ui/OneMoreYear/participant/6990129
“We’re building an HO Scale two-truck Shay.” This was our introduction to a fireball who answers to the name, Keith Revell. Ever wondered how to start a model railroad manufacturing company?? You google it of course.
If you haven’t heard of KR Models before, you’re about to, they’re already well known in Great Britain and primed to burst onto the high-end scale model scene in North America plus other locales around the world. Tighten up your chin straps and hang on, we’re about to set off on a journey we won’t soon forget. Enjoy!!
There’s always somebody interesting dropping into the AML Studios in Busted Knuckle, Kentucky and this week is no different when Mike Deverell of the Colorado Front Range stops by to tell us all about the big move, he and his wife are making cross country to be closer to family and start a new chapter in their life. Plus, we get to hear from Rodger Coleman a knew modeler and railfan learning all about this great hobby of ours.
So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded moving boxes, a big steaming hot mug of luke warm travel center coffee and enjoy!!!
Like so many of us our next guest’s interest in the hobby began at the young age of four when he got his first cab ride in a Southern FP7 locomotive and after a chance to hold the throttle on a KCS NW2 at the tender age of eleven he was hooked. With his father being an avid historian, photographer and accomplished modeler, Chris was exposed to many aspects of the hobby. With over twenty-five years working as a full-time railroader and a love for model railroading “Home Shops” was born.
Freelance railroading in HO scale is big a part of the hobby and now you can own equipment from some of the finest layouts around. This is an exciting new idea we’re sure you’ll want to hear about. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded dee-cals, a tall cool glass of Solvaset and enjoy!!
Road trips have been part of the American fabric as soon as Henry Ford rolled the first model “T” off the assembly line. Model railroads have been part of American family life for well a hundred years. What would get if you combined both of these iconic symbols of the American life??… Shane Wilson pulling the biggest RV you ever saw from town to town promoting model railroading and ScaleTrains.
Shane is about to set out on the journey of a lifetime travelling from one club to another across all 50 states and he wants to take the AML Nation along with him. So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded road maps, a tall cool glass of gas station soda and enjoy !!
The model railroad industry is more vibrant today than it’s ever been, with new manufacturers popping up almost every day. In this episode we talk to Greg McComas one who, like so many before him has created a business simply out of the need for a particular product. We first learned of Greg and his new business from our friend Stephen Atwell, owner of the very successful Midwest Model Railroad who has managed to create a destination hobby shop in a very short period of time.
It’s a great episode with a look into the future of how vibrant and exciting this hobby is going to become for all of us. So grab yourself a steaming hot plate of ground foam, a cool glass of packaging glue and enjoy !!
No one could ever dispute that model railroaders can be very resourceful when it comes to filling a need for their layout and this story is no different. With the need to find a realistic beaver for a small pond on his layout, Bernard Hallen has created one of the most complete 3-D printing resources in the hobby. With his imagination and suggestions from modelers around the word the possibilities are endless.
So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded beaver tails, a tall glass of warm pond water and enjoy!!
Image if you will, a magical town with cobblestone roads, beautiful shade trees, quaint homes, friendly folks and a large model railroad store so well stocked it wouldn’t seem out of place in any of the big city’s across America. It’s not a dream or fantasy, it’s Spring creek Model Trains in Deshler, Nebraska just twenty-seven miles from Strang, Nebraska, less than three hours from Omaha and barely two hundred miles from the AML’s own Tony Cook.
This episode we chat with Jeff and Mike Zucker about the upcoming model railroad show that takes over the town of Deshler, for an entire weekend. Over the past decade the Zucker’s have hosted a biennial train show with many of the major model railroad manufactures represented.
So pack up your favorite AML t-shirt, your most comfy pajamas and get ready for a great weekend of home cooking, model railroading and down home fun !!
Well, it finally happened, Hard Part and LaFawnDuh have a new addition to the family and we here at HQ couldn’t be more excited. There was much rejoicing throughout the AML Nation as this wonderful news spread across the land and picking just the right name was made priority number one. There were all sorts of great suggestions and BBQSteve was certainly one of the frontrunners but after much deliberation, hand wringing and a few choice words, the newest addition to the family has been christened.
So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded winter wipers, a tall cool glass of windshield washer fluid and enjoy!!
We've met an awful lot of interesting people here at the ole’ AML Network and our next guest is no exception. With a background in the railroad industry and a love railfanning from an early age, plus a long career in the trucking industry, two hours was really not enough time to find out everything there is to know about Chris.
But that's not all, he's one of the most prolific railfan videographers you'll find trackside just about anywhere in the lower forty-eight with dozens of great videos at Green Frog productions.
So get comfortable in your favorite folding chair with a bowl of shredded trackside weeds, a tall glass of warm puddle water and enjoy !!
In the words of Ed Sullivan, in the heart of Manhattan, on any Sunday night half a century ago, it’s time for a “really big shoe.” This week we talk with one of the AML Nation’s favorite artists who’d just released a new print.
Check out Bob’s latest work here: https://www.olddepotgallery.com
Plus we chat with our old friend “Mr. Fitness,” as we criss-cross the nation looking for the latest news that’s only a few months old.
So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded artist canvas, a tall cool glass of burnt umber and enjoy!!
Everybody needs a video guy in today’s new world of social media, video plays a major role attracting customers and keeping everyone up to date on all the comings and goings of your favorite train manufacturer.
Rapido Trains has a guy and we here at the ole’ AML decided to get all the behind-the-scenes scoop on what it takes to create great videos, unfortunately we couldn’t find that guy, but we did find Rapido Jeremy.
So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded videotape, a tall glass of lens cleaning fluid and enjoy !!
Can’t get enough of ViewerMail, still trying to recover from last week’s flight. You’ve wanted to discover the deeper meaning of life and always wondered what “Uncle” Dave thinks. Still trying to figure out if Neil Erickson is Erik Neilson’s long-lost brother. Thinking about sneaking past Michelle Kempema into the museum. Dreaming of spending a day trackside with Rodger Coleman. Hoping you’re on Ken Zieska’s Christmas list. Waiting for James Henry to give you a ride to Deshler, Nebraska??
We’ll talk to management but won’t make any promises until Andy Ambrose promises to write shorter posts with smaller words but in the meantime here’s a special episode of ViewerMail just for you. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded manila envelopes, a tall glass of washer fluid and enjoy !!
Model railroading has a strong presence in New England along with seafood, the once mighty Patriots, ghosts of the Hartford Whalers, Springfield Train Show, Steaming Pile restaurant and a couple of guys named Mark and Don, although one of them left because the snow was getting too deep.
These two guys are a great example of how this hobby creates lasting friendships and utilizing today’s technology to enjoy the hobby together, plus what the NMRA can do for you by simply making the effort to get involved.
So grab yourself a big bowl of week-old chowder, a tall glass of warm lobster tank water and enjoy!!
Not many things in life are more gratifying I life than achieving a goal or finishing a big project that’s well received by the intended audience and this couldn’t be truer for one of the AML Nation’s favorite sons. Our very own “Uncle” Dave has written what some are already calling the definitive book on railroad signalling and how it pertains to the hobby of model railroading. Dave’s excitement is infectious so we thought it would be fun to chat with Dave on the very day he received his first actual copies of “Guide to Signals and Interlockings.” It’s a great discussion, so get comfortable in your favorite easy chair with a big mug of cocoa, some of grandma’s world-famous apple pie and enjoy !!!
What happens when a well-worn railroader crosses paths with a rookie… Lots of stern looks, shaking of the head, rolling eyes and gnashing of the teeth. The Mayor of Hornepayne has found himself a nice place to live, some heritage units to shove freight cars over the hump using a belt pack, while “the Spoon” tries to explain how to protect the spare board.
So find a comfortable chair, bring a big bowl of freshly buttered popcorn and enjoy the show!!
They say it’s not the destination but the journey and this thirty-seven-part trilogy was one interesting journey, it took a while but we finally heard the story of Babbi and the O-Gauge layout. Jack’s lonely summer plus the memories of times he and trusty side kick Dave Abeles spent together, reads as well as any good romantic comedy. Jack’s story didn’t disappoint, so grab yourself a stale commuter station Danish, a soggy paper cup full of lukewarm coffee and enjoy !!
There are so many facets and skills to learn in this great hobby of model railroading, it's impossible to master all of them and for many of us the best we can hope for is to be really good at one or two things such as trackwork, structures, DCC programming, painting, weathering and capable of handling some others. Creating the scenery for our railroads to run through can be almost an insurmountable task for some while others look forward to this aspect of the hobby with great delight.
On this podcast we handle a late-night AML emergency with our buddy Chris Adams a.k.a. Mr. Fitness as he struggles to convince himself that he has any of the skills required to create great scenery. So grab yourself a big bowl of freshly mixed plaster, a tall cool glass of matte medium and enjoy.
When we last left our heroes, the scares of being separated after grade five were still freshly etched into their memories. The tragedy of the Pattenburg Tunnel “incident” still lingered on through a haze of ding-dongs, train tracks and coffee trucks. This story truly reflects what life was like at the end of the last century as our intrepid travellers leapt into the twenty-first century with the intention of helping the world understand the benefits and excitement that can only be understood with a properly run commuter rail service.
Grab yourself a big plate of shredded elementary school math tests, a steaming hot mug of week-old commuter station coffee and enjoy!!
We here at the AML Nation are always look for the sunny side of the street, the positives in life, turning that frown upside down, the sun behind every dark cloud, in other words the silver linings of life. Once again, the “Nation” will pull together and keep each other’s spirits up as we patiently wait for the model railroading event of the century. Lawn-tractor pulls, hot tub activities, baseball games, barbeques and bus trips are going to make TomStock 2020 well worth “Twice the Wait for Twice the Fun.” It’ll be the “Nation’s” greatest moment bringing together AMLer’s from across the globe to meet and rejoice and most importantly…
Third time’s a charm !!!
Fifty years is a long time, especially if you’re a railroad passenger service that most critics thought of as nothing more than a stop gap measure likely to meet its demise sooner rather than later. Amtrak began with one painted locomotive a bunch of borrowed equipment a few full-time employees and a whole lot of anxiety on May 1st, 1971. It’s now time to celebrate a railroad that’s become a fixture on the American rail scene and of course where better to do it than right here on the AML Network.
So jump on board, grab yourself a window seat in coach, a steaming hot mug of gusto and enjoy!!
And so begins an epic journey into the life of our next guest, we were first introduced to this gentleman by our very own “Uncle Dave” Abeles and true to his word Jack has turned out to be a very interesting study. In part one, we travel through the early years when Dave and Jack begin a lifelong friendship in grade five, it's a heart wrenching story with many twists and turns throughout that will surely bring a tear to your eye.
Grab a big box of Kleenex, some popcorn, your favorite soda and getting ready to listen to a romance of the ages.
Every podcast on the AML Network is like a bag of Cracker Jacks, you’re just never sure of what’s in the bag and this week is no different. First up is a visit with AML’s official videographer, Ron Marsh he’s been making some major changes to his railroad and this week talks about his plans to build a helix. Then after a quick visit with Bernard Hellen, the creator of MiniPrints we check in with “the Teaspoon” for another chapter of “George’s Journal.”
So grab that bag of week-old chips that’s been left on the counter, a steaming hot mug of leftover soda and enjoy !!
This is a great episode about a young modeler, designer and businessman named Aaron Piotraschke. His love of interurban equipment and small industrial locomotives led him to 3-D printing and an opportunity to fill a void in the hobby. Aaron started producing quality HO scale shell kits for rare and unique prototypes like boxcab diesels, standard gauge traction motors and fireless locomotives used around industrial areas where explosives and other dangerous goods were manufactured.
It’s a great story of a creative mind and a desire to conquer the world, so get comfortable by the Victrola with a warm cup of cocoa and enjoy !!
It’s often been said the best path to a balanced diet is to hold a cupcake in each hand. Here at the ole’ AML Nation we strive to offer a fair and balanced diet of model railroad podcasting.
In this episode we explore everything from what the July 4th is like in Lebanon, New Jersey, getting notes ready for an appearance on the “Dudes” show in St. Louis, Missouri and then finally discovering what life is like outback in Western Australia.
So grab yourself a big bowl of last summer’s left-over potato salad, some month old Jagerbombs and enjoy !!
This is it, we’ve arrived at our final destination, the last stop on the road to discovering who can best replicate the look of stunned surprise on Martyn Jenkins face as he sets off on another model railroading adventure. With almost a hundred entries we picked the best of the best that the AML Nation has to offer in order to help Martyn pick the best photo.
It’s an exciting episode with plenty of paparazzi, red carpet interviews and a cast of thousands, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded confetti, a tall glass outback pond water and enjoy !!
This episode features two fantastic young men who found each other through the wonders of social media. Cam models the BNSF’s line over Crawford Hill and Marias Pass while John, who’s layout was planned by Bob Sprague, models the Union Pacific Mainline across the Cascade Subdivision in Oregon. These two young men typify what the next wave of model railroader will look like.
We were so excited to interview these two youthful modelers we couldn't hardly think straight, so bear with us as we talk remote operations, manned helpers, YouTubing and what the next generation of model railroader might look like in the years and decades to come. Enjoy!!
Well we finally did it, two hundred patrons and it didn't take that long at all. There's lots of excitement around the old AML headquarters here in Busted Knuckle, Kentucky with so many folks willing to plunk down their hard-earned cash just for a chance to tune in one more time each week. Bill Sampson from Minnesota wanted to do something special to recognize this momentous event with a special gift and we here at HQ decided to kick in a couple of T-shirts.
So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded raffle tickets, a tall glass of freshly squeezed coleslaw juice and find out who the lucky winner is.
Founded in 2003 the small family business of Otter Valley Railroad served local customers and travelled the circuit of train shows throughout Southern Ontario. In the summer of 2011 a brand new 1,200 square foot retail store was built and packed from the ceiling to the floor with model train products.
Over the years Otter Valley has worked with such manufacturing giants as Bowser and Rapido Trains becoming an important source for individual items as they continue to grow and expand.
Surrounded by a great group of employees, Lorne and his capable staff continues to grow the product line while the future looks more promising with each passing day. This is a great episode as the Evel Overlord reveals his alter-ego Captain Grumblebum, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded Canadian bacon, a tall glass of Maple syrup and enjoy.
The next generation of hobbyist is here with YouTube videos, Facebook pages and any other kind of social media you can think of this episode is a perfect example of why the argument of “the hobby is dying” needs to be put to rest once and for all. This is a great discussion with an enthusiastic young man who's all about enjoying this great hobby of model railroading.
There's plenty of other fun as Tony Cook and Ron Marsh talk about collaborating on some exciting new projects for model railroad news. Plus we hear from our very own “Mr. Intros” David Start along with the proprietor of everybody's favorite model railroad shop, Midwest Model Railroad.
So grab yourself a big bowl I've shredded videotape, a steaming hot mug of film developer and enjoy !!
More and more we’re finding full-time railroaders just as interested and excited about model railroading as they are with their day jobs. This month's guest is a long time BNSF employee who enjoys spending time at the workbench as much he does behind the controls of an SD40-2.
It's a great story of a dedicated railroader from his early days in the Seattle, Washington area to his present assignment in Temple, Texas and all his adventures in between. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded air hoses, a tall cool glass of spent diesel fuel and enjoy !!
It's time for another exciting round of the Kelly Questions with one of Conrail's biggest fans, we've all got to know him up and personal from his fabulous Facebook live podcasts featuring operations in upstate New York and now it’s our chance to find out how he holds up under pressure.
It’s our very own “Uncle” Dave, as he dons the tin foil helmet and gets ready to answer some of the most toughest questions in the hobby today. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded timetables, a tall cool glass of melted aerosol cheese and enjoy!!
What do you get when combine a lifelong model railroader with a doctor and an ex-navy guy?? A great layout built by a dedicated member of the NMRA and someone who has squeezed as much out of the hobby as possible. This is a great episode that follows the journey of a lifelong model railroader that travelled the world while serving his country.
When he finally settled down, he decided to preserve the memory the Susquehanna & New York Railroad in HO scale. Mike has also created a great website at: snyrr.com
So sit back and get comfortable for a story that we’re sure won’t disappoint !!
It's election time at the NMRA again and we’ve offered this podcast to anyone running for office in order for them to express their positions and answer questions about the future of this hobby and the organization. John Doehring who’s running for Eastern Director and Gordy Robinson who’s put his name on the ballot for president of the NMRA agreed to answer some questions and tell what they think is store for the future of this hobby.
These two gentlemen were more than to make time to answer our questions covering many areas of concern about where the hobby is headed. Hopefully this episode will help you decide one way or another who to vote for in this critical upcoming election. Enjoy !!
What happens when a guy with lots of enthusiasm for the hobby with a personality as big as Manhattan itself, twelve hundred freight cars, a wobbly car float finally decides to build an operating layout?? You get a place where friendships come first and operating a model railroad in a realistic fashion is a close second.
Welcome to the New York Harbor Railroad on the west of Manhattan set in the year 1947. Serving the Erie Railroad, Lehigh Valley Railroad and the New York Central all jammed into one basement primarily for the pleasure of other modelers to operate. Dave is a fun guy to talk with and this is an episode we’re sure you’ll enjoy !!
Starting a new career can be as exciting as anything you’ll ever do and getting to share the adventure with others might be the next best thing. When we found out our very own George “the Boy Wonder” Taylor (a.k.a. “Teaspoon”) had been hired on by the Canadian National Railway, we jumped at the chance to ride along.
These are the first two installments in a journal of life as we tag along on what we hope will be a long, exciting journey for our intrepid hero as he begins a new chapter in his life. So grab your book of operating rules, radio, some warm boots and hop onboard this train bound for the future.
Backdrops are as important to scenery as any other aspect in the overall appearance of a finished model railroad scene. This month Scott shows us how he created the Rock River on his Milan Branch of the Iowa Interstate Railroad layout. Through a series of experiments, mistakes and successes the finished product turned out beautifully. Ron Marsh is the co-host for this episode and does an excellent job of keeping the conversation on “track.”
So grab yourself a big bowl of course medium green ground foam, a tall cool glass of unfiltered river water and enjoy !!
Since the beginning we’ve checked up on the state of the hobby each year with Joe Fugate editor of the online magazine Model Railroad Hobbyist and this year is no different, but we decided to add our favorite NMRA Director-at-Large Gordy Robinson all the way from the Orkney Islands in the North Atlantic just off the coast of Scotland.
Both of these gentlemen had some interesting information to share about the future of this great hobby and with the kind of enthusiasm Gordy has the future looks very bright for everyone. So grab yourself a bowl of haggis, a pint of Guinness and enjoy !!
Conrail guy, flight attendant and museum curator walk into a bar… Sounds like a great lead in for a joke but instead it’s the lead in for the AML Nation’s Christmas Eve Special featuring our very “Uncle” Dave Abeles, Tracy Boyd the official flight attendant of the AML Network and Michelle Kempema the fastest talking museum curator east of the Rockies !!
This podcast is like the jelly of the month club… it’s the gift that just keeps on giving. So grab yourself a bowl of last year’s butternut squash, a steaming hot mug of leftover gravy and enjoy!!
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that Peter would soon be there. Matt with his tattoo and Andy with his beard had just settled down for a long winter’s podcast when outside the studio there rose such a clatter, I sprang from my chair to see what ‘twas the matter. What to my eyes should there appear but eight tiny boxcars so lively and quick lead a jolly young man with a smile on his face yelling, “come on NMRA, pick up the pace.”
The young man smiled as his ideas they did come and I’m here to tell you, the NMRA is not done. I’m Gordy, I’m Gordy so vote for me now, I’ll be your president and for sure you’ll say wow !!
Merry Christmas from the AML Nation !!!
If you’re interested in the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad or you’re wondering what sort of choices a Canadian National locomotive engineer from Fort Dodge, Iowa would make under pressure, then you’ve come to the right place. If you’ve ever wonder how elitist hobby manufacturer like Scott Thornton would handle scoring on the Kelly Questions, then you’ve come to the right place.
It’s time once again to don the tinfoil helmet as we take another contestant down the precarious road of providing useless knowledge that no one needs to know. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded score cards, a steaming hot mug of melted locomotive axle grease and enjoy !!
Have you ever felt that sometimes your scale locomotives get lonely and need a little support in order to make it through another operating session or maybe on those long dark nights when there’s no action on the railroad at all?? Well fear not, now there’s Decoder Buddy from Nick Santo, a former chemist turned flight instructor from New England.
Model railroaders are an inventive bunch to be sure, often times out of necessity and often times just simply looking to build a better mouse trap, making the hobby more enjoyable for everyone. The Decoder Buddy helps simplify the installation on a variety of different DCC decoders, it’s a product that’s sure revolutionize an already exciting part of the hobby. It’s a great podcast we’re sure you’ll enjoy !!
There’s a new locomotive manufacturer coming to town and they’re called Aurora Miniatures, but here’s the twist. They’re based in China and have been selling high quality models to the Chinese model railroad market for several years. Now with a good foundation of creating exquisite HO scale models, the release of their first locomotive based on a North American prototype is about to hit the market.
Canadian National’s SD60F will be the first model offered by Aurora Miniatures along with several beautifully crafted HO scale containers. Ben Wang is the lead man on this side of the Pacific and he’s here to bring the AML Nation up to speed. Enjoy !!
The train set is a time-honored tradition every Christmas morning with boys and girls of all ages from one to a hundred delighted by the sights and sounds of a train set around the tree. Once again, we’ve called on Model Railroad news editor Tony Cook to tell us about some the best options available for this Christmas season.
These days the choices range form the very simple to the very expensive and everything in between and if you listen long enough, you’ll get a chance to revisit those great airport movies of the seventies with George Kennedy and Charleton Heston. So grab yourself some stale
in-flight peanuts, your favorite flat soda and enjoy !!
The train set is a time-honored tradition every Christmas morning with boys and girls of all ages from one to a hundred delighted by the sights and sounds of a train set around the tree. Once again, we’ve called on Model Railroad news editor Tony Cook to tell us about some the best options available for this Christmas season.
These days the choices range form the very simple to the very expensive and everything in between and if you listen long enough, you’ll get a chance to revisit those great airport movies of the seventies with George Kennedy and Charleton Heston. So grab yourself some stale in-flight peanuts, your favorite flat soda and enjoy !!
This a great interview with a lifelong railroader that work at several different levels with Canadian National Railway while always learning and improving as he went along his journey. It’s also a great story of a full-time railroader who’s devoted to the hobby of model railroading and the friends he’s made along the way. Our friend Rob Arsenault introduced us, and we’re glad he did.
Just like any great recipe we added a touch of “Spoon” to liven things up. So, grab yourself a cup of steaming hot cocoa, get comfy in your favorite chair and enjoy!!
Well poop, this isn’t any fun at all. The Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show has been cancelled and all hope has been lost, we’re not even sure there’s a reason to get up tomorrow. But wait, all is not lost, who’s that we see off in the distance leading the charge against sadness and despair?? It’s none other than everyone’s train show hero, John Sacerdote who’s been show director for the past 16 years.
John has all sorts of news about what’s going take the place in lieu of this year’s cancellation and some pretty exciting events will be happening. So sit right down in your lawn chair with some left over hot dogs and enjoy !!
Still trying to recover from the “Fans #28” the introductions, get figure out why your dill pickle scented body wash isn’t driving the girls wild. The Nicholas Cage pillowcases you ordered from Amazon were the wrong size but when you tried to exchange them for autographed Doris Day bath towels you found out she’s longer available for after dinner speaking engagements.
None of this makes sense which is the perfect introduction to “Fans of the AML Part #2.” This time our fearless heroes did manage to read five days of posts falling even further behind in their never-ending quest to catch up. So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded 8X10 glossy’s, a steaming hot mug of stale bath water and enjoy !!
One of the best parts of having a world-famous podcast is all the folks we meet along the way and today’s episode is no exception. Buried deep in the hills of South Carolina, we found ourselves a gem of a modeler who’s built several layouts on his way to finally settling down in S-scale and twelve miles of railroad between Greenville and Travellers Rest known as the Greenville and Northern Railway.
We here at the ‘ole AML Nation enjoyed recording this edition of “a ModelerLife” and look forward to sharing it with all of you. So find yourself a comfortable spot on the porch with a refreshing cold beverage, loosen your belt after a hearty meal and enjoy !!
This podcast is a great discussion between two railroaders about railroading over Soldier Summit, a sixty-nine mile stretch of rail through a broad valley pass joining the communities of Helper and Provo, Utah. Adam Pinales tells some great stories of running trains for the Utah Railway over the Summit.
It’s also the first AML podcast in history with two… Count ‘em two introductions. It’s a long story and not necessarily one you’re gonna want to share with the grandkids. So, get comfy on the couch and get ready for the podcast of your life.
Tangent Scale Models has been producing and selling high quality, HO scale freight car replicas since 2007. Tangent’s owner and creator David Lehlbach is an avid model railroader that wanted to create exquisite models for everyone in the hobby to enjoy. All of Tangent’s cars are produced with the same enthusiasm that David has for the hobby.
If you’ve wanted to know more about the man behind the models this is a great interview with very open and honest conversation about our great hobby and an in-depth look at what goes into each and every car. So get comfortable in from of the Motorola with a steaming hot cup of cocoa and enjoy!!
When it comes to model railroad podcasts there's only one that really counts, there's been others of course, plenty of others as a matter of fact but only one can declare itself the grandfather of them all. Of course, we speak of the AML Network’s original spinoff show, Model Rail Radio that's been gracing the airways of every self-respecting hobbyist for over a decade.
Since its inception model rail radio has set a high standard of podcasting delivering quality episodes and historic specials for old and new listeners alike. So grab yourself a big plate of shredded woofer's and tweeters, a steaming hot mug of melted copper wire and enjoy !!
There are far more people earning their living from railroading in this hobby then anyone realises, of course we have our very own Spoon but this episode clearly displays how one man can love his job as a locomotive engineer as much as he loves the hobby of model railroading. Turns out operating 240 car unit trains by yourself on the Québec North Shore and Labrador railroad can be just as challenging as building a truly magnificent O-scale layout.
Find out more about on Facebook at CN Sanmore Subdivision in this great episode of “a ModelersLife.” Also check out the YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyjuCVikYlaZrkAhq6rGpkA
There’s never been a question about whether or not the AML Nation is packed with all stars as this episode clearly demonstrates. First up is Drew Warrington, a great example of the next generation of modeler that’s full of excitement and enthusiasm with a great desire to learn from others while looking to do his part in improving model railroading. Next we hear from our old buddy Gordy Robinson who’s about to enter the next NMRA elections in 2021 by throwing his hat in the ring for president.
Finally, we with Stephen Atwell, the owner of Midwest Model Railroad in Independence, Missouri, one of the fastest growing online hobby retailers out there. Stephen and I share some very exciting news but you'll just have to listen to find out what it is. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded packing tape, a tall cool glass of BBQ grease and enjoy !!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to quit your job and purchase a successful model railroad company or perhaps purchase an Erie business car number one from the French Lick Scenic Railroad. Or perhaps you've wondered what it would be like to purchase a troop sleeper, a flat car, a high railer, a speeder or various other model railroad companies such as Durango Press and JL Innovative.
Well our next guest has done just that and never regretted it for a second, this is the story of someone who loves railroading, model railroading and the community that this hobby provides. It's a great episode so sit back with a big bowl of shredded seat covers, a steaming hot mug of melted axle grease and enjoy!!
It’s time for our next contestant to strap on the tin foil helmet and answer some tough questions that are really of no use to anyone. Plus if you’re wondering what it’s like to move from Florida to New Hampshire in the middle of winter, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ll discuss everything the from the NMRA’s Achievement Certificate Program to exploring the pro’s and cons of ground water vs. river water and take an in depth look at swamp water. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded cattle corn, a tall cool glass of melted yellow snow and enjoy !!
Train shows are always fun, hunting for bargains, checking out what’s new, meeting friends and just soaking up the atmosphere. But while we’re out in the aisles mingling with the crowds having fun, there’s a whole bunch of other folks working their regular jobs, explaining their products and helping us enjoy the hobby as much as possible.
Episode 144 featured a great discussion about burnout in the hobby, so we took it one step further to examine how working train shows effect your hobby time. So put on your favorite smoking jacket, get comfortable in the lazy boy and enjoy !!
There's nothing better than finding an opportunity in the basement to expand your current layout and that’s what happened to the AML’s very own how to guy Ron Marsh. After his layout demolition video turned out to be so popular we decided to find out what the future holds for Ron’s Trains N’ Things.
Along with co-host Scott Thornton we try to find out which of the “Things” will be part of this exciting new adventure. So grab your favorite sledge hammer, dump out the shop-vac and get ready for a fun filled ninety minutes of railroading and stories about Scott’s pet hamsters.
Here’s another exciting round of the Kelly Questions which means it’s time for another contestant to strap on the tin foil helmet and tell us their inner most thoughts on a wide variety of model railroad subjects.
These questions have been hermetically sealed in a reasonably clean mayonnaise jar and stored in a specially constructed laser cut box under Tom Jacobs Reading “Crossline” layout. NO ONE… I REPEAT… NO ONE, knows the contents of these questions except for the modeler simply known as “Kelly!!”
After a quick trip to the hospital the contestant is at home and resting quietly. Please enjoy the podcast.
Bob’s Track Plans.com is probably the most comprehensive track planning website on the internet with almost a hundred different plans to view, enjoy and get ideas from. Bob simply takes pleasure from trying to replicate the appearance and operations of real railroads as faithfully as possible in miniature while applying this philosophy to his lifelong passion of track planning.
Recently Bob entered the world of 3D printing with great success and there’s many items available for purchase listed on his website. He’s lifelong model railroader with a passion for the hobby that’s easily recognizable in this episode. Enjoy.
We don’t use the term All-Stars lightly here at the ole’ AML Network but this episode of the “Stars” is truly out of this universe. Everything is covered, Tracy our Official Flight Attendant tells us about learning to identify locomotives using flash cards, Kaylee fills us in on what it’s like to stuff a decoder into a HO-Scale track mobile and finally MRN editor Tony Cook shares some product news.
After all that we still find time to discuss the stellar acting career of Charlton Heston and disaster movies of the 70’s. So grab yourself a big bowl of airline pretzels, a steaming hot mug of spilled jet fuel and enjoy !!
We here at the ole’ AML headquarters in Busted Knuckle, Kentucky are always looking for an opportunity to broaden our horizons and elevate our cultural standing in the community. Unfortunately we were unable to do that with our next guest but we did discover that being a world class horn player, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and model railroading goes together like ice cream and brownies.
So grab yourself a seat upfront as we discover how classical music and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad live together under one roof. Enjoy.
Fabulous N-Scale layout, tools that will make your next model stand out from the rest, a dedicated model railroad store that’s growing like an over watered Chia Pet and much, much more all in one handy to use podcast.
On this version of the Variety Hour we visit with Walker Embry-Texas Ranger, Tim Warris of FastTracks fame and visit with Lorne James the owner of Otter Valley Railroad, a very successful hobby shop in Southwestern Ontario.
So sit right down in your favorite podcast chair with a cool refreshing beverage and enjoy!!
Most people will tell say that to much chocolate is bad for you but for our next guest when it’s comes to model railroading you can never have to much chocolate. It’s seems as though Jim has done just about everything you can do when it comes to the hobby and still can’t get enough.
From his earliest days of owning a trucking company, hiring on with the CSX, soldering together turnouts in his car, discovering Proto 48 and becoming a conductor on the MBTA. (Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority) It’s a great story and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy… Listening to Us… Listening to Others.
It’s been a tough four months for everyone and in the AML Nation and this seemed as good a time as any to check in with some of our regulars to find out they’re coping with life. Before we knew it was the longest podcast in AML history with everything from audio checks to stopping by the local car lot to pick up some new wheels.
Peter in England, Gordy in Scotland, Martyn in Australia, Neil in Hawaii plus many more. So find yourself a comfortable spot with a refreshing beverage and discover how “the Nation” is doing in these troubled times.
In this episode of a ModelersLife we venture into the life of maybe the most energetic person we’ve met here at the ole’ AML network. Whether she’s busy being the executive director at one of the best model railroad experiences in the country or helping expand the knowledge of an enthusiastic child, Michelle can rarely be seen sitting still.
So put down your jar of queso, strap yourself into the fastest coffee cup racer you can find and be prepared to enjoy a podcast full of twists and turns!!
Here at the old AML network we’ve been wondering for quite some time now what exactly are those things that pop up from time to time on Ron’s Trains ‘N Things?? So we decided it was time for some hard hitting investigative journalism in an effort to find out exactly what the “things” are but unfortunately we were met with a series of vague answers and enough side-stepping to create a new dance craze.
Ron Trains ‘N Things has been the official how-to video channel of the AML Network longer than “Kelly” has lived in one place. But what if we brought together two of our favorite Rons to create one of the best product review videos ever seen on YouTube?? Unfortunately that wasn’t possible but we did manage to create a moderately adequate podcast. Enjoy!!
Train shows are being cancelled all over the world these days, one right after another and with the recent news that Milwaukee’s TrainFest won’t be happening this year we decided to find out what’s the status of the number one train show in America.
The crack news team here at the AML Network scraped together enough cash to get bus tickets for the whole gang and made their way to Springfield, Massachusetts the home of the Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show to find out what the future holds for this great event.
So grab yourself a bowl of shredded floor plans, a steaming hot mug of boiled hot dog water and enjoy!!
Still need help getting that old John Deere tractor running, can’t decide which crops to plant this season, you’ve planted an acre of garlic but don’t have enough lettuce to make a salad??
You went down to the local Ace Hardware looking for expert advice from the manager about renovating your grandma‘s bedroom and all he wanted to do was sell you a Palzer’s Plumbing Supply kit and some HO scale industrial storage racking??
Fortunately it’s time for another All-Star Variety Hour which will be of no actual use but may help to relieve the pain of day to day life. So grab yourself a big bowl of moist potting soil, a tall cool glass of Benjamin Moore’s exterior primer and enjoy!!
If there’s an award to be given out for the most enthusiastic person in this hobby, surely our next guest would be at the top of the list. George has been working for SoundTraxx over ten years and you’ve probably seen him at a train show or clinic somewhere in your area during that time. He’s a fan of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and willing to help any modeler with any questions.
When he’s not out on the road promoting the hobby you can usually find him between the pipes at the local arena making glove saves in rapier like fashion. George is a true ambassador to the hobby and a pleasure to be with, so put on your favorite Dallas Stars jersey, your Eddie the Eagle mask and enjoy !!
It’s another great podcast from deep in the valleys around Busted Knuckle, Kentucky. With the longest introduction in the history of podcasting, thanks in part to our very own Mike “the Spoon” Ostertag.
Mick Shea, a loyal listener for quite some time now, stops by to introduce himself. Plus one of our old standby favorites, Otto Vondrak the editor of Railroad Model Craftsman.
So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded resin decals, a tall glass of clear coat and enjoy !!
Here at the ol' AML Network, there’s two things we always strive to achieve, hard hitting journalism, and ignore the facts whenever possible. So when the Evil Overlord visited Rapido Trains, it seemed only fitting to get the scoop on Jason Shron's crack team of model slingin' miracle workers.
It’s a whistle stop tour of the folks behind the scenes at Rapido, we get the lowdown on how Janet, Joshua, Jordan & Dan arrived at Rapido and what the hobby means to them.
So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded scale model flyers, a hot steaming mug of gearbox oil and enjoy!!
It’s another exciting episode of the All-Star Variety Hour as two of our regular listeners have stopped by to update us on what’s happening in their neck of the woods.
First up is Brooks Willig from the Lone Star state of Texas to tell us of his latest adventures operating some of the finest layouts in the country with our very own “Speed’ Muller and then it’s William Simpson the official graphic artist of the AML Network keeping us up to date all the comings and going‘s in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area.
So grab your favorite Stetson, sharpen your ice skates and join us as we score the winning goal with another great podcast.