If you build it they will come… This is the final part of our thirty-seven part trilogy with childhood friends building a dream to share it with others. We never even touched on his remote dispatcher or frequent visits from Rapido trains, so there’s more to come.

Our long journey into night concludes with this episode about the Onondaga cut off, night operations play a big part on this railroad that runs twenty-four hours round the clock. There’s no rest for the railroad and no rest for the loyal crew. Enjoy.

Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be more, it’s part three of the Springfield interviews. We’ve got it all right here in one neat little package, a college professor, a flight attendant, an online magazine editor, a car dealer and a full size railcar collector, all on one great show.

Everybody that’s anybody stopped by the official ModelersLife booth this year to say hello, so grab yourself a big bowl of in flight snacks, a steaming hot mug of casting resin and enjoy!!

Here’s a story about a couple of guys that want to manufacture HO scale free cars. They’re not going in blind with a couple of decades of experience and established racial relationships in China they’re ready to produce some unique freight cars.

But anyone in the industry can tell you that manufacturing cars can be a difficult process so this is a whole new approach and one we thought is worthy of reporting on. So check out prototype Junction.com and see for yourself. Enjoy.

It’s part two of our thirty-seven part trilogy detailing the growth of the Onondaga Cutoff. How our intrepid hero manages to survive the many obstacles life threw at him with his trusty sidekick Jack always faithfully by his side.

This is a great story of human endurance, working towards a goal, friendship, a love of music and a hobby that brings joy to millions of people around the world. This is the continuing story of one man’s determination to achieve a childhood dream. Enjoy

Stop the presses, sound the alarm, put down your coffee, grab your favorite crayon and get ready to take notes. It’s another year of on the spot interviews from West Springfield, Massachusetts hone to the Amherst Railway Society Model Railroad Show or just simply “the Big E.” We met so many fans that stopped by the AML booth (formerly City Classics) at this years Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show.

It was great to see the AML Nation becoming stronger with so many listeners of the podcast stopping by to say hello. So get yourself a steaming hot bowl of salted hot dog water soup, a tall glass of last years Insta-Set and enjoy!!

Not everything in life is simple to understand but when it comes to this modeler and his love of the Denver & Rio Grande Western it seemed only natural that he’d throw himself into modeling Conrail in upstate New York during the 1990’s.

The Onondaga Cutoff, is a proto-freelanced railroad that’s gaining recognition for innovative thinking and exciting round the clock operations. It’s the beginning, of a thirty seven part trilogy, introducing you to a railroad that’s becoming a force in the hobby. Enjoy !!

It’s another exciting round of the Kelly Questions and these questions have been hermetically sealed and stored on a shelf in the corner of Scott Thornton’s garage beside his priceless collection of belly button fluff. NO ONE… I REPEAT… NO ONE, knows the contents of these questions except for the modeler simply known as “Kelly!!”

Find out what happens when a Milwaukee Road fan from Minnesota tests his knowledge against some of the most difficult and mind bending brain teasers ever asked.

So grab yourself a chair, a big bowl of shredded surveys, a tall glass of steamed rain water and enjoy!!

Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show is run by a community of people who share a fascination with railroads and can find it’s roots all the way back to the mid-1950s, when a small group of University of Massachusetts chemistry students and faculty members who realized that they shared a common interest in railroads.

Today, the annual Railroad Hobby Show occupies four buildings at the Eastern States Exposition, draws 25,000 people, and is one of the most respected railroad shows in the country. John Sacerdote has been show director for over 15 years and is always excited to talk with us about the upcoming show.

It’s a great podcast we know you’ll enjoy.

This edition of Product News spotlights a new craftsman structure kit company looking to make a big splash into an already crowded pool. Mine Mount Models will enhance any layout with timeless designs.

Ron’s love for the hobby of model railroading is clearly evident in the fine kits he produces, with an emphasis on well thought out instructions to help each individual builder produce the finest model possible.

After just one year there’s a fine array of kits in every price range. It’s a great interview with a look into what it takes to get started in this industry. Enjoy!!

There’s always lots of recordings to broadcast and we found these ones in the office of Kevin “Hard Part” Marks under what was left over from a mushroom Swiss burger from Bazil’s Pub.

We’ve already done a recap of the Great Cadillac Run a few months ago but these interviews are a must listen. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to run a model railroad store in the middle of Nebraska you’ve come to the right place. This is a collection of individual recordings from all sorts of interesting people across the Midwest.

So grab yourself some leftover cannoli, a tall glass of Hillsboro Cream Stout and enjoy !!

The featured guest on this episode has a long history in the hobby, is well known for his Siskiyou Lines Railroad and is the founder of Model Railroad Hobbyist, an online magazine which has become one of the leading magazines in the hobby during it’s short ten year existence.

Joe discusses the migration of advertisers, finding layouts to feature in the magazine, plus the overwhelming success of Running Extra, an online magazine. seeking paid subscribers. It’s another great interview with another great guest, so grab yourself a nice cozy spot beside the radio and enjoy!!

Jason Shron and Rapido Trains have done it again by introducing another new exciting model into the world of HO scale railroading. Our very own Tony Cook is here to bring you all the details in another edition of AML Product News.

Following the success of the French build turboliners in the mid-1970’s Amtrak turned to Rohr industries in California to build modernized turboliners for use along the Empire Corridor.

After nearly 20 years of service, Amtrak selected one of the RTL sets to be rebuilt incorporating several improvements and a striking new demonstrator paint scheme. All of the equipment was retired from active service by 2004 but Rapido Trains has brought them back to life using original blueprints and field measurements with full detailed interiors. Both powered cars come with reliable drive systems working headlights and of course the DCC models feature accurate sound remastered from original videos.

Get ready to learn everything you need to know about photography, what exactly a HEMTT is (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck.) Take a trip down memory lane with the Missouri Pacific or discover the joys of operating a GP-15.

We discuss everybody’s favorite condiment as we investigate some the most compelling issues of the day, right here in on another exciting edition of the Kelly Questions. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded 36 mm film, a cool tall glass of used developer fluid and enjoy!!

It’s Christmas and with the new year almost upon us, Bruce the Mailboy will explain why it’s to early to get excited about the new decade. We can hardly contain our excitement for the future and all we have planned here on the 48th floor, in the Joe Cummings Studios high atop the Stewart L Sterling building in downtown Busted Knuckle, Kentucky.

We want to wish all of our listeners a very merry Christmas and hope your stocking is filled with everything you’d hoped for, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded walnut shells, a steaming hot mug of last year‘s eggnog and enjoy.

As another year draws to a close it’s time once again to invite one of model railroading’s gate keepers to give us their views on the current state of the hobby. This year we’re fortunate enough to have the editor of Railroad Model Craftsman and the social media expert for White River Productions.

It’s an interesting discussion on the future of the hobby and which direction we might be headed next. The population of this hobby is much younger than the age put forth by the NMRA and this podcast helps explain why. Enjoy!!

Can't remember what you were doing six months ago?? Well if you were in Benton, Tennessee at the end of May we’ve got you covered, otherwise you’re on your own.

It's more interviews from the ScaleTrains.com Hiawassee River Rail Excursion, a very relaxing fifty mile round trip with a good time had by all. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded tunnel motor radiator grills, a tall glass of standing puddle water and enjoy !!!

Have you ever wanted to find out firsthand what it’s like to takeoff and land from an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam war or perhaps you’ve wondering what it’s like to be the NMRA’s director at large.

Maybe you’ve considered moving from Florida to a four hundred acre farm in New Hampshire or perhaps you’re considering building structures from cardstock and just not sure where to start.

It’s time to clear the decks as the AML Nation gets ready to take off another exciting podcast assignment. Enjoy!!

Here’s the audio from our first ever full length feature film entitled “Slide Night.”

It’s a stirring drama about a man and his love of the steel rails that’s bound to tug at your heartstrings, starring Tony Cook and the Evil Overlord.

We decided to release the audio from this epic film because “a ModelersLife” podcast is basically audio anyways so use your imagination and all the slides will be there in living color for you to benefit from.

It’s pretty easy listening, so grab yourself a big plate of shredded Fujifilm, a tall glass of development fluid and enjoy!!

We are spanning the globe to find you all of the most interesting people in this great hobby. This episode of the All-Star variety hour as I was talking to YouTube sensations, modelers with enough modules to sink a ship and future of the hobby.

It’s an interesting collection of folks so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded road maps, steaming hot mug of recycled wash bay detergent and enjoy!!

Ever wonder how it feels to be the president of a leading model railroad manufacturer?? Rapido Trains has been creating high-end model trains and accessories in HO, OO and N (North American 1:160 and British 1:148) scales, with fully-detailed cars and locomotives.

Jason is well known in the model railroad community and author of the book TurboTrain: A Journey. He’s also “the guy” with a train in basement and recreating a model railroad featuring CN’s Kingston Subdivision between Toronto and Brockville, Ontario.

Enjoy !!

We’ll travel anywhere in the world to ask the “Kelly Questions” just so long as we don’t have to leave our studios on the forty-eighth floor of the Stewart L. Sterling building in downtown Busted, Knuckle, Kentucky.

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. So throw another shrimp on the barbie and enjoy !!

It’s not all doom and gloom for every model railroad shop around the country, in an era when so many of today’s hobbyists are going online to do their shopping, Midwest Model Railroad is bucking the trend having just opened a brick and mortar location.

Social media continues to make our hobby more exciting everyday with the availability of YouTube videos like those seen on Ron’s Trains N’ Things. On this episode we here from two very successful people each which their own special niche’ in the hobby.

So grabbed yourself a big bowl of shredded video tape, a tall frosty glass of acrylic paint thinner and enjoy !!

Another great podcast with the usual cast of characters.

Enjoy !!

The AML crew gathers together to share stories and memories of Joe Cummings who passed away suddenly at the all to early age of fifty-three.

This month the director of The Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show a.k.a. the “Springfield Show” dropped by the AML studios to try his hand at the toughest series of questions in the hobby. It’s an inside look at what makes the man who keeps the biggest model railroad show in North America running smoothly for all of to enjoy.

It’s a fun podcast for all to enjoy !!

This is the first year for the Tracks Ahead Youth Summit, a new program from the Colorado Model Railroad Museum which houses America's largest HO Scale prototypical model train layout. The building is 9,500 square feet featuring a 5,500 sq. foot HO gauge model railroad layout and displays over 1,100 railroad artifacts from across the United States.

Visitors can also “train watch” during their visit to the museum because it’s located between two actual railroad properties: the Union Pacific on the east and the Great Western to the west in Greeley, Colorado.

The summit is headed by Norm Wolstein the “Grateful Dude,” and is expected to get bigger and better every year. Enjoy.

This hobby welcomes all sorts of personalities, from those who just want to enjoy the most basic of what model railroading has to offer, to those who dare challenge themselves by taking part in the Master Model Railroader program.

This month we get a first hand account of what it takes to reach the hobby’s highest honor. MMR #635 discusses the pros and cons of such an undertaking and explains all the positives associated with completing such a rewarding journey. Enjoy!!

It can be easily said one of the hobby’s most influential modelers John Allen and his Gorre & Daphetid Railroad. John was a pioneer in the hobby, as a professional photographer with artistic talent and attention to detail, he was able to create some incredibly realistic scenes.

Through his numerous published articles he was able to share what many consider to be one of the greatest model railroads of all time.In this podcast Bruce the Moderately Agitated Mailboy takes us on a tour of his railroad and the man behind it all. Enjoy!!

What sort of questions would you ask someone that is a lighting engineer on “The Great White Way” and owns one of the finest model railroad shops in the midwest?? The Kelly Questions of course, a series of hard hitting questions and insights designed to discover the man under the no nonsense exterior of a tough businessman.

Unfortunately Kelly didn’t write down any of those questions but we do manage to waste another hour of modeling time. So grab yourself a large bowl of shredded blue box kits, a tall glass of Solvaset and enjoy!!

What happens when you mix a Norfolk Southern engineer together with a freelance modeler and an active YouTube creator?? It’s a very interesting ninety minutes of podcasting. Tim has a great layout which he uses to relax from the day to day stress of being 1:1 railroader.

There’s lots see and do on his Seaboard Central Railroad, so sit back and enjoy some great railroading stories and unique insights from another interesting guest of the AML Nation.

It’s time for another fabulous round of the Kelly Questions!! Each envelope has been hermetically sealed in the front pocket of Mike “the Spoon” Ostertag’s coveralls… No one… I repeat, no one has been given access to these questions until now.

Find out what happens when a drummer, waiter, guy that prepares taxes, teacher and lonesome devil is put to the test. So grab yourself a bowl of shredded tax returns, a tall glass of recycled table water and enjoy!!

Ever wonder what it’s like to be an outstanding architectural modeler and the vice-president of a well respected company like ExactRail??Is it possible to have a one foot by seven foot layout featured on the cover of one our hobby’s top magazines. Can a small layout provide enough entertainment to host operating sessions for as many as six people??

The Hudson Terminal Railway and is a fictional subsidiary of the New York Central that’s heavily influenced by the multiple terminals that were once served by car floats. This a great interview which we’re sure you’ll enjoy.

It’s time for another exciting round of the Kelly questions and once again our victim… errr… Our guest has been strapped to the couch with his tinfoil helmet securely attached. We first met Cale in September of 2018 when he introduced us to the world of Lego trains.

When not building models he can be found researching railroad history, and riding trains. You can find out more about Lego trains at: https://brickmodelrailroader.com/

So grab yourself a bowl of shredded bricks, a tall glass of axle grease and enjoy!!

Another model railroad manufacturer steps up. This time Rapido Trains and Jason Shron have produced a limited run of TTX's "On Track for a Cure" Husky-Stack well car. With every car purchased, Rapido will donate $10 to Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, in support of the Psychosocial Oncology Department.

This car includes two limited edition Rapido Trains refrigerated domestic smooth-side containers and sold out in less than 48 hours.

Thanks to Jason and Janet Shron and the hard working team Rapido Trains!!

We’ve returned once again to CP Rail’s Galt Subdivision, an exquisitely detailed layout modeling a relatively short section of busy mainline that incorporates the towns of Woodstock and Zorra, Ontario with it’s landmark cement plant.

Bob is always full of passion about the hobby as we cover everything from the cross pollination of military modeling, the ease of taking photos with his iPhone, the Fallowfield effect, painting brass hoppers with a rattle can and all the comings and goings at ESU. Enjoy!!

So you’re disappointed that you didn’t get to the National Train Show in Salt Lake City?? Well neither did we but that hasn’t stopped us from being excited about all the new products being offered by dozens and dozens of manufacturers. So our crack staff headed by Model Railroad News editor Tony Cook have compiled pages and pages of copious notes in order to keep all those in the AML Nation informed about all the latest comings and goings in the hobby.

Grab yourself a big bowl of shredded floor maps and enjoy!!!

What happens when a professional audio engineer and a model railroader combines his love of sound and trains into one product?? Spectacular model sound and realism is the never ending pursuit of J.T. Burke who has managed to create, what some are saying is the best sound in the hobby.

This is a great interview suggested to us by Scott Thornton of ProtoThrottle fame after he was fortunate enough to experience first hand some the best sound effects he’d ever heard. It’s all pretty nifty, so enjoy !!

The model railroading community has once again proven how much it cares about those who need help and Nathan Holmes, Michael Petersen and Scott Thornton are no exception . They’ve decided to donate two ProtoThrottles to help the Evil Overlord’s charity “One More Year.”

Enjoy.

Another ModelersLife barbeque is in the books and a fun time was had by all. The AML Nation came together, to celebrate our friendship and mutual respect for each other. Folks came from Switzerland, England, New Jersey, Ohio, Massachusetts… the list goes on and on.

We broke bread at breakfast, lunch and dinner together, went to SuperDawg, had a tremendous picnic at the Rochelle Railroad Park, visited Steven Haworth’s awesome layout and even chatted with a member of the Des Plaines fire department. Enjoy!!

This week we talk it’s a short chat with Adam Pinales the latest recipient of AML Nation company issue headset official and discover more interesting stuff about the Amtrak conductor that refuses to sit still.

Then we travel to Rhode Island to ride the rails with the official AML fit guy and his wife Debby as they take a scenic ride across historic Aquidneck Island on the Newport and Narragansett Bay Railroad. Enjoy!!

Our very own Mike “the Spoon” Ostertag travelled all the way from Green Bay, Wisconsin (home to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field) to Minneapolis, Minnesota in search of interesting modelers to interview and hit one out of the park.

This talented graphic artist and creator of a documentary/tutorial style YouTube series about his SOO The Milwaukee Road is a wealth of information about railroading in the upper Midwest. It’s a great interview covering a wide range of topics which we are sure you’ll enjoy.

Our very own Mike "the Spoon" Ostertag looks outside the window for the most accurate weather forecast in model railroading.

Once again it’s the annual gathering from around the globe of the AML Nation. This year is even more exciting as this annual event for the first time in history stretches over two full days.

If this is your first time you’re in for a treat and if you’ve come before there’s no reason for you to be any more disappointed than last year. The pregame show is just as much of a tradition as the picnic itself and the share is no different as we prepare to descend on the sleepy town of Rochelle Illinois.

So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded leftover parking lot hotdogs and a tall glass of trackside bottled water and enjoy.

It’s been almost a year now since the disastrous news of the Affa plant closing in China swept across the model railroad world like wildfire. The future looked bleak for the hobby industry and much hand wringing was the note of the day.

We decided to check in again with the president of Arrowhead Models who’d just begun his company and was one of the manufacturers relying on Affa to produce their products when trouble across the Pacific struck. It’s an interesting look behind the scenes that we’re sure you’ll enjoy.

People are fascinating and as far as I’m concerned those of us involved in the hobby of model railroading are as interesting as any.This week two completely different stories tied together by nothing more than a love of this great hobby.

If you’re a regular listener to the podcast you’ll recognize both names as regular contributors to the podcast, the host of Tomstock 2020 and a modeler that regularly posts to the Facebook page.

So it back with a big bowl of shredded thesis papers, a tall glass of used stable water and enjoy!!

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a professional model railroad builder? It’s a return visit to one of the premier layout builders in the industry, Lance has been building layouts as his sole source of income for over twenty years, catering primarily to those who demand the highest levels of craftsmanship and realism for their railroads.

In addition to building layouts that operate with bullet proof reliability, Lance creates works of art and that’s what we stopped by to chat about. Our guest has recently published a new book called the art of Model Railroading.

It’s a great episode that we know you’ll enjoy.

Still trying to figure how fast your hotcakes will sell, not sure how far east you can go before you start heading west. You’re waiting for the day that mattresses aren’t on sale, you’ve planned a surprise birthday party for your favorite psychic but he already knew about it.

We can’t help with any of these questions but you’ll get a chance to match skills with our next contestant on the Kelly Questions. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded pillows, a steaming hot mug of gooey pancake mix and enjoy !!

What do you get when we mix N-scale, garden railroading, two and half inch scale, 1:1 scale, a guy that’s qualified to operate full size locomotives, an Amtrak conductor, a custom painter, DCC decoder installation wizard and a helix building machine?? A guy named Adam with a personality as big the great plains of Kansas and refreshing as a clean pair of underwear. 

This is one interesting dude and I’m glad to call him friend, so grab yourself a tall cool glass of acrylic primer, a big bowl of shredded overalls and enjoy !!!

The “Big Boy” steam locomotive was a big deal, with barely more two dozen built beginning in1941 and then after what seemed like an almost super human job to restore an engine barely good enough to be used for a static display but the Union Pacific railroad along with Ed Dickens and his capable crew achieved the impossible and our very own Adam Pinales was there to witness it all in person.

There’s room for one more in Adam’s Ford Expedition so come along with us as we recreate this exciting railroad event for those unable to attend.

If you’ve been in the hobby for any amount of time, more than likely you’ll recognize the name of our next victim… Errr, I mean guest. His photography is second to none and his numerous magazine and catalog covers are spectacular. 

Ken has ventured into the world social media with a successful YouTube show entitled “What’s Neat This Week.” Along with his newest sidekick Michelle Kempema, he’s taking the hobby on a magical carpet ride.

Grab your favorite Doobie Brothers t-shirt, a warm Mexican Coke and enjoy!!

Some shows are good, some shows are great and some shows are historic. Firefighters are always there when you need them and this time was no different. We here at the AML Nation knew we had something special on our hands but it took a retired fire captain from Miami, Florida to finally identify that at best our efforts were marginally adequate.

So join us for this historic round of Kelly Questions as we learn as much about ourselves as we do about our guest. Enjoy !!

From the deep recesses of “Professor” Tony Cook’s mind, come the musings of a life long model railroad enthusiast and more interesting information on the history of this great hobby.

Life-Like Trains introduced an HO Scale model of EMD’s BL2 in 1989, the first in their series of higher-quality Proto 2000 models.

The release made a big impact on the hobby of model railroading, as it was the first serious attempt by a manufacturer to mass-produce an accurate ready-to-run model.

Plus there’s plenty of TV trivia and we try to answer the question, where would we be without the “Cone of Silence.” Enjoy !!

As an accomplished drummer in and around Melbourne, Australia model railroading wasn’t a part of Martyn’s life until his early forties 40’s but he’d always had an interest in scale models. After wandering into a hobby store with the intention of building a scale model of a travelling carnival the large O-scale layout in the shop gave him the bug and he never looked back.

His current layout resides in a dedicated building based on the bi-directional line between Newport and Geelong in 1983. He’s been an active member of the NMRA since 2008 which he believes provides inspiration and knowledge in the hobby as well as providing friendship with like minded people. Enjoy !! 

Still not sure which armrest is yours at the movie theatre, can’t help wondering if vegetarians eat animal crackers?? Why does it take so long to sink in quicksand, if your child refuses to sleep during nap time is he or she resisting a rest??

We can’t help with any of these problems but we can help you waste another hour of your life with another awesome podcast from the AML Nation. We have two great interviews with our very own Shane “the Young Gun” and Aaron Maue a frequent post of all sorts of interesting stuff. So grab yourself a bowl of ground foam and ballast, a tall glass of wet watery plaster and enjoy.

Still wondering if you can buy an entire chess set at a pawn shop. Do vegetarians eat animal crackers, when does it stop being partly cloudy and start being partly sunny? Can’t stop wondering if it’s illegal to park beside a fire hydrant even when your car is on fire??

We can’t help you solve these problems but pull up a chair ringside as we introduce you to another exciting round of the Kelly Questions. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded cowboy boots, a tall glass of crude oil and enjoy!!

What happens when you can’t get all the parts and pieces you need to build your dream N-Scale layout… Simple, you start a successful business called MidWest Model Railroad.

Stephen and along with his mom, Alice and dad Gary decided to make the hobby more accessible to everyone with great prices and timely delivery. Early on they decided to keep the cost of operating their business to a minimum and pass the savings along to the individual modeler.

It’s a great story and one I’m sure you’ll enjoy!!

You still have questions about extra terrestrials that helped the stranded astronauts on Apollo 13?? Still not sure if your multiple choice answers on your grade ten geography test were correct?? Still wondering about the viability of turning Star Trek into a musical??

We can’t help with any of this but if you’ve always wondered what sort of super hero the host of Ron’s Trains and Things would be you’ve come to the right place.

So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded SATs, a tall glass of spent rocket fuel and enjoy.

The HO scale Piney Fork Branch re-creates a New York Central branch line in eastern Ohio during the 1960s. This is a multilevel layout featuring an extensive steel-mill scene.

An emergency room doctor by day and an avid model railroader at night, Seth as been in and around railroading since his boyhood days in Minerva, Ohio, about 50 miles southwest of Youngstown.

This is a great railroad recently featured on the cover of the August, 2018 edition of Model Railroader Magazine.  Enjoy !!

It’s the Down and Dirty Weathering Contest over at Ron’s Trains and Things and the AML Nation needs your vote !!

So vote early and vote often, the boys are counting on you !!!

The weekend is over and you’re fill of great stories from the weekend, you went deep sea fishing only to realize the boat was in dry dock the whole time. You entered the world of competitive jig-saw puzzling and finished third when because you three of the pieces that looked bruschetta.

We can help you relax from all the excitement by spending quality time with three of the hobbies most dynamic personalities, Tom Barbalet, Peter Borcherds and Ed Olszewski. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded life jackets, a big glass of melted propeller grease and enjoy !!

Follow the journey of a young boy as he discovers the joys of model railroading from his humble beginnings in Staten Island to the bright lights of Nashville. A professional musician, waiter and he can do your taxes while you wait, Joey’s interest in the hobby has been there since the beginning. 

He loves to weather rolling stock and if he’s not on stage or getting familiar with the ladies you’ll find him working on his latest project. So grab a tambourine, a harmonica or your favorite cigar box bass guitar and get ready to jam with Joey.

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from the “Young Gun” so this seemed like as good a time as any to check in. Of course as always it wasn’t hard to fill up a couple of hours talking about all sorts of things but we managed to keep it to forty-five minutes.

However as an bonus, turns out Shane and Tony Cook the editor of Model Railroad News had already done a great interview Chris Palomarez the brand manager at Athearn Trains.

So grab yourself a big smoking bowl of crushed decoders, a steaming hot mug of melted soldering paste and enjoy !!

Well they did it, they done went and got dirty. Mike “the Spoon” Ostertag and Andy “StraightBall” Dorsch have entered a weathering contest on the YouTube channel of Ron’s Trains and Things. So it’s up to the AML nation to support and vote for your favorite cast member in this historic showdown.

In the tradition of those great Chicago mayoral elections remember to vote early and vote often. So grab yourself a hot steaming plate of shredded mail in ballots, a tall glass of North Branch Canal discharge and enjoy.

This podcast is about a retired fire-fighter from Miami living the quiet life in Georgia, Tom’s passion for model and prototype trains has been there most of his life, from the first Lionel set to his current layout, the Georgia Northeastern, model railroading has been a constant.

Working part time for the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad afforded him the opportunity to learn about prototype operations and focus on running a short line railroad. Many friends have helped with this great story that we’re sure you’ll enjoy.

Rob Arsenault takes his chances with the Kelly Questions, we take a trip out to New Jersey to find out what’s on the workbench of Ron Klaiss of Mine Mount Models and finally we check in with Joe D’Amato of Micro Trains as he tells us some excellent techniques for applying decals.

So pull up a chair, grab yourself a tall glass of Solvaset, a big bowl of damp shredded backing paper and enjoy !!!

White River Productions is pleased to announce that Otto Vondrak, associate editor of Railfan & Railroad, is the new editor of Railroad Model Craftsman. The eighth editor of RMC, he’s a native of New York state and graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology’s (RIT) graphic design program.

A lifelong model railroader, he’s a member of the National Model Railroad Association Northeast Region, and a co-founder of the RIT Model Railroad Club. We here at the ole’ AML world headquarters think Otto is a great choice for the position and look forward to what he’ll bring to this already great magazine.

Congratulations !!

Gordy Robinson is young, enthusiastic and ready to make the NMRA the best it can be… Find out why right here.

Another trip to Springfield is in the books, it was another great show with nine acres of model railroading to see in just two days.

Now it’s time to find out from all your favorite AML characters what they saw, who they talked to and what they bought.

So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded Tyco hopper cars, a tall glass of re-useable hot dog water and enjoy !!!

We first met Brooks about a year ago through an email we received at the ole’ AML headquarters. (It had fallen behind one of the filing cabinets.) He seemed like the perfect candidate for an interview, young, self motivated and dedicated to model railroading. This is an excellent interview exploring the many facets how life intertwines with this great hobby of ours and helps to strengthen the fabric of who we are as individuals.

When he is not busy searching for Blue box models he’s running his business, Western Audio Works check out his website at:

westernaudioworks.com

Enjoy !!

Still wondering what those bright lights were last night above your house, your Aunt Mabel claims she was abducted by aliens on Tuesday and they took her ’79 Pinto wagon with them. You’re convinced Area 51 is nothing more than a cover for the real UFO’s in Area 73. This all sounds quite reasonable but be prepared to go back… Way back.

It’s the latest edition of the X2F Files as we take a look back at some of the hits and misses from model railroading’s yesteryear with Model Railroad News editor Tony Cook.

Scott Thorton is on the road again spreading joy throughout the model railroading world with the new ProtoThrottle from Iowa Scaled Engineering. We managed to take Michael Petersen the builder of throttle away from the booth for a few moments for a quick insight. Enjoy!!!

You need a vacation, somewhere warm to go, someplace exciting, a new adventure. Well here at the ole’ AML Network that’s a no can do but we can help you waste an hour and a half of your life without even going outside. Come with us as we once again cruise the murky waters of your imagination and try to figure out why socks are shaped like the letter “L”.

Grab yourself a big bowl of discarded train show hot dog wrappers, a tall glass of reusable fountain water and enjoy !!!

Lego trains are definitely part of the model railroading community and BrickModelRailroader.com is quickly becoming an important representative by building the Lego train hobby one brick at a time.

Lego trains constantly evolve and this segment of the hobby continues to grow. Many scale modelers are drawn to Lego trains and many folks are introduced to scale model railroading through the Lego trains.

So sit back and enjoy another great podcast about another piece of this great hobby.

It’s an all star cast with Kaylee Zhang answering the Kelly Questions and Shawn Becher providing all sorts of interesting thoughts to ponder. Shawn’s segment was found under the soda machine in the cafeteria near the bouncy balls.

After a brief investigation it would appear Shawn’s segment scheduled for an earlier virtual hobby shop show somehow was lost.

If we hadn’t been power washing the office we’d would have never discovered Shawn’s on air segment jammed under a filing cabinet covered with green goo created when the model railroad hobby simply exploded. Enjoy.

All the news that is the news is right here at your fingertips thanks to our crack reporter Tony Cook – editor of Model Railroad News. Tony has risked life and limb traveling around the globe looking for the latest and greatest products helping to turn your dream pike into a reality.

On this episode learn all about the evolution of using a forty foot box car for bulk transport to the development of covered hoppers and some of the new models available such as Tangent’s High Side Covered Hopper.

“Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show” the biggest model railroad show in North America, dating back to the‘60s when a group of students and faculty members from the University of Massachusetts hosted a swap meet on campus. In ‘82 they took a risk moving to the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

Fast forward almost 40 years where show president John Sacerdote and his tireless army of volunteers is ready for a crowd of 25,000 folks excited to see what’s new and different this year. Enjoy !!

I’ve met so many interesting people right here on the ole’ AML Network so we thought it’s the perfect time of year to find out what they’d like to see happen in the future.

It’s a whole bunch of your favorite AML regulars wishing you all the best for the new year and talking about there hopes of a bright future for the hobby and people in general.

So get yourself a big bowl of shredded party hats, a warm mug of leftover eggnog and enjoy.

Once again it’s time for our annual state of the hobby and who better to determine the future of model railroading then the editor of Model Railroad Hobbyist. It’s a great podcast with Tony Cook, editor of Model Railroad News and Bruce “the moderately agitated” Mailboy as co-hosts. 

The potential for growth in the hobby has never been so exciting and Joe Fugate is eager to talk about that and a major life experience he’s recently encountered. Enjoy !!!

From deep in the heart of south, the “Big Easy” comes the true life story of out next victim … Errr… I mean, challenger. Greg is an active member of the Crescent City Model Railroad Club.

Enjoy !!!

Syracuse, New York is the economic and educational hub of central New York state and the home of our next guest who’s enthusiastically promoted the hobby of model railroading most of his adult life. Most recently using a small switching layout to introduce people of all ages to the hobby and actively recruit them for Central New York division of the NMRA.

It’s all about hands-on experience for Ed and his crew as they travel to various train shows introducing people to the hobby. He’s a great supporter of the podcast with a great story so sit back with a tall glass of Congo beer, a big bowl of month old pretzels and enjoy.

You’re convinced the X2F HO scale coupler was actually developed in exploratory labs located deep inside Sector 12 as an attempt to help the Guardians of the Universe protect future colonies.

Let’s go back to 1957, Athearn’s HI-F Drive was gaining popularity through recent releases in their HO scale diesel line and the Hustler made it’s a glorious debut on to the model railroad scene gaining a solid foothold on many layouts and a place in model railroad history.

This is the debut of a new series hosted by AML’s very own Tony Cook, a fountain of knowledge when it comes to the history of this great hobby and the editor of Model Railroad News.

Chris Adams and Kaylee Zheng review all the comings and goings at the North East Railroad Prototype Modelers meet in Enfield, Connecticut. There were lots of awesome presentations and free flowing exchange of good ideas.

RPM Meets present an excellent opportunity for learning and sharing different techniques with some of the best in the hobby. So sit back, close your eyes and relax as we give you an audio tour of the NERPM Meet… Actually if you’re driving, keep your eyes open.

Ever wonder what it’s like to be pastor of the First Baptist Church in El Dorado Springs, Missouri and still having time to become one of the rising stars in the dog eat dog world of model railroad video production?? 

It’s a never ending quest here at the old AML headquarters to fine the most interesting people in the hobby.

Ron’s Trains N Things is a YouTube channel dedicated to sharing tools, tips and techniques as Ron Marsh guides you along the way towards a better layout. Ron’s easy on screen demeanor makes it a pleasure to follow along towards this next completed project. Enjoy!!

It’s often said that weathering your locomotives and cars is essential to creating a realistic appearance for any model railroad. Rob is willing to admit he may never totally master it but to the naked eye he’s one of the premier weathering artists in the hobby.

With customers all over the world in countries such as, Poland, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland and Australia he’s setting the modeling world on its ear. This is an interesting update with an interesting personality who’s love for the hobby knows no bounds whether he’s rail fanning or completing another weathering job on a priceless model. Enjoy.

Broadway meets railway, it’s the Delaware and Susquehanna a proto-freelanced railroad loosely based on the Lehigh Valley. It’s all about operations with plenty of run through traffic and high pressure yard-master jobs. The CTC machine requires an experienced operator to keep the whole thing moving.

There’s lots of discussion about operations, operating sessions on other railroads and the Operations Special Interest Group. So sit back with a big bowl of shredded car cards, an ice cold glass of operator sweat and enjoy.

It’s time once again for product news with our intrepid reporter Tony Cook editor of Model Railroad News and HO Collector Quarterly. He searched all of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and discovered Walthers has their new F-7 A&B units.

It’s the fastest five minutes in model railroading with train show announcements, open houses and trivia questions. All you need now is a lawn chair, a bowl of shredded magazines, a tall glass of spilled diesel fuel and a chance to enjoy this once in a lifetime podcast.

The future of model railroading is upon us and we’re fortunate enough to have three of its brightest stars right here on this podcast. Kaylee Zheng a well known clinician, Jordan Kramer and Shane Mason associate editor at Model Railroad News, stop by to give us their take on where the hobby’s headed.

Then it’s an interview with Ron Klaiss (sounds like nice) about his new company manufacturing high quality, easily assembled, laser cut kits. Ron gives us some insight as to why he started the company and what he’s hoping to accomplish in the future.

Enjoy !!

What happens when a century-old house that’s going to become home to one of the greatest model railroads ever built, has a low ceiling and a furnace that could easily rival the “clinker” from Christmas Story. This is a story of one man’s struggle to single-handedly change the appearance of his basement ceiling.

”Straightball” discusses all the options he’s explored and reveals what some of the early results of his efforts have produced. In the end you’ll surely realize as I do that when Andy sets out to do a job he Kilz it. Enjoy!!

Looking for a new book to read, Northern Pacific refrigerator cars are on your wish list, Budd cars and trivia questions keep you awake at night?? It’s all right here during the fastest five minutes in model railroading with Model Railroad News Tony Cook.

Spanning the globe to bring you the most important news of the day and keep you more informed than a air traffic controller at Chicago’s busy Midway Airport eating a Philly cheese steak.

I know what you’re thinking, what would it be like to model the Conrail Railroad in Central New Jersey in the year 1988?? Well you’re in luck, thanks to a thorough investigation by our crack staff (Peter Borcherds) we’ve discovered Conrail is alive and well in N scale.

Joe has done a marvelous job of modeling and documenting his journey building a quality model railroad intended for operations. With over 3000 YouTube subscribers, the scenery started and major construction complete it makes for a great interview. Enjoy !!

It’s the most realistic throttle for operating model railroad diesel locomotives with controls that feel and perform just like the prototype. At least that’s what I was told but once we got our hands on this product we were convinced.

Scott Thornton had an idea and the boys at Iowa Scaled Engineering decided to make his dreams a reality. This is a behind the scenes look at how it all began with comments from some of the operators who were amongst the first to take this amazing product out for a spin. Enjoy !!

Spanning the globe to bring you the latest news in the world of model railroading, our own Tony Cook has travelled thousands of miles at his own expense to keep us all up to date.

Accurail’s special Trainfest release, Broadway Limited’s newest N scale locomotive, Menard’s exclusive train sets from Bachmann, Precision Design’s newest decals, upcoming train shows, it’s all here in one convenient package.

Don’t forget to check out the latest Model Railroad News and enjoy!!

What does a guy from Boston, Massachusetts and a guy from Green Bay, Wisconsin have in common? Not much until they found out they were the only two guys in S scale.

It’s another great example of how this hobby brings people from all walks of life together. A locomotive engineer from CN and a civil engineer with the career spanning over four decades have created a great friendship based on model railroading.

Plus, we learned that if you spend enough time in a Wendy’s restaurant you can get just about anything accomplished. Enjoy !!

WeatherMyTrains.com is a website I hadn’t even heard of until just shortly before it was suggested that the owner would make an excellent interview for the podcast. With a worldwide customer base that is steadily growing Rob is a fine artist with more than 40 years experience producing aviation art, rail art and more recently quality weathering on model railroad locomotives and cars.

With a PhD from the school of “Hard Knocks” the goal is to make today’s premium find scale models even better with realistic weathering techniques and quality sound. This is a great interview with tons of useful information Rob graciously shared with everyone at the AML Network.

Still trying to decide between crunchy and smooth peanut butter, your router keeps giving you different directions to your bedroom, Alexa refuses to play any of your favorite Kiss Cover band songs.

We can’t help with any of that but we can help you become comatose as you listen to Jerry Britton try his hand at answering the Kelly questions.

Enjoy.

Spanning the globe to keep you informed of the latest developments in model railroading. Tony Cook editor of model railroad news once again has tirelessly searched out all the new products that you need to know about.

Enjoy !!!

Our next guest typifies what this hobby is all about. I met Greg at the Amherst train show in Springfield, Massachusetts. I was standing outside Jim Sacco’s City Classics booth when he walked up and introduced himself. 

He was in his mid 30s, enthusiastic, cheerful, spoke right up and before I knew it we were having a very pleasant conversation because we’re model railroaders I’d never met. Originally from the north east he’s now a full-time resident in New Orleans and he gave us a very good description of the model railroading community in that part of the world. This is a great interview.

Enjoy !!

Almost fell off your chair when you discovered the shape of a Pringles potato chip is actually a hyperbolic paraboloid instead of being fashioned after Roy Rogers favorite saddle. You’ve decided the best way to get rich is to open a McDonald’s on the one continent they have yet to conquer. 

When you’re not deep in thought and you need something to stimulate your brain we have no idea how to help you but we can make the next ninety minutes of your life a complete waste of time simply by listening to the latest cruise.

Good luck, you’re going to need.