a ModelersLife

This the final installment of Blair Kooistra's thirty-seven-day extensive railroad photography expedition across the United States, undertaken after his retirement from working as a full-time railroad dispatcher. Blair used the trip to continue lifelong passion for railroad photography, documenting freight trains, railroad infrastructure, industrial landscapes, and model railroads along the way. S...

On this edition of "a ModelersLife" we welcome back Michael Petersen one of the co-founders of Iowa Scaled Engineering located somewhere in Colorado. ISE has been bringing engineering innovation mostly through electronics to the hobby of model railroading for several years while helping layout builders create sophisticated railroads that are more fun to operate. Michael founded the company with Na...

Right from the beginning the goal of Midwest Model Railroad was to be different, be bold, daring and willing to take chances in order to create one of the most successful model railroad shops in the lower forty-eight. Enter Brayden Anderson a young twenty something who became the general manager of the store at an age when most are still just trying to find their way. For most people Brayden's age...

Steve Goaring's Illinois Terminal Railroad, O'Fallon Branch, is a terrific example of prototype-focused HO scale model railroading. It recreates a relatively obscure Southern Illinois branch line and, rather than simply building a generic railroad, Steve researched the prototype and built the layout around how the railroad actually operated. For the basic concept he modeled the Illinois Terminal's...

Steve Goaring's Illinois Terminal Railroad, O'Fallon Branch, is a terrific example of prototype-focused HO scale model railroading. It recreates a relatively obscure Southern Illinois branch line and, rather than simply building a generic railroad, Steve researched the prototype and built the layout around how the railroad actually operated. For the basic concept he modeled the Illinois Terminal's...

David Popp has brought knowledge and joy to model railroaders around the world for well over two decades, with his deep his enthusiasm for the hobby, and his ability to make even the most complicated modeling subjects approachable, David has become one of the hobby's most recognizable and trusted voices. Whether he's talking about layouts, operations, scenery, locomotives, tools, or the people who...

The N.C. Transportation Museum, Trains Magazine, White River Productions, Scale Trains, Virtual Railfan, and Jack & Audrey Harris are excited to present the America 250 Locomotive Celebration August 28-30 at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC!! And we here at the AML Nation are excited to present our very own Marcus Neubacher (the AML's most eligible bachelor) with a complete run-down o...

It was a beautiful morning in Chattanooga, Tennessee home of this year's NMRA national convention, the Scenic City Express. The trains were running, the vendors selling and the clinics were filling up. And somewhere inside the Convention headquarters Scott Lister was standing beside his contest entry with the confidence of a man who had just built one of the finest models ever constructed in the h...

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...

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 railroa...

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 you...

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 tr...

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, w...

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 enthus...

  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...

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 Octob...

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 inspirati...

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 h...

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...

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...

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 wit...

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 a...

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 seg...

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...