It's Just Thomas
a ModelersLife
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...
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Episode 264: N&W 300 Restoration
a ModelersLife
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...
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Episode 263: Hawkins Rails
a ModelersLife
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...
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Return of the Mud Father
a ModelersLife
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...
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RPM Meets
a ModelersLife
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.
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Episode 262: Wallace Locomotive Works
a ModelersLife
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...
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Episode 261: Wally Swaitly
a ModelersLife
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...
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Central Pennsylvania Short Lines RPM
a ModelersLife
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...
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Mike Hauk: Cover of the Rolling Stone
a ModelersLife
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...
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Episode 260: Robin Mountenay
a ModelersLife
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...
info_outlineSince 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 !!