Scott and the Judges
a ModelersLife
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 history of mankind. Scott had spent months on it with every board carefully weathered and every detail in place on the model with the greatest care. It wasn’t long until the judges arrived as...
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Chris Wehman and the NMRA Layout Tour
a ModelersLife
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...
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Wallace Locomotive Works
a ModelersLife
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...
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ViewerMail Flight #138
a ModelersLife
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...
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Episode 287: Andrew Keeney
a ModelersLife
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...
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Blair Kooistra Still on the Road
a ModelersLife
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.
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a Visit With Ken Patterson
a ModelersLife
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....
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ViewerMail Flight #137
a ModelersLife
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...
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Episode 286: George Taylor Returns!!
a ModelersLife
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!!
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Episode 285: Bob Ginger
a ModelersLife
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...
info_outlineSo, 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 !!