Episode 289: Steve Goaring
a ModelersLife
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 Troy Junction–O'Fallon branch in 1961, in HO scale. The layout is approximately 12 × 21 feet, with about 75 feet of mainline. It represents the line from Troy Junction through O'Fallon to...
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Episode 289: Steve Goaring
a ModelersLife
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 Troy Junction–O'Fallon branch in 1961, in HO scale. The layout is approximately 12 × 21 feet, with about 75 feet of mainline. It represents the line from Troy Junction through O'Fallon to...
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Episode 288: David Popp
a ModelersLife
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 make this hobby great, his enthusiasm is contagious. David has a wonderful ability to remind model railroaders that this hobby isn't about building the perfect railroad. It's about having fun,...
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America 250 Locomotive Celebration
a ModelersLife
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 of the upcoming events. Experience a once-in-a-generation railroading event as the North Carolina Transportation Museum hosts the first and only gathering of commemorative locomotives...
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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.
info_outlineDavid 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 make this hobby great, his enthusiasm is contagious. David has a wonderful ability to remind model railroaders that this hobby isn't about building the perfect railroad. It's about having fun, learning something new, sharing ideas, and enjoying the journey.
That's why David Popp doesn't just bring knowledge to model railroaders around the world—he brings joy, enthusiasm, and a genuine love for the hobby. So grab yourself a big bowl of unfettered happiness, a tall cool glass of infectious personality and enjoy !!!