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-s...
Jun 30, 2025•1 hr 13 min
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 it...
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr 17 min
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 Ha...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 6 min
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 ce...
Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 12 min
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 wh...
Jun 02, 2025•1 hr 7 min
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 disc...
May 26, 2025•1 hr 6 min
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 ...
May 19, 2025•1 hr
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 f...
May 12, 2025•1 hr 15 min
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 T...
May 05, 2025•1 hr 3 min
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 v...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Have you ever wondered what would happen if two guys with beards that worked for the Norfolk Southern joined forces to create a destination hobby shop in York, Pennsylvania?? The same question occurred to us and after an exhaustive search we stumbled across Ryan and Tom who just so happened to own White Rose Hobbies, a full-line hobby shop located at 4401 W Market St. in York, PA. Ryan has been a life-long model railroader and Tom has been a life-long entrepreneur with a desire to be part of a s...
Apr 21, 2025•59 min
Until recently, most model railroading products were imported from countries like China, Germany, or Japan under a specific harmonized tariff schedule. The tariffs were typically low and often duty-free under most trade agreements. For many imports valued under $800 shipments could often enter the country duty-free But all that’s changed so we here at the ole’ AML Network decided it was time to find out as much as we could about this new world by visiting our friends Tom and Ryan at White Rose H...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Getting started in model railroading can be an overwhelming experience, with questions like what scale to choose, who makes the best products, do I need to be a skilled carpenter, will there be a need for a vast knowledge in electronics?? The questions are endless and in today’s world of social media the places to find answers can be almost as confusing. But being a woman in model railroading can be both a rewarding and unique experience, though it sometimes comes with challenges due to the hobb...
Apr 07, 2025•59 min
Our next guest may not be well known in the world of model railroading but he’s the son of Larry Wolfe, AMA Hall of Fame member and world-renowned RC jet pioneer. Chris Wolfe grew up in the back room of Jet hanger Hobbies while being exposed to all aspects of the radio control hobby. His passion for the hobby started at an early age when he began building plastic models, by age eleven he was flying RC aircraft. Chris has built numerous award-winning competition scale aircraft and loves to build ...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Getting back into the hobby after a long hiatus isn’t as simple as it might sound, things have changed, prices are different, tools are better, the models run so much more smoothly, and the AML Nation is now here to help. On this episode, we talk with Bill Ford who’s always been a Model Railroader, but took time off for to pursue his career in punk rock and becoming an licensed electrician. Bill never actually lost his enthusiasm for the hobby but as with so many things, life got in the way and ...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Turns out there’s other hobbies besides model railroading, who knew??... So here at the ole’ World Headquarters in downtown Busted Knuckle, Kentucky have decided that for the second decade of “a ModelersLife” we’re going to occasionally explore life outside this great hobby of ours. The hobby of wargaming has been growing in popularity over the last several decades, and we decided to strike up a conversation with someone that has an excellent website, a great YouTube channel, lots of tutorials a...
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 1 min
It’s always fun when we talk to somebody for the very first time and on this episode, we head to the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois to talk with David Lund an avid model railroader, brand new dad of beautiful twin girls, son of a full-time railroader and a man that understands the finer things about hotdogs. If you’re interested in anything other than model railroads as David has been for most of his life, this is a great discussion about plastic plane modeling and some of the crossover techniques...
Mar 10, 2025•53 min
One of the great things about this hobby of model railroading is the ability to meet people from all walks of life and while we’ve talked with Andy Zimmerman before, it’s always interesting to start the discussion talking about life on an aircraft carrier and around the world. But after that, there was plenty of talk about T-Trak, the evolution of Kato Precision Railroad Models, advancements in DCC decoders over the years and some of the best model railroad benchwork money can buy. So grab yours...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 9 min
It’s part two of the Joe Desmond chronicles, and in this episode we discover some very cool 3-D printed pick-up truck models at Showcase Miniatures, from the original Mad About Cars series. There’s also a great discussion and some excellent instruction on how to paint these particular models while Joe introduces us to the Army Painter series of paints and supplies. Joe also tells us how he learned to curve wood and make his fabulous control panels look like they were built directly into the layo...
Feb 24, 2025•54 min
It’s been a while since we checked in with our friend Joe Desmond, an N- Scale modeler with a passion for the hobby, Conrail and connecting with other hobbyists through social media. There’s a great discussion about the pros and cons of spending valuable modeling time making YouTube videos versus working on the layout. Joe has for some years now publicized his Central Jersey Conrail layout on TikTok and other social media avenues. There’s some good discussion on why the layout isn’t finished yet...
Feb 17, 2025•48 min
Bad behaviour or making hurtful statements can often be an insight into one’s soul, sometimes showcasing the dark and often unexpected sides of our personalities. It challenges traditional notions of morality and explores the complexity of human spirit. Bad behavior can help analyze the intricacies of the human thought process, showcasing how past traumas and insecurities can shape individuals' particular actions and decision-making. Creating a ripple effect of damage to not only ourselves but t...
Feb 10, 2025•49 min
We’ve interviewed so many folks over the last decade sometimes it’s hard to remember who we’ve missed over the last little while, but thanks to the modeler simply known as “Kelly,” we’ve once again teamed up with one of the most prolific and imaginative folks we’ve ever met on our travels throughout the model railroad world. Smokin’ Joe D’Amato has for over two decades been a key element in the design and production of the fabulous N-Scale line from Micro-Trains in Talent, Oregon. Never at a los...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr 46 min
On this episode of who has the Evel Overlord managed to lure into the studio, the story about three guys who’ve taken it upon themselves to move the Savannah RPM to a new location is revealed, continuing a tradition in the great state of Georgia, and making it bigger and better than ever. Paul Spilman, Stephen Floyd, and Ken Preston have taken it upon themselves to keep the tradition of what many have known as “the Savannah RPM’ going strong. Since 1999, from their roots in Port Wentworth, GA un...
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 36 min
It’s that time of year again, the best train show in all of North America (and maybe the world) is just a few days away, and has become our yearly tradition, John Sacerdote the show Director has stopped by the AML World Headquarters in Busted Knuckle, Kentucky to tell us all the latest news that’ll get us so excited we won’t be able to sleep until the doors open. The Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show has been going for decades and since it’s humble beginnings as a swap meet, the show...
Jan 20, 2025•1 hr 33 min
It’s an all new “All-Star Variety Hour” without much variety. We’ve got just one guest for this show and Daniel Banks is just starting his initial term as the Superintendent of the Central Indiana Division after serving three years as train master. When he’s not busy trying to make the NMEA grow he can be found pursuing his favorite favorite parts of the hobby, building and operations. Dan has recently begun a new laser kit business called Wabash Model Works, modeling primarily 1875 Old West. It...
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 27 min
What does Harry Potter and railfanning have in common, well nothing really, unless of course you add in an Ohio native named Adam Matthews, railroad preservationist, photographer and model railroader who was inspired by his grandfather, a retired vice superintendent of shipping at US steel in Lorain, Ohio. We’ve been wanting to interview Adam for quite sometime now, after stumbling across his website “Train Wizard Productions,” a must see for anyone even remotely interested in trains, model rail...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 31 min
Started in 1971 as a one day show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trainfest grew as the decades rolled by into a two-day show sponsored by the Wisconsin Southeastern division of the NMRA. Eventually the show moved to the Wisconsin State Fair Park and for decades was a huge success but as with everything, changes happened and those who took over were unable to maintain it’s popularity. Over the last few years, the shows doors have only been open sporadically with those in charge unable to keep a success...
Dec 30, 2024•1 hr 42 min
Christmas stories bring a special warmth and magic to the season. From heartwarming tales of kindness and family to the whimsical adventures of Santa Claus and his reindeer, they capture the joy and wonder of the holidays. Nothing can bring the spirit of the holidays to life quicker than two grown men dressed in polar bear costumes. This is the heartwarming story of the AML Nation coming together to share the magic of the season with each other and all those around them. Our very own Seth “Doc” ...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 48 min
It’s time once again to check in with “Uncle” Dave and find out what’s happening in the Abeles clan. Whether it’s dealing with day-to-day life, unboxing of Rapido Trains fabulous new E8 locomotives or the trials and tribulations of day-to-day life. It’s always an interesting discussion while throwing another log on the fire and sitting back with your favorite wobbly pop. In this installment, Dave shows his new enthusiasm for Conrail’s Office Car Special and how much fun he’s having learning all ...
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 46 min
Balancing a hobby with the responsibilities of raising a family can feel a lot like a well-practiced juggling act, but it’s definitely possible and even beneficial, for both the modeler and the family!! The hobby of model railroading can provide an outlet for creativity and stress relief, which can make you a more patient partner and parent. Finding ways to involve your family in your hobby or setting aside dedicated "you" time can help strike that balance. So, we here at the ole’ AML Network in...
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr 55 min
