a ModelersLife

All modelers have a life but what do we know of it. This podcast is as much about the people in model railroading has it is about the hobby itself. I've met so many interesting people in the hobby over the years I decided it would be fun to share their back stories with everyone else. So come along with me, Lionel Strang as we discover just how many fascinating folks there are in this great hobby of ours.

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Episodes

Gordy Robinson and the NMRA

There’s no way a guy living in the North Atlantic off the coast of Scotland on a tiny rock could have any sort of significant impact on an organization such as the NMRA with the majority of its membership located in the lower forty-eight. Turns out nothing could be farther from the truth, not only has our next guest’s hard work resulted in major changes, but in reality, his leadership has helped to improve the hobby of model railroading for everyone involved. As the NMRA continues to struggle wi...

Oct 09, 2023•2 hr 4 min

Episode 225: Ken McCorry Part 1

What would happen if you grew up in the 1960s alongside the four track Pennsylvania Railroad main line in Berwyn, Pennsylvania?? There’d be a good chance you’d end up becoming a lifelong model railroader and that’s exactly what happened to our next guest Ken McCorry. But that’s not where the story ends, an American Flyer train set, a short stent in the Navy, a couple of N-scale layouts followed by an introduction to model railroad operations, and the rest is history. After the switch to HO scale...

Oct 02, 2023•1 hr 51 min

Cresson Chronicles Part Two

Let’s head back down to the Station Inn on the Norfolk Southern mainline at Cresson, Pennsylvania for some words of wisdom from “Uncle” Dave and “the Wiz.” In part two of the “Chronicles” Rich Wisneski gives us some detailed background about the grades heading east and west as the tracks cross the summit near Gallitzin, Pennsylvania. We find out more about a seventeen-year-old Dave that’s made the same trek every year for the last three decades and how he managed to keep going. Much has changed ...

Sep 25, 2023•2 hr 13 min

Episode 224: Joshua Barton

So you’re asking yourself, who’s that guy sitting beside the “Dude” each time you watch “What’s Neat This Week” featuring Ken “the Dude” Patterson?? Why it’s none other than Joshua Barton, a man of many skills including to help keep the “Dude” on track so to speak, with product announcements, guest line-ups and looking after the always popular Mike Budde. Joshua has had a very interesting life as a chef, musician, video tech to name just a few of his talents. He’s also currently building a layou...

Sep 18, 2023•1 hr 26 min

Buzz & Lorne Visit St. Louis

Have you ever stood on the shores of Lake Erie looking wistfully across towards Canada only to wish you had more foreigners use your bathroom. Have you ever stared at the photos from the Collinsville Railroad Prototype Modelers wondering what it would be like if Buzz and Lorne went?? Well, then this is the podcast for you. On this addition of “a ModelersLife,” we learn about such things as using a hovercraft to get across Lake Erie, burying assorted model railroad train supplies on a farm, heat ...

Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 59 min

Episode 223: John Frantz

What do you say to somebody that tells you they’re building a four-deck model railroad, we weren’t sure either, but were determined to find out. John’s love of railroads in the Chesapeake Bay area during the 1970s has led him to create a model railroad with multiple helixes several decks creating what believe will be in layout for the ages. Our next guest is a lifelong modeler, who recently joined the Rapido Trains team as project manager number 347. But wait, there’s more, after a short stent a...

Sep 04, 2023•1 hr 53 min

Cresson Chronicles Part One

Time has passed, a year has gone by, and another visit to the Station Inn in Cresson, Pennsylvania has produced more great interviews with some very interesting characters. Situated beside the Norfolk Southern’s main line from Altoona to Johnstown, Pennsylvania fighting over some of the steepest mainline grades east of the Mississippi. It’s a busy helper district with high-volume traffic. In part, one of the Cresson Chronicles, we interviewed a delightful fellow known as John Zelehoski with a pl...

Aug 28, 2023•1 hr 57 min

Episode 222: Garden State Modelworks

The hobby is dying, there’s nothing but old guys in it, and soon there won’t be anything left of model railroading. We here at the old AML Nation don’t believe that for a second and this podcast is solid proof that the hobby is alive and well. John McGuire is a 22 year old enthusiastic modeler with a talent for installing LED lights and DCC decoders. Installing LED lights in model railroad locomotives can add a realistic touch to your layout, making the trains more visually appealing and immersi...

Aug 21, 2023•1 hr 59 min

"Uncle" Dave's Fireside Chat #13

Much like President Franklin D. Roosevelt's series of radio broadcasts during WWII, “Uncle” Dave’s fireside chats have become a cornerstone of the AML nation, bringing calmness and stability to the fast-paced, ever-changing world of model railroading. Just like FDR, “Uncle” Dave’s fireside chats are designed to make complex issues and policies more accessible while at the same time avoiding that most common of all mistakes… Gluing your finger to your eyelid. Whether Dave is discussing the ebb an...

Aug 14, 2023•1 hr 54 min

Episode 221: East Coast Circuits

The hobby of model railroading just continues to grow and grow, and today’s electronics is opening up all sorts of avenues that we never thought possible just a few short years ago. One of those companies that is increasing enjoyment of the hobby is a small business located in Warwick, Rhode Island, called East Coast Circuits, specializing, in lighting affects for emergency vehicles, such as police, cars, firetrucks, ambulances and other vehicles like the UPS five-ton delivery van. There’s also ...

Aug 07, 2023•1 hr 49 min

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