How did a Brit decide to model an American railroad? Blame it on Budweiser! That's one of the things we learn on this episode of Around The Layout as we chat with Steve McEwen about his model railroading journey and how his trips to the United States influenced his choice to model the New York & Atlantic Railway in a freelance way that addresses his wants in an operating layout. We also learn the why behind Steve's YouTube channel, The British Railroader. Check out The British Railroader on ...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 85
ATLP Rewind - Originally aired February 14, 2023 There are no shortage of topics when Thomas Klimoski comes to the Around The Layout studio. A retired firefighter, author, trainman and accomplished model railroader, Tom tells us about his beginnings in the hobby and how a letter written to a well-known model railroader changed his tragectory in model railroading and led to amazing opportunities and great friendships.Tom discusses how his personal experiences influenced his book "Building The Rig...
Feb 05, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Want proof that the hobby isn't dying and young folks are into model railroading? Allow us to present, once again, Issac Fabris and his CN/IC Heyworth Spur. It's been quite a while, so we were overdue for an update and Isaac brings us up to speed on the changes he's made on his layout and how changing his era has allowed him to narrow his focus, keep what he loves, but set up guardrails that keeps him from buying all of the latest locomotive releases. Isaac's biggest news is that he's an expecta...
Jan 30, 2024•52 min•Ep. 84
Neil Schofield and his CP Rail's Newport & Lyndonville Subdivision has been our guest wish list since the start of the podcast, so when Neil reached out to be on the podcast, there was quite the celebration! Before telling us about his amazing layout, Neil tells us about his start in model railroading and forcing the transition era on his dad's steam era layout and how road trips to the northernmost parts of New England planted the seed for his Vermont based layout. See the layout for yourse...
Jan 23, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 83
West Springfield, Springfield, The Big E Show, Amherst - call it what you'd like, just make sure you get there! The Amherst Railway Society's Railroad Hobby Show has become the bucket list event for model railroaders around the globe and leading this destination event is the highly dedicated and super enthusiastic Show Director John Sacerdote. John gives us a brief history of the show, then tells us what we can expect to see within the four buildings and 350,000 square feet of all things railroa...
Jan 16, 2024•47 min•Ep. 82
Shane Wilson, President of ScaleTrains, returns to Around The Layout Podcast to talk about the latest somewhat controversial announcement of the new Hypotypical line. Shane clears up some concerns and shares with us the benefits of adding a new line and how it positively impacts their ability to produce additional offerings. Later, Tony and I discuss more news pouring in from Broadway Limited, Bachmann, Lionel, Marklin and more. Check out all of the offerings from ScaleTrains on their website: h...
Jan 16, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 81
On this episode of Around The Layout, we check in with Paul Cassar. Paul's not only the Executive Producer of Around The Layout; he's quite the modeler and he provides us with updates on his River Belt Line HO scale layout located in his garage in New South Wales, Australia. Paul talks about scratchbuilding, weathering, and super detailing the layout and how his choice to keep the layout relatively small has provided the time to drill into the details. Additionally, Ray and Paul talk about worki...
Jan 09, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 80
ATLP Rewind - Originally aired May 30, 2023 On this episode of Around The Layout, we head back to Texas to chat with yet another freelance model railroader, Joe Bohannon. Joe shares his start in the hobby and the many influences, from California to Washington State to Texas that led to him creating the Chinook Lines. He also tells us about his involvement in historical societies and how the knowledge he gained there provided content for his freelace story. Check out the Chinook Lines Model Railr...
Jan 08, 2024•1 hr 3 min
After hosting myself and fellow podcasters Andy Dorsch and Tom Gasior on his TSG Live Talking Trains, it was great to have John Abatecola stop by the Around The Layout studio. John tells us about his hobby within the hobby; creating videos to share his model railroading and prototype adventures with the masses. He talks about his work with Jack Burgess and how filming trains is so much better than a funeral! Check out TSG Multimedia's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tsgmultimedia You c...
Jan 02, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 79
ATLP Rewind - Originally aired September 19, 2023 There's something really cool when you find out that someone you watched on television and in movies is a fellow model railroader. On this podcast, we get to learn more about Michael Gross, the man who, among many acting accomplishments, portrayed TV dad Steven Keaton on Family Ties for seven seasons. It becomes clear early on that he's no actor when it comes to being a model railroader; he's the real deal with a wealth of knowledge and a passion...
Jan 01, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Author and professional model railroad builder Lance Mindheim returns to Around The Layout with a couple of new books tucked under his arm. Since the last time he appeared, he's released two new "how and why" books, 8 Track Plans For Modern Era Switching Layouts and Scenery For Modern Switching Layouts. Lance shares with us the motivation for writing and takes an opportunity to tell us more about his former East Rail layout, The Downtown Spur, and how he is recreating the East Rail layout with t...
Dec 26, 2023•49 min•Ep. 78
ATLP Rewind - Originally aired April 11, 2023 Why. It's the question every model railroader should know the answer to, and Lance Mindheim has prided himself in helping model railroaders find their own why. In this episode, we find out how Lance found his own "why" as he shares his own model railroading journey. He also shares how studying the arts has made him a better modeler and how you too can begin to see your layout from a whole new angle. The author of a multitude of how-to books and his o...
Dec 25, 2023•1 hr
With only a few days left before Christmas, Tony Cook and I thought it would be a good idea to check in with Ken Bianco Jr at Trainworld and Trainland. Ken tells us about the items flying off the shelves this holiday season and shares the joy he gets from introducing new folks to the hobby. Later, Tony tells us about new releases from Bachmann, Kadee, Tangent, Rapido and many more. Get your last minute Christmas shopping done today: https://www.trainworld.com/ Subscribe to Model Railorad News an...
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 77
Meet Campbell Rice, a man who has moved more times than the Raiders football team, but has carried his passion for model railroading with him along the way. Campbell takes us along on the journey through several states and multiple layout builds, leading to his recent move back to Tennessee and the development of the freelanced Tennessee Western Railway HO scale layout. It's a story of perseverance that you don't want to miss. Learn more about the Tennessee Western Railway on their Facebook page...
Dec 12, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 76
What does it take to start a model railroad company and lead it to the position of the "Cadillac" of the industry? On this episode, we get to hear from ScaleTrains president Shane Wilson as he tells us about his model railroading journey that led to entrepreneurship at a young age and set the trajectory to a career in the hobby business. Learn the reasons why Shane and his team took the risk to create a new, innovative approach, taking lessons from his past and combining it with their passion fo...
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 75
It's late November, but we're still talking about late August and the 2023 NMRA National Convention in Texas. During that week, I was fortunate enough to visit the outstanding layout of Mike Armstrong and it was a thrill to talk to him tonight about how his Rock Island Mid-Continent Route came to fruition. Mike shares the story of growing up in Iowa and the many influences during his youth that led to a successful prototype and model railroad journey. If you're a fan of big layouts and negative ...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 74
The growth of technology in model railroading has brought a whole new level to the hobby. On this episode, Tony Cook brings along Chuck Stancil of Logic Rail Technologies to tell us about the amazing products he has created that bring life to layouts. Chuck tells us how his products can help add theatrics to your layout and reveals a new product that will provide amazing lighting effects in a number of ways. Later, Tony tells us about the latest releases from Rapido, Intermountain, Walthers, Syl...
Nov 21, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 73
On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, I appeared as a guest on TSG Multimedia's Talking Trains with hosts John Abatecola and Tony Cook. The topic was model railroad podcasts and I was joined by good friends Andy Dorsch from Second Section Podcast and Thomas Gasior of the Twin Cities Division Crossing Gate Podcast. I had such a blast talking about Around The Layout and how all of our podcasts compliment each other, and John has given me permission to share the audio from the show with the ATLP audienc...
Nov 18, 2023•1 hr 54 min
One of the most memorable stops during the whirlwind week of the Texas Express 2023 NMRA National Convention was the visit to Devin Jackson & Family's Mesquite Belt, located about 2 hours south of Fort Worth in the town of Palestine. Joining me on the trip were Don Irace and Mark Herrick and on arrival, we were amazed to see a depot building in the backyard containing a large and well done HO scale layout. On this episode, we talk about that visit and how the depot building, name and layout ...
Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 72
On this special episode of Around The Layout, we talk to Art Dutra and Mike Wheeler of the Nutmeg Division of the NMRA and learn what's new and exciting from the division covering Connecticut and portions of Massachusetts. We often hear about the big changes happening at the national level; now hear how those changes are making positive impacts locally, and how Art, Mike and the rest of the Nutmeg Division leadership are putting in the work to attract new members and add to the value proposition...
Nov 13, 2023•59 min•Ep. 71
We first met Matt Stern on the May 2023 What's Happening In Model Railroading episode where he represented Bachmann as their Communications Manager. During the recording of that show, we spotted a layout behind him, and we knew we had to get Matt back to tell his model railroading story. Well, that time has come, and Matt has an incredible story to share. He tells us about living in the United Kingdom at a young age, an influential uncle back in the United States, and how his passion for model r...
Nov 07, 2023•48 min•Ep. 70
Freelance model railroader and YouTuber Matt Forcum pays a virtual visit to the Around The Layout studio. Matt shares with us his model railroading journey that has includes stops in Lego and N scale on his way to HO scale and the Metaline Falls Railroad. He also tells us how he's using his MFRailroad YouTube channel to create a video journal of his layout build and share what he's learning along the way. In addition, his channel includes product reviews and his Rail Ramblin' segments, and Ray a...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 50
Coming to us from northern Colorado - seemingly a hotbed of model railroading, is the creator of the BNSF Fall River Division, John Parker. John shares his model railroading story with us, from humble 4x8 beginnings to the beautiful empire he has today. We learn that he's had a lot of help along the way, and he shares how that dedicated group of friends helped him achieve the goal of a railroad empire in his basement that hosts 18 to 22 operators per session. Learn more about John's BNSF Fall Ri...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 49
On this edition of What's Happening In Model Railroading, we step into the 1:220 world as Ztrack Magazine's Rob Kluz tells us all about Z scale. Rob shares how military modeling started his near 40 year journey in the hobby as a publisher and distributor, and how, in that time, Z scale has made amazing advancements in detail, capabilities, and availability. Ray and Tony also talk about exciting announcements from Tangent, Athearn, Bluford Shops, Rivarossi, Rapido, Viessmann, and Ray's recent pur...
Oct 17, 2023•54 min
Dave Owens from the Amherst Railway Society joined me to record a special on the upcoming Vernon Train Show happening on October 29, 2023 in Vernon, CT. It's good to see a smaller format train show back on the schedule as we kick off model railroad season, and putting the guy who's made the Northeast Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet a 20 year success in charge leaves no doubt that this event will be a good one. For more information on the Model Train Show in Vernon: https://amherstrail.org/verno...
Oct 12, 2023•21 min
Anyone who has listened long enough to the show knows my affinity for cottage industry, so it was a thrill to talk to Ron Klaiss about his model railroading journey that led to the launch of Mine Mount Models. Ron talks about his early days of model railroading, then talks about how his business was born from a love of structures and a desire to recreate. Later, Ron and I discuss a common side effect of hobbies within the hobby and how the layout can suffer for them. Check out Mine Mount Models ...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 46
Comedy and model railroading - the two definitely can go together, especially when you start talking to the very funny William Sampson! William makes his return to ATLP to tell his model railroading story, recapping the Father's Day episode he did with his dad and continuing his story. Willam shares how laughs with his dad while running trains set the tone for his outlook on the hobby and how he's carried that over to his ever popular SOO The Milwaukee Road YouTube channel. He also provides us w...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 48
One of the big announcements following the NMRA National Convention in Texas was the hiring of Lucy Dormont as the new Social Media Director for the National Model Railroad Association. With this breaking news, it was time for a special What's Happening In Model Railroading episode with Tony Cook, Editor of Model Railroad News, to get to know Lucy and find out what she has planned to help grow the NMRA. What we quickly learned is that the national organization has found itself a go-getter who is...
Oct 02, 2023•53 min
As the author of Show Me Katy, Mike Landis has taken his childhood experience with the MKT Sedalia Subdivision and turned it into a passion that has led not only to writing the book Show Me Katy, but also an HO scale layout paying tribute to the railroad in the 1980's. Mike tells us about choosing the portion of the line that he relates to most and how video creation for his YouTube channel The Main Track provides motivation to continue learning and sharing his journey with others. Check out The...
Sep 26, 2023•56 min•Ep. 45
There's something really cool when you find out that someone you watched on television and in movies is a fellow model railroader. Tonight I had the privilege to learn more about Michael Gross, the man who, among many acting accomplishments, portrayed TV dad Steven Keaton on Family Ties for seven seasons. It becomes clear early on that he's no actor when it comes to being a model railroader; he's the real deal with a wealth of knowledge and a passion for all things railroading. Michael also tell...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 47
