a ModelersLife

Ever wonder what it’s like to be the president of a model railroad club with a long and storied history in southern Louisiana after a hurricane?? Our next guest is that very person and after Hurricane Ida decide to cut a path of destruction through New Orleans it was time to inspect the damage.

The Crescent City Model Railroad Club sustained serious damage after a neighbor’s roof came off his home causing multiple holes in the club’s permanent home, but the problems didn’t stop there. With insufficient insurance and a mountain of government regulations to overcome, Greg decided it was time to roll up his sleeves and do the best he could to save the club. It’s a great story of perseverance against what some might see as insurmountable odds. Enjoy.

It’s time for another exciting edition of the Springfield show report with a few of the same characters and some folks who’ve never heard before on the podcast. After the big Geep-30 announcement from ScaleTrains we wandered back into their booth to talk with Bailey the human ball of energy, Todd Arnett a long-time contributor and Norfolk & Western devotee. We of course talk to the big cheese Shane Wilson and Jesse the winner of the paint scheme contest.

Next up is a great interview with Jeff Springer of Custom Model railroads and Tom Jacobs the “Queso Cowboy.” Finally, two fellows who made their first ever appearance of the big show, Tom Schmieder and Ralph Heiss, regular operators on the Onondaga Cutoff. It was fun to talk with everyone but Ralph’s discussion about Uncle Dave’s ability to play the triangle is classic AML material. Sit back and relax with a big bowl of shredded OC bulletins, a tall cool glass of melted cheese and enjoy !!

For years we were told the possibility of having the NMRA’s monthly magazine going digital just wasn’t possible, it just didn’t pencil out, there just weren’t enough electrons in the universe for such a thing to even consider doable. It seemed as if all was lost and the vision of taking the NMRA into the digital age would be gone forever, until one day a stranger sitting tall in the saddle, rode into town with little more than a sack of dreams and a trusty sidekick named Riley.

People came from far and wide as the stranger stood on a mountain of blue boxes telling them not to be afraid, he’d round up the electrons and soon, they’d be able to load it on their tablet, phone, laptop, or tabletop computer without fear of the apocalypse. It’s a great story, so warm up the Motorola and gather round for another exciting tale of life in model railroading’s wild west.

Its back, it’s back, the Springfield, Big “E”, Amherst train show is back and we sent a crack team of reporters to find out what’s new in the world of model railroading. After closing down the show last year, John Sacerdote and his team decided it was full speed ahead, fighting mother nature as the snowstorm of century arrived just as the doors opened to the general public.

Despite less than capacity crowds, several vendors missing in action, there was still plenty to see and do as folks from all over stopped by the ModelersLife booth to say hello and spend time in the hot seat answering questions. So grab yourself a big bowl of leftover week-old coleslaw, a tall cool glass of melted slush and enjoy!!!

The AML Nation is pretty well acquainted with Dave Abeles and his model railroad. Turns out his 37-part Trilogy was just the beginning with big news from The Onondaga Cutoff.  "Uncle" Dave finally decided to go ahead with it, “OC” has started its very own Patreon page!  

After creating his very popular Facebook Live 'Trackside on the Onondaga Cutoff' shows during the pandemic it felt like something was missing so Dave decided to produce a channel dedicated to the story behind what you've seen in those Live videos and numerous articles in both Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman. 

So grab a seat and ride along through Central New York as we listen to how Dave is working to create videos that take you backstage to one of today's most popular model railroads.  

Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/onondagacutoff

The old cliché of: if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again has never been more appropriate than for the gang of the NMRA’s 2020 convention. After the disheartening decision to cancel because of a worldwide pandemic and the subsequent cancellation of the national convention scheduled for Birmingham, England this group of tenacious volunteers has decided to pick up where they left off.

Brad Joseph came by the AML studios to give us the low-down on what’s planned for the  Gateway convention 2.0 and there’s no doubt this convention will be well worth the trouble of attending. Headquartered downtown at the Marriott St. Louis Grand with reasonable rates and an excellent location within walking distance to many of great attractions in the center of St. Louis this promises to be a first-rate affair. So get comfortable in your favorite chair, warm up the Motorola and enjoy!!

One of the most popular model railroad gatherings these days is any Railroad Prototype Modelers meet. (RPM) You can find these meets just about anywhere and they are open to all modelers, regardless of their abilities or interests. Most of the time these meets have plenty of vendors displaying their products, modular layouts, and large areas to display current and finished modeling projects.

The Cocoa Beach, Florida RPM has been a popular destination of modelers for decades looking for relief from the winter and this year was a welcome relief from all the difficulties of Covid over the last two years. We sent our crack staff to interview some of the movers and shakers of the hobby in an attempt to keep our loyal listeners up to date with everything that’s occurred at least two months ago. So, sit back with a big bowl of beach sand, a tall refreshing glass salt water and enjoy !!

The Midwest, Mid-Central, and North Central Regions of the NMRA along with the Chicagoland Railroad Prototype Modelers, are joining together this year to host Indy Junction 2022, an NMRA Tri-Regional Convention, in the beautiful city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Registration covers both the NMRA’s Tri-Regional convention as well as the RPM meet and is open to any and all modelers.

Scott Kremer stepped up to the plate to chair this convention along with a capable group of volunteers, with reasonable hotel rates, clinics from both NMRA and Chicagoland RPM, over fifty layouts on a self-guided tour, this promises to a great convention with lots to do and see. This convention is AML certified and here’s a direct link to the convention website:  https://www.indyjunction2022.org/

Have you ever wondered what’s it’s like to buy a gift certificate from Otter Valley Railroad, it’s easy, unless of course you’re the Evel Overlord who usually gets frustrated trying to purchase a quarter pounder at the local McDonald’s drive-through on a blustery Saturday afternoon. This edition of the “Variety Hour” features our favorite hobby shop owners, Lorne James who knows more cliché, buzzwords and more acronyms than anyone else in the hobby.

We also hear from our much-loved NMRA president who’s quickly becoming known as simply “Gordy.” It’s a great discussion about how to connect the NMRA with so many others and how the community of model railroading is becoming as much about brotherhood as it is about the newest freight car release from your preferred manufacturer. So grab yourself a bowl of shredded hamburg wrappers, a tall cool glass of salt water from the North Atlantic Sea and enjoy!!   

We’re checking back in with Chris from Homeshops.net for progress report and to discuss the possibility of creating a PS-1 boxcar from the Allegheny and Lackawanna Southern. All of the cars that come HomeShops are manufactured by Tangent one of the finest freight car manufacturers out there.

There’s also a rather long-winded discussion as Chris tries to school the Evel Overlord on the advantages of embracing social media and why the A&LS so desperately needs a Facebook page. Find yourself a comfortable seat, grab yourself a steaming hot bowl of shredded unnecessary discussion notes, a shot of your finest whiskey, (make it a double) and enjoy!!!