On this episode of Around The Layout Podcast, we talk to model railroad product reviewer and author Ryan Crawford. Ryan provides us with an inside look into his process for writing reviews, including the prototype research, evaluating details, and sharing what you need to know to make an educated purchasing decision. Ryan and Ray also chat about the amazing advances in today's models and what they would like to see more of. 

Learn more about this episode on our website:
aroundthelayout.com/123

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Spring Creek Model Trains:
https://www.springcreekmodeltrains.com/

Model railroad show season is in full swing on the top half of the equator, and, in the northeast, the Nashua Valley Railroad Association's Railfair 2024 kicks things off. NVRRA members Thomas Fitzgerald and Peter D'Olimpio come by to tell us about their club, how they are building an incredibly large layout in Shirley, Massachusetts and how Railfair 2024 helps fund the good they are doing in the model railroad community. 

Learn more about this episode on our website:
aroundthelayout.com/125

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Oak Hill Model Railroad Track Supply:
https://ohrtracksupply.com/

On this episode of Around The Layout, we head to New Jersey and talk to Ralph Heiss, owner of the Lehigh Valley Harbor Terminal HO scale layout and frequent operator of quite a few great layouts in the Garden State. Ralph tells us how he got started in the hobby and how he was operating at great layouts by the age of 17. He also shares how he researched the Lehigh Valley, his passion for the history and ghost railroading and how to make good use of free time gifted by a hurricane derived power outage.

Learn more about this episode on our website:
aroundthelayout.com/122

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Spring Creek Model Trains:
https://www.springcreekmodeltrains.com/

Up on this side of the equator, the weather is cooling down and the model railroad events are heating up! Dan Riechenbach of the Hawkeye Model Railroad Club stops by the ATLP studio to tell us about the Iowa City Train Show on October 20, 2024. Dan shares a history of the club, their recent move to a new building and how the show helps support their new build. 

Learn more about this episode on our website:
aroundthelayout.com/121

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Oak Hill Model Railroad Track Supply:
https://ohrtracksupply.com/

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Highball Graphics:
https://highballgraphics.com/

More and more, we find out that the folks at these fine model railroad manufactuers are hobbyists just like us, and this episode of What's Happening In Model Railroad is no exception. Jordan Smith joins Tony and Ray to tell a bit about himself, his start in the hobby and how he's worked his way up from working in a hobby shop in Toronto to wearing multiple hats for Rapido Trains. Later in the episode, Tony and Ray discuss new releases from Atlas, Walthers, ScaleTrains and more.

Learn more about today's episode on our website:
aroundthelayout.com/120

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Spring Creek Model Trains:
https://www.springcreekmodeltrains.com/

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released November 28, 2023

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 space, this episode is for you!

Learn more about today's episode on our website:
aroundthelayout.com/rewind

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Oak Hill Model Railroad Track Supply:
https://ohrtracksupply.com/

We head back to Tim Garland's Seaboard Central to cover what we didn't get to when we interviewed him the first time; operations on his freelance railroad. Don and I learn quite a bit from Tim, who's experience with the real railroad has provided him with a plethora of knowledge that he uses to create realistic operations on his freelance layout. 

Learn more about this episode on our website:
aroundthelayout.com/119

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Spring Creek Model Trains:
https://www.springcreekmodeltrains.com/

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released October 31, 2023

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 and Matt discuss the difficulties of sharing these thoughts in what can be a very opininated hobby. Closing out the show, Matt shares a tool he has created to help build switch lists for smaller railroads.

Learn more about this episode on our website:
aroundthelayout.com/rewind

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Oak Hill Model Railroad Track Supply:
https://ohrtracksupply.com/

We've seen many prototypical railroads bought and sold over the years, but how about a freelance model railroad changing hands? That's how current owner of the Brownville & Ashland, Chris Gilbert, took ownership of this Maine based short line. Oh, did I mention he's also in the United Kingdom? Chris tells us how this transaction went down, how he made the B&A his own, and how he got into modeling American railroading across the big pond. He also shares his experience working with Christopher Palmieri on his now sold out Home Shops / Prairie Shadows 50' hi-cube boxcar. 

Learn more about this episode on our website:
aroundthelayout.com/118

Submit your answer to the Question of the Month:
aroundthelayout.com/question

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Spring Creek Model Trains:
https://www.springcreekmodeltrains.com/

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released October 24, 2023

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 this episode on our website:
aroundthelayout.com/rewind

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Oak Hill Model Railroad Track Supply:
https://ohrtracksupply.com/