The holiday season is fast approaching and it's time to get your wish list ready. On this episode of What's Happening In Model Railroading, we talk to Mike and Jeff Zucker from Spring Creek Model Trains to find out what should be in your letter to Santa and discuss how to buy the right train set for the enthusiastic child to keep them engaged. Late…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released January 23, 2024 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 railroad…

It's been nearly two years to the day since we last had Sammy Carlile on Around The Layout Podcast and considering the amazing amount of things to talk about with his Santa Fe Hereford Subdivision, that's completely unacceptable! Making up for lost time, he's our guest for this month's Talking Ops with Don Irace, where Sammy shared how he developed…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Relased December 26, 2023 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 Swiching Layouts and Scenery For Modern Switching Layo…

We all know Rapido Trains for their high quality models, but how about books? On this special What's Happening In Model Railroading, Tony Cook and I sit down with Jason Shron of Rapido Trains to talk books, including the newly released "The Cars of VIA Heritage Fleet Volume 1." Jason shares his passion for VIA passenger cars and tells us how he's b…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released January 9, 2024 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 scratch…

They say that music can bring people together, and, in the case of Joey Giunto, it can also lead to meeting your model railroad mentor. On this episode of Around The Layout, Joey shares his model railroading journey and how a music gig led him to meeting a great friend and how they lifted each other up in the hobby. Joey also shares how, after his …

ATLP Rewind - Episode Originally Released January 2, 2024 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 adventu…

Layout Command Control - it sounds cool, but what exactly is it? On this episode of ATLP, Dave Barraza tells us the basics of LCC, how the standard was developed and, most importantly, how it can help bring our layouts to life. Dave shares how he's using LCC on his layout and how it compares to the electronics used on the prototype. Learn more abou…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released December 12, 2023 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 th…

Christopher Palomarez from InterMountain Railway Co joined Tony and I from somewhere along the road in Colorado to share the latest on the projects being churned out of Longmont. Chris shares some insight on the process of creating factory weathered cars with pad printing plus updates on some upcoming releases. Later, Tony and Ray discuss news out …

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released November 14, 2023 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 ar…

Drew James, owner of the Canada Spokane & Pacific, made his return to the ATLP studio, picking up where he left off from last July. Drew tells us about how the operations on his layout have evolved, his efforts to keep things fresh for his group of operators and answers the question, "why is there a wye?" Learn more about this episode on our websit…

Kevin Leddy joins us to talk about the 4th Annual Red River RPM being held in Forest Hill, TX October 25-26th. Kevin tells us how this RPM started, inspired by two very popular prototype modelers meets. He also tells us what you can expect to see, including a rundown of clinics, vendors, and the free-mo modular setups. Kevin also shares his passion…

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 th…

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 Railfa…

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 resea…

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 thei…

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 …

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 …

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. L…

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 MFRailr…

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 m…

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 th…

What if we looked at our layouts like they were the stage of a grand performance? On this episode, the talented and thought provoking Scott Thornton comes by to share his passion for taking elements of the theatre and applying it to his model railroad. Scott shares how he uses similar approaches as they do on the stage with lighting, sound and prop…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released September 26, 2023 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 …

The number of deep dive avenues that are available in the model railroading hobby is astounding, and Kevin Tully from TullyModels.com shares his path to 3D printing grain and steel mill super detailing parts. We learn how Kevin got started on this journey and how he can help you make your industries more realistic. Later, Tony and Ray discuss new r…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released September 5, 2023 It's never too late to build your dream layout. Alan Saatkamp is a testament to this, as he, at age 70, is building the railroad he's always wanted, taking the experience of multiple layout builds and moves around the country to his new home in Normal, Illinois. Alan shares those experiences, from…

How can we take prototypical railroad rules and regulations and apply them to our layouts? That's what professional railroader Dustin Whitten is here to answer as he talks about taking pages from the railroad rulebook and using them to better the simulation of your model railroad. Dustin shares how these rules can be modified in compression with ex…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released August 22, 2023 On this episode of Around The Layout, we get to know Paul August, owner of the C&NW Mondovi Line and the YouTube channel that covers it. Paul tells us about his family's roots in railroading and how that led to multiple generations of model railroaders including a father with a passion for brass ste…

After spending quality time with Michael Ostertag out in St. Louis, it was time to get him back on the show and hear about the major changes he's made on the Farlin Terminal. He's still committed to S scale, but has completely removed the first version and is taking a new, open ended approach to the next layout. Mike also shares the challenges of S…

How can you not smile in the presence of Michelle Kempema? Her enthusiasm is infectious and her motivation nears limitless as she joins me to talk about the brand new Colorado Rail Proto Meet in Greeley, CO this September. Michelle shares with us how this idea came to be and how she's planning what will likely become another amazing destination RPM…

Matthew Freix has a passion for car routing, and that might be an understatement! Matt shares the lengths he has gone to research the Gateway Western and how it helped him build a highly accurate simulation of the railroad in 1995. Matt shares how going way down the rabbit hole has made his model railroad more enjoyable and appear like he remembers…

Here's the audio from last night's live event where Ray talks about the results of the ATLP Listener Survey and how that has helped shape upcoming format changes to the podcast. For more about Around The Layout Podcast, visit our website: aroundthelayout.comעל ידי Ray Arnott

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released May 9. 2023 We all know Andy Dorsch as the co-host of the wildly popular Second Section Podcast, but how much do you know about Andy the modeler? We find out in this episode of Around The Layout as Andy takes us back to his childhood railfanning the Chicago and North Western that planted the railroad seed, then on …

Don Irace is back in the Around The Layout studio to tell us more about how he developed his operating scheme for his Providence & Worcester layout. Don shares how he took the large operations held at the original layout in Scituate, Rhode Island for a multitude of operators and compressed it for a smaller crew while still providing fun and challen…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released June 27, 2023 After all of the past interrogations and information from informants, we've finally captured the Iowa Interstate Godfather; none other than Joe Atkinson himself. Now that we've beat the dead horse with this mafia thing, we can get down to the business of learning how Joe became such an authority on th…

With so much news to catch up on, it's just Tony and Ray on this episode of What's Happening In Model Railroading as they get you caught up on recent events and talk plans for the St. Louis RPM. They recap the recent Firecrown Media special and Ray shares his experience at the N Scale Show in Bethlehem PA. Later, Tony brings us news from ScaleTrain…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released June 20, 2023 It's time to interrogate another member of the Iowa Interstate Mafia as we bring James McNab downtown for a whole line of questioning. Luckliy, James is willing to talk and we learn about his start in the hobby and how a fellow churchgoer's layout inspired him. We also hear how a change of employment …

You've probably have heard of model railroaders that go on to become railroaders, but how about a railroader who starts their model railroading journey after hiring on to the railroad? That's the story of Dustin Whitten, a long time employee of Norfolk Southern who despite growing up near Southern Railway, has fallen for the Norfolk & Western. Dust…

Model Railroader - the "Rolling Stone" of our hobby - the magazine many of us grew up with, inspired us, and the one we dreamed of being on the cover someday. For those reasons and more, we're passionate about the publication and when the news hit that Kalmbach Media was purchased by a new owner, there was concern about the future. On this special …

In this hobby, it's far too often that we see a layout meet its demise when its owner passes on, but on this episode, we hear the complete opposite in Michael Spoor's story. Michael shares with us how he has brought his late father's CB&Q layout back to operations, much to the delight of his father's friends, and has put his own signature on it wit…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released June 6, 2023 There's good news to deliver on this episode of Around The Layout - progress is being made in Washington DC - but only on the model railroading front. That progress is being made by Marty McGuirk, who joins us to share his model railroading story. Learn how a visit to New London, Connecticut became the…

A litte freelance model railroading amongst friends - that's what we get with Brian Sopke's Benton & Southern. Brian shares with us his model railroading journey that led him to team with a friend to create a freelance model railroad that connects them together. Additionally, Brian tells us what he learned by starting over, taking down a layout of …

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released June 12, 2023 With Father's Day less than a week away, we got the father/son duo of William Sampson and William Sampson together to share their bond over model railroading. William Sr. tells us how railroad is in the Sampson blood, with ties to railroading in several generations. He then tells us how he got started…

Who is Prairie Shadows Model Railway Co? Jeff Arnold, Rob Gruber and Brandon Nawrocki join Tony Cook and Ray Arnott to tell us about how Prairie Shadows got its start working with model railroad manufacturers on special projects to breaking out on their own with projects in N and HO scale. The team shares the challenges of creating highly detailed …

Saint Louis, Missouri - home of the Gateway Arch, and just about in the shadow of this national landmark resides the granddaddy of all railroad prototype modelers meets. Lonnie Bathurst, show producer, and frequent attendee Scott Thornton, tell us what makes the STLRPM a show that draws so many to the midwest in July to share models, knowledge, ski…

It's been way too long since we've heard from John Farrington and there was quite a bit to catch up on. Since the last time we talked, John has not only gone bigger with his layout, he's also gone freelance with a great railroad name and an awesome logo thanks to a very talented graphic artist that's a familiar name here on the podcast. John also t…

ATLP Rewind - Originally Released March 28, 2023 The Around The Layout (less than) six degrees of separation has led us to Matt Freix. A friend of past guests Dave Oppensano and Isaac Fabris, Matt joins us and tells his model railroading story; from his childhood modeling with a shovel of dirt on a 4x8 sheet of plywood to a beautifully finished bas…

On this episode of Around The Layout, we meet Alex Mantle and learn about his model railroading journey. From California to Alaska to London and eventually on to Wyoming, Alex tells us how an attic find boosted his model railroading journey, his "practice layouts" and how he's gone big with his freelanced Chicago, Denver and Northern, sharing how h…