a ModelersLife

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Whole Bunch of Stuff Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

When you've got a whole bunch of stuff and you need someplace to put it, where else would be more suitable than a Monday morning podcast. We get the gang together to introduce two segments that have not yet been heard on the free channel.

First, it's an interview about the "Flying Yankee" being produced in HO scale by Bethlehem Car Works also known as White Rose Hobbies and secondly, we have a segment that'll leave you on the edge of your seat with Steven Atwell, the owner of Midwest Model Railroad located right there in downtown Independence, Missouri. But that's not all, we manage to kill an hour with useless chatter on either end of those segments. Sit back and relax with a big bowl of shredded assembly instructions, a tall cool glass of super glue and enjoy!!

Kooistra Road Trip-Part Three Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

It's part three of the Blair Koostra epic 37 day journey across the northeast with camera and hand. One can only hope to achieve the mastery with a camera that Blair has done for decades and decades.

What makes railroad photography so important is that you're freezing that moment of a freight train grinding upgrade a sleep passenger train flying by creating a sense of drama you don't get with many other subjects you're not just photographing equipment you're capturing a place and time whether it's in the Appalachian mountains of the eastern United States small towns in the Midwest bridges, massive steel Mills in Indiana, or just a rural crossing railroad photography turns landscapes in the storytelling backdrops. This is a great podcast and one year show and enjoy.

Atwell-Midwest Model Railroad Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

The name Stephen Attwell probably doesn't really resonate very much with most model railroader, but it's a name in the hobby that folks should take note of because Stephen is the owner of Midwest Model Railroad one of the finest model railroad stores in the lower forty-eight. Located in Independence, Missouri it's a 15,000 square-foot store that's similar to walking into the Home Depot of model railroad stores.

Stephen started this business with his father in the basement of their home, not so many years ago and now are producing a highly detailed line of N-scale cars starting with a center beam car that is destined to be a winner. If you have any interest in what it's like to be in the model railroad retail business, this is the podcast for you. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded wheelsets, a tall cool glass of axle lubricant and enjoy!!

Jon Stackpole Part Two Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

Jon Stackpole is everywhere these days promoting designing, overseeing construction of multiple products for Athearn while appearing in webcasts, manning show booths discussing upcoming projects with customers like the HO-Scale locomotive newest versions of the GE AC4400CW, EMD SW1500, and other Genesis-series models.

He's very excited about the Athearn Genesis Series a high-end model train line produced by Athearn. It's designed for modelers who want very accurate, highly detailed locomotives and rolling stock compared with the company's standard Ready-to-Roll models.

The Genesis line began in the late 1990s, when Athearn wanted to compete with other high-detail brands in the hobby. Before that, Athearn was best known for the classic Athearn Blue Box kits that many model railroaders grew up building, but they've come a long way and as you'll find Jon is excited to talk about it. Enjoy!!

Episode 281: Jon Stackpole Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

You'd think when the gang at "a ModelersLife" got the chance to talk with the lead product manager with Athearn we'd have all sorts of questions to ask. Well, you'd be wrong, Jon has travelled such an interesting road to where he is today, Athearn barely came up. Once we discovered his Dad owned "The Hobby Depot," a small, well-known model train shop in Monroe, Wisconsin, we wanted to know more!!

Often times in life the journey is more interesting than the destination as you're about to find out with our next guest. Besides being a life-long model railroader Jon is also an accomplished musician, a one-time kayak guide off the shores of Lake Superior and prize-winning modeler. So sit back with a bowl of shredded fine wooden paddles, a tall cool glass of warm lake water and enjoy!!

Springfield Interviews Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

Now that was the show, another year has come and gone at the Springfield train show and this one will be remembered as the great snowstorm of 2026. It was so anxiously anticipated that several vendors never even bothered to show up but those of us who did, had a great time in spite of all the problems created by the weather.

It was truly historic, bringing widespread snow across the northern Plains and into New England, impacting travel at airports, railway stations, and of course on the highways and bywaysDespite all this, a very large crowd showed up on Saturday and enjoyed what there was to see. Unfortunately the snow was scheduled to arrive sometime early Sunday morning and the AML crew along with several others left on Saturday evening, however we did still manage to get some good interviews. So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded snow tires, a tall cool glass of yellow snow and enjoy!!

Springfield Report with Otto Vondrak Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

Well, the show is over, the vendors are gone, there's no more tickets to be sold and the planning for next year's Springfield show is already underway!! As always there was lots to see and do, from checking out different manufacturer's new releases, fabulous layouts, renewing friendships and looking for deals on that one particular piece of rolling stock you need!!

Our favorite magazine editor Otto Vondrak stopped by to give us his take on all there was to see and decipher how the hobby is fairing and where it might be headed. Otto has a wealth of knowledge about the hobby and when you combine that with biggest model railroad show in North America (possibly the world) you've got yourself a great podcast. So, grab yourself a big bowl of shredded floor maps, a tall cool glass of warm hot dog grease and enjoy!!

Episode 280: Nick Kolankiewicz Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

It's one of those great opportunities where we have the privilege of meeting a valued friend of a podcast regular. Believe it or not, our very own Chris Wehman, (videographer extraordinaire) does indeed have many friends and in this case, we get to meet one of his valuable operators and someone that's become a big help operating the Norfolk Southern Heartland Division in N-Scale.

Nick Kolankiewicz as it turns out met Chris just a few short years ago and has become a treasured member of the crew as well as helping Chris with various duties such as installing decoders and making the sound of each locomotive as accurate as possible, which is not necessarily that easy when it comes to N-Scale. This is a great podcast and a great opportunity to meet one of the younger members of this great hobby.

Episode 279: Blair Kooistra Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Blair Kooistra is a well-known railfan and railroad photographer whose work and life revolve around trains and railroading — not just as a hobby but also professionally and creatively and documenting rail operations through images. He's shared thousands of train photos online, especially on Flickr where his photostream includes rail action from classic lines like the Fort Worth & Western.

Recently after retiring from the railroad, he set-off on a thirty-seven-day road trip to photograph railroading and visit with friends and several model railroads. Originally a photojournalist, Blair turned his lens toward trains early in life and has published many of his railroad photos in magazines. He later became a railroad dispatcher based in Texas, which kept him close to the day-to-day workings of real railroads. This a great podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!

Central Georgia RPM Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

Central Georgia RPM is an annual gathering where model railroad enthusiasts of all ability levels (from beginners to seasoned builders) come together to display their scale models, share skills, and learn from one another. For those who don't know. RPM stands for Railroad Prototype Modelers and is organized as a friendly, community-focused event where modelers exhibit their work, talk techniques, and swap insights.

This year's meet is in Macon, Georgia on March 27–28, 2026 at Lundy Chapel Church in Macon. The meet moved from Savannah, where a similar RPM event ran from 1999 until 2023, and now continues that tradition in the Central Georgia region. In short, this RPM is a celebration of model railroading and is a weekend event for enthusiasts to connect, display their craft, and dive deeper into the art and technique of realistic model railroads. Enjoy!!

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