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Latest Episodes:

Mine Mount Models Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

It's a return visit to Mine Mount Models and our friend Ron Klaiss who's always sure to remind his name sounds like "nice." Things are really humming along and there's lots of new items on the website. Ron has been producing excellent craftsman structure kits for your railroad or diorama that create unique scenes on any layout for over seven years.

One of the best things about these kits from are the instructions, it may sound silly, but Ron produces some of the best instructions in the industry. This is a fun podcast as always, so grab yourself a big bowl of shredded strip wood, a tall cool glass of Elmer's white glue and enjoy.

Episode 274: Scott Smith Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

It doesn't matter who they are or what they've done, or what they model, whether they have a big layout, a small layout, or no layout at all. First time guests are always interesting regardless of the topic or any of the other usual interests that we've come to expect from our fellow model railroaders.

Scott Smith fills the bill, he's lived a very interesting life with an interesting vocation, as we find out everything there is to know about our next victim… Errrr, guest. Whether it's boat racing, coal dumps, weathering freight cars of all sorts, or selling some of his creations on eBay. It's all makes for a very thought-provoking and fun podcast!!

NMRA's New Logo Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

There's a new look on the horizon for the National Model Railroad Association, which was unveiled at Milwaukee's TrainFest. The new artwork is inspired by locomotives and rail cars symbolizing that the NMRA is on the move and propelling the hobby of model railroading forward into the future.

We here at the old AML Nation wanted to find out as much as we could about this new logo and the plan going forward and who better to help us understand than association president Gordy Robinson and his trustee sidekick Riley Triggs. Both Gordy and Riley were delighted to fill us in on all there is to know about the new logo and an exciting new vision to shape the future of this great hobby.

Episode 272: John Szymanski Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

We often say that this hobby encompasses so many different aspects that there's always something for everybody to enjoy. Our next guest is all the way from New Mexico and is excellent example someone who enjoys many different aspects of the hobby including operations, building steam pro throttles, rebuilding brass engines working with Arduino's and building his own CTC machines, as well as several other, interesting aspects of the hobby.

John Symanski's story is an interesting one, especially when you consider what he did for a living most of his adult life and to his credit he was anxious to share many of his adventures both in and around the hobby. It's a great podcast and one we are sure you'll enjoy!!!

ViewerMail Flight #134 Oct 19, 2025

Show notes

If your current day to day life is getting you down and you were hoping that ViewerMail would never make a comeback, we can promise you this day is not going to get any better, but we can assure that listening to this latest version of ViewerMail will surely make even the biggest problems seem small. After dealing with catastrophic climate change, flooded roadbed, improper routing through the transportation museum, the new crew finally caught up to the ViewerMail train just outside downtown Pagosa Springs.

We'd like to bring you some of the finest podcast entertainment the model railroad industry has to offer, but once again the crew at the AML Network reached the lofty goal of chronically disappointing. So grab yourself a big bowl of shredded five cent stamps, a tall cool glass of warm saliva and enjoy!!

Marcus Goes to Durango Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

For those of you that don't know our very own Marcus Neubacher is the Director of Administration for the North Carolina Transportation Museum and every few years or so he'll get the chance to attend a convention for the Heritage Rail Alliance where the free exchange of information among members and working industry professionals is available.

This year the convention was held in Durango Colorado and we hear the ole' AML Network, decided that we'd need to hear as much of the trip as possible. Of course it took us a while to get there, but eventually we managed to cover a wide range of subjects and produce a podcast well worth listening to. Enjoy!!

Episode 272: the Return of Serge Lebel Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

Old friends can be the best kind of friends, those folks you haven't talked to for several years and then strike up a conversation as if you'd seen them yesterday. That's what this podcast is about, catching up with our old friend Serge Lebel from Sept-Iles Quebec on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River.

We first met Serge several years ago when we discovered his O-Scale two rail layout known as the CN Sanmore Subdivision, a fantastic well detailed model railroad that is slowly developing into one of the finest layouts in North America. It's a great podcast with lots of information and one more sure you'll enjoy.

JL Innovative vs Chris Costello Sep 22, 2025

Show notes

It's another trip to the "Cow Palace" keeping up to date with all the comings and goings at JL Innovative and who better to do it with than the man himself, Chris Costello. There's a great discussion about the new world of freight car manufacturing plus owning private rail cars and tearing up rail in beautiful downtown Salamanca, New York, all in one easy to open podcast. Enjoy!!

Episode 271: the Station Inn Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

Located just 10 miles west of Horseshoe Curve the "Station Inn" is a unique bed-and-breakfast alongside the old Pennsylvania Railroad mainline. Built in 1866 only a dozen years after the completion of the "Curve," it became a sanctuary for weary travelers headed east or west and a summer retreat for many folks that lived in the Pittsburgh area.

Run by Alex Lang and his wife Leah, it's become their passion of carrying on the tradition of Tom Davis who originally turned the inn into a rail fanning hot-spot in 1993. Tom was a dear family friend of the Langs and when he passed away, it seemed only natural for them to take over and continue on the tradition that had been started so many years earlier. Alex has been on the podcast before, and this episode is just as entertaining and informative as ever. Enjoy!!

Episode 270: Scott Teague Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

N-Scale is alive and well living in North Carolina, not far from the Hickory Motor Speedway. Scott Teague's previous layout graced the pages of some of the finest model railroad publications out there, but that wasn't good enough for Scott and not long after that layout was dismantled and a new one started.

Some people just have the knack for getting things done and Scott is certainly one of those folks. The new railroad is well underway and after just two short years of construction, trains are running, and scenery is all but finished with nothing left to do now but add a few details to what is already a beautiful design. This is a great discussion with some of the best N-Scalers in the country and you won't be disappointed.

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