Around The Layout - A Model Railroad Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Bill Brown and the Leadville and Red Cliff Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

We head back to Central New York to hear Bill Brown's amazing story of triumph over tragedy and how a great group of friends helped him recover from disaster. Bill shares his origin story, then tells how becoming a member of the CNY Division of the NMRA provided him with incredible opportunities to further his modeling skills and led to meeting the folks that would become lifelong friends. Bill also reflects on memories of Jim Heidt, the first leader of the CNY Division and a dear friend to many, who passed away on June 12th. Closing out the show, Bill tells us about his involvement in Ops 'Til You Drop, a CNY Division event that's become a weekend not to miss.
Check out Bill Brown's LARC Products: https://larcproducts.com/
Check out our website: www.aroundthelayout.com
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/aroundthelayout
Send us an email: aroundthelayout@gmail.com
Visit our website at aroundthelayout.com
Become a member of our Operating Crew for chances to win and much more!
aroundthelayout.com/crew
Around The Layout Podcast is a production of Thirty Five Productions LLC
©2026 Thirty Five Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Thirty Five Productions LLC or our sponsors.
Use of any trademarks or trade names is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
No portion of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Thirty Five Productions LLC, except for brief quotations used for purposes of review, commentary, or promotion.

2023 St. Louis RPM Preview with Lonnie Bathurst and Scott Thornton Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

It's time to talk about the largest railroad prototype modelers meet in the country - the 16th Annual St Louis RPM. Scott Thornton joins host Ray Arnott as they talk to Lonnie Bathurst, one of the many folks who make the St Louis RPM a show that cannot be missed. Lonnie tells us the show's history and how he became involved in an official capacity. This year's show theme is "The Layout - A Weekend At The Theatre" - and if you've listened to Scott Thornton's Around The Layout interview, you know that's right up his alley! Scott shares his passion for this great event. It's two days you don't want to miss out on - so have a listen and book your trip to The Gateway To The West for a whole bunch of model railroading fun!
Check out the St. Louis RPM's website:
https://www.stlrpm.com/
Check out our website: www.aroundthelayout.com
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/aroundthelayout
Send us an email: aroundthelayout@gmail.com
Visit our website at aroundthelayout.com
Become a member of our Operating Crew for chances to win and much more!
aroundthelayout.com/crew
Around The Layout Podcast is a production of Thirty Five Productions LLC
©2026 Thirty Five Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Thirty Five Productions LLC or our sponsors.
Use of any trademarks or trade names is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
No portion of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Thirty Five Productions LLC, except for brief quotations used for purposes of review, commentary, or promotion.

Drew James and the Canada, Spokane and Pacific Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

On this episode of Around The Layout, we head to Central New York State to chat with Drew James. Drew is the owner of the Canada, Spokane and Pacific HO scale model railroad; an outstanding railroad for its amazing scenery and outstanding operations. Drew tells us the events leading up to this current layout and how the NMRA Central New York division is chock full of talented members willing to help each other create awesome layouts.
Check out this CNY Division produced video of Drew's incredible layout:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QOvXbgCH_Q
Check out our website: www.aroundthelayout.com
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/aroundthelayout
Send us an email: aroundthelayout@gmail.com
Visit our website at aroundthelayout.com
Become a member of our Operating Crew for chances to win and much more!
aroundthelayout.com/crew
Around The Layout Podcast is a production of Thirty Five Productions LLC
©2026 Thirty Five Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Thirty Five Productions LLC or our sponsors.
Use of any trademarks or trade names is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
No portion of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Thirty Five Productions LLC, except for brief quotations used for purposes of review, commentary, or promotion.

What's Happening In Model Railroading Special - Tony Cook & Shane Wilson Jul 03, 2023

Show notes

It's the acquisition that everyone's been talking about. No, not Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern and, no, not CSX / Pan-Am. It's ExactRail becoming a part of the ever growing ScaleTrains family and this is so big that we had to get the head of ScaleTrains, Shane Wilson, to tell us all about it. We learn how this deal came about and what it means for both brands. We also get an exclusive about yet another ScaleTrains acquisition you probably didn't hear about until now. Shane shares his summer travel plans as part of this year's ScaleTrains Road Trip, including a stop at the Texas Express 2023 NMRA National Convention for the National Train Show where we can bet on some big announcements that will keep Tony busy with Model Railroad News.
Check out ScaleTrains growing offering!
www.ScaleTrains.com
Keep up with all the model railroad happenings by subscribing to Model Railroad News:
https://modelrailroadnews.com/
Check out our website: www.aroundthelayout.com
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/aroundthelayout
Send us an email: aroundthelayout@gmail.com
Visit our website at aroundthelayout.com
Become a member of our Operating Crew for chances to win and much more!
aroundthelayout.com/crew
Around The Layout Podcast is a production of Thirty Five Productions LLC
©2026 Thirty Five Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Thirty Five Productions LLC or our sponsors.
Use of any trademarks or trade names is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
No portion of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Thirty Five Productions LLC, except for brief quotations used for purposes of review, commentary, or promotion.

Joe Atkinson and the Iowa Interstate's 4th Subdivision Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

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 the Iowa Interstate, leading him to create two versions of the 4th Sub that has inspired fellow IAIS modelers and was featured in the July (not January as I might say in the podcast) 2018 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman.
Check out our website:www.aroundthelayout.com
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/aroundthelayout
Send us an email: aroundthelayout@gmail.com
Visit our website at aroundthelayout.com
Become a member of our Operating Crew for chances to win and much more!
aroundthelayout.com/crew
Around The Layout Podcast is a production of Thirty Five Productions LLC
©2026 Thirty Five Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Thirty Five Productions LLC or our sponsors.
Use of any trademarks or trade names is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
No portion of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Thirty Five Productions LLC, except for brief quotations used for purposes of review, commentary, or promotion.

James McNab and The Hills Line Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

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 led him to the Iowa Interstate and opened up a new world of railroading and friendships.
Check out more on James McNab and The Hills Line:
http://thehillsline.com
Thank you to our show sponsor, Weather My Trains:
Check out our website: www.aroundthelayout.com
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/aroundthelayout
Send us an email: aroundthelayout@gmail.com
Visit our website at aroundthelayout.com
Become a member of our Operating Crew for chances to win and much more!
aroundthelayout.com/crew
Around The Layout Podcast is a production of Thirty Five Productions LLC
©2026 Thirty Five Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Thirty Five Productions LLC or our sponsors.
Use of any trademarks or trade names is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
No portion of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Thirty Five Productions LLC, except for brief quotations used for purposes of review, commentary, or promotion.

Texas Express National Convention with Riley Triggs and Chris Atkins Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

They say "Everything is bigger in Texas" and the Supercharged, High Speed Texas Express 2023 NMRA National Convention is setting up to keep that promise. We talk to Riley Triggs and Chris Atkins and get the lowdown on all of the exciting activities happening in the Dallas/Fort Worth area during the week of August 20-27. There's an amazing list of prototype events, layout tours, operating sessions, clinics and so much more that you will not want to miss. Chris also tells us about the preparations he's making on his own layout; a story I'm sure echoes with the large group of Texans who are opening their homes to visitors from around the globe.
Don't miss the Texas Express 2023 NMRA National Convention. Register today!
https://2023texasexpress.com/
Check out more on Chris Atkins' layout here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/595441084132491
Check out our website: www.aroundthelayout.com
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/aroundthelayout
Send us an email: aroundthelayout@gmail.com
Visit our website at aroundthelayout.com
Become a member of our Operating Crew for chances to win and much more!
aroundthelayout.com/crew
Around The Layout Podcast is a production of Thirty Five Productions LLC
©2026 Thirty Five Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Thirty Five Productions LLC or our sponsors.
Use of any trademarks or trade names is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
No portion of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Thirty Five Productions LLC, except for brief quotations used for purposes of review, commentary, or promotion.

What's Happening In Model Railroading - June 2023 - Tony Cook & Curtis Koch Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

It's that time again - Tony Cook's got a 50' hi-cube load of news from the model railroading world to share with us, including a recent acquisition that's getting more news coverage than CPKC and CSX/Pan Am combined, but first we talk to Curtis Koch, Director of Marketing and Social Media at Broadway Limited. Curtis tells us about their revamped website and a bunch of new releases in HO and N scale. Curtis also shares the path that led him to Broadway Limited and gives us a glance into the world of social media promotions.
Broadway Limited has the social media gamut covered!
Website: https://broadway-limited.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BroadwayLimited
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blitrains?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/broadwaylimited/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@broadwaylimitedimports
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BroadwayLtdTrains/videos
Check out our website: www.aroundthelayout.com
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/aroundthelayout
Send us an email: aroundthelayout@gmail.com
Thank you to our show sponsor, Weather My Trains:
https://weathermytrains.com/
Visit our website at aroundthelayout.com
Become a member of our Operating Crew for chances to win and much more!
aroundthelayout.com/crew
Around The Layout Podcast is a production of Thirty Five Productions LLC
©2026 Thirty Five Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Thirty Five Productions LLC or our sponsors.
Use of any trademarks or trade names is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
No portion of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Thirty Five Productions LLC, except for brief quotations used for purposes of review, commentary, or promotion.

William Sampson - Father & Son and The Great Northern and Milwaukee Road Jun 12, 2023

Show notes

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 in the hobby, with influences from his past leading him to model the Great Northern in 1970. He then shares how his model railroading journey got even better with the arrival of William Jr, who shares his memories of his father's layout and the many lessons and great times he shared with his dad.
Check out the SOO The Milwaukee Road YouTube channel for wildly entertaining videos on both William's layouts: https://www.youtube.com/@SootheMilwaukeeRoad
Check out our website: www.aroundthelayout.com
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/aroundthelayout
Send us an email: aroundthelayout@gmail.com
Visit our website at aroundthelayout.com
Become a member of our Operating Crew for chances to win and much more!
aroundthelayout.com/crew
Around The Layout Podcast is a production of Thirty Five Productions LLC
©2026 Thirty Five Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Thirty Five Productions LLC or our sponsors.
Use of any trademarks or trade names is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
No portion of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Thirty Five Productions LLC, except for brief quotations used for purposes of review, commentary, or promotion.

Marty McGuirk and the Central Vermont Railway Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

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 precursor to an outstanding career and love for the Central Vermont. Marty also shares how a kitchen remodeling project eventually yielded a brand new layout area and how Lance Mindheim helped guide Marty down a "3-3-3" plan for his next model railroad.
Check out Marty's blog on his Central Vermont layouts:
http://centralvermontrailway.blogspot.com/
Thank you to our show sponsor, Weather My Trains:
https://weathermytrains.com/
Check out our website: www.aroundthelayout.com
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/aroundthelayout
Send us an email: aroundthelayout@gmail.com
Visit our website at aroundthelayout.com
Become a member of our Operating Crew for chances to win and much more!
aroundthelayout.com/crew
Around The Layout Podcast is a production of Thirty Five Productions LLC
©2026 Thirty Five Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Thirty Five Productions LLC or our sponsors.
Use of any trademarks or trade names is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
No portion of this podcast may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Thirty Five Productions LLC, except for brief quotations used for purposes of review, commentary, or promotion.

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