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Steve Barkley

If you're looking for tips on model railroad wiring, modeler and DCC expert Steve Barkley is your man. He brings his electrical expertise to all of us here at Model Railroad Academy.

Bill Briggs

Bill Briggs is the owner of the Musselshell and Yogo Peak model railroad layout, designed with the help of Doug Hodgdon. This freelanced layout is full of narrative details and stunning scenery. Check out the tour of Bill's M&YP model railroad here at Model Railroad Academy.

Josh Clark

Josh Clark grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina and has shared the hobby with his father since he was very young. Together, they have spent 12 years building a modern Norfolk Southern layout, which can be seen in many of Josh's videos. The layout is loosely based on the rail lines of North Carolina, and he enjoys modeling many of the scenes and trains that he saw growing up. By day, Josh is a medical student at the Medical University of South Carolina. One of the big reasons he loves this hobby is that it gives him an escape from long hours of working and studying. Whether it's building a locomotive in the evenings or finishing scenery on the layout back home with his father, Josh finds the hobby to be a great source of relaxation, friendship, and skill that can apply to many other areas of life.

Steve Doyle

Steve Doyle's lifelong passion for model railroading was ignited by a rich tapestry of experiences in his early years. His journey began with plastic Revell models, a shared hobby with his father, who had served in WWII. After receiving an S-gauge American Flyer train set in the mid-1950s, Steve gravitated towards model railroading, bonding with his dad over building layouts based on Flyer track plans. Growing up near the Burlington Route's triple racetrack in suburban Chicago, he developed a deep fascination with trains, often venturing trackside to witness the end of the steam era. Steve's mischievous curiosity led to an encounter with railroad police when he placed objects on the tracks, a memory that stayed with him. His family's ties to the CB&Q railroad and his father's involvement as a "callboy" further fueled his love for railroading. Although model rocketry became his primary hobby during high school, Steve's interest in trains never waned, and he later channeled his passion into building miniature worlds. His journey reflects a profound connection to both model railroading and the rich history of American railroads.

MRA Editors

Jim EuDaly

Jim EuDaly is the owner of the Chesapeake & Ohio Hinton Division model railroad. Check out the tour of Jim's layout as well as his various tutorials where he shares his model railroading tips and tricks.

Doug Hodgdon

Douglas Hodgdon joined the Model Railroad Academy in 2016 and has a passion for helping fellow railway enthusiasts pursue their love of trains. He received his first train set at just three years old, a Marx wind-up, which captivated his interest. Since then, Doug has maintained a fascination with model trains. His journey began as a teenager working at a hobby store, eventually evolving into a 50-year-long profession dedicated to constructing model railroads across various scales, from Z scale to 1 1/2" to the foot (1:8) scale. Doug specializes in S scale, specifically the Proto 64 variety, where he operates his Southern Pacific "Citrus District" layout, spanning 2' x 18' and utilizing a waybill system. Doug believes that model railroading, often referred to as "The World's Greatest Hobby," offers a fantastic avenue for learning, growth, and the creation of three-dimensional art. In his role as a host for the Model Railroad Academy, his aim is to inspire and unite fellow hobbyists.

Tony Koester

Tony Koester is the owner of the Allegheny Midland model railroad. His layout can be seen in Allen Keller's series, Great Model Railroads.

Gerry Leone

Gerry Leone is an NMRA Master Model Railroader who has been in the model railroading industry for years. His expertise covers a wide range of areas including tool selection, laying track, realistic scenery, weathering, cleaning, wiring, and so much more. Gerry's knowledge is an invaluable resource to all of us here at Model Railroad Academy.

Tom Lund

Tom Lund is a life-long model railroader and former Model Railroader art director. In his videos, Tom enjoys sharing his tried-and-true painting, modeling, and design tips gained through extensive work creating realistic scenery and backdrops over his career.

Rich Mahaney

Modeler Rich Mahaney presents model railroad seminars all across America, sharing his valuable knowledge with fellow enthusiasts everywhere. Watch Rich's videos here at Model Railroad Academy to see some of these seminars and hear about the techniques he has learned in his time spent as a model railroader.

Ron Marsh

Ron grew up on a farm between the mainlines of the Gulf Mobile & Ohio and Missouri Pacific Railroads in the 1970s. Thus he has been a rail fan for as long as he can remember. When he was in his mid-20s, Ron discovered the hobby of scale model railroading – a hobby he has loved ever since. Over the course of more than 20 years, Ron has built three layouts in N scale. He enjoys many facets of the hobby, but is especially fond of scenery building, structure building, and operations. Ron is a member of the National Model Railroad Association and the N Scale Enthusiast. He is also the producer of his own model railroad YouTube channel, a contributing editor for the Model Railroad Academy, and a regular columnist for the e-Magazine The Modeler’s Journal.

Bob "Chooch" Rivard

Modeler Bob “Chooch” Rivard is known for his Soo Line circa 1977 model railroad, which has been featured in Great Model Railroads and Garden Railroads. Bob has joined Doug Hodgdon and Steve Doyle for Track Talk Live and various layout tours, and he can be seen here at Model Railroad Academy sharing his weathering tips, modeling techniques, and more.

George Sebastian-Coleman

George Sebastian-Coleman is an experienced model railroader with expertise on a wide range of topics. Check out his tutorials on things like wiring, hand laying track, scratchbuilding structures, creating scenery, and more.

Martin Tärnrot

Martin Tärnrot is a lifelong model railroader born with a model railroad on his bedroom carpet. Model railroading has always been an important part of his life and he has, over the years, built numerous layouts on different themes, both U.S. and European style. Since 2016, Martin has been working full-time within the model railroad industry, as a content producer of how-to videos, both for publishers and manufacturers.