Some of the channels I like to watch that were not mentioned above:
Grande Pacific Railroad - https://www.youtube.com/@arthurhouston3Big HO railroad and a lifetime of exprience shared through his videos with lots of visits to other layouts across U.S.
Bill Fagan - https://www.youtube.com/@bfagan777/videosAn overload of layout tours, for inspiration and ideas
Jason Stiles - https://www.youtube.com/@RailfanJason/videosOPS and railfanning videos
Model Railroad Adventures With Bill - https://www.youtube.com/@modelrailroadadventureswit6347Some great modelling overall in HO/N/O/On30 scales
4DPNR Movies - https://www.youtube.com/@4DPNRMoviesClinics/presentations from the 4th Division of the NMRA Pacific Northwest Region
Operations SIG - https://www.youtube.com/@OperationsSIGClinics/presentations from the Special Interest Group for Operations
Otter Creek & Rio Grande - https://www.youtube.com/@OtterCreekAn HOn3 railroad in progress, with some great attention to detail
Daylight Dave - https://www.youtube.com/@daylightdave9405Big HO railroad, and lots of info and stories from a former UP engineer.
YouTube Channel
Website
santafejeff I've watched Larry Puckett for over a year now and sometimes I just want to yell at the screen, "Show us your Piedmont Southern layout!" He did just that recently, but he focused on one area at a time, like reviewing dioramas. They looked great, but I'd really like to get an idea of his overall plan and what it looks like. I can say the same about almost any other You-Tuber out there, though. It's frustrating! If Im not mistaken, the Piedmont Southern is published on Model Railroaders teack plan database
I've watched Larry Puckett for over a year now and sometimes I just want to yell at the screen, "Show us your Piedmont Southern layout!" He did just that recently, but he focused on one area at a time, like reviewing dioramas. They looked great, but I'd really like to get an idea of his overall plan and what it looks like. I can say the same about almost any other You-Tuber out there, though. It's frustrating!
If Im not mistaken, the Piedmont Southern is published on Model Railroaders teack plan database
I have access to the Track Database and have looked and looked. I can't find it anywhere. Can you be more specific?
Hey y'all!
I watch SMT Mainline Although his locomotive repairs are breif, he is very helpful.
Next, I watch Darth Santa Fe, he does more indepth repairs and restorations.
I watch Elite194, he does crazy locomotive rebuilds.
Also, I watch The Millrun and Western Railway, White River Line, Seabord Central, NSmoder24, and Soo the Milwaukee Road.
For real railroading I watch ccrx6700 That's Railroadin!, Distant Signal, and Lake Superior Railroad Museum & NS Scenic Railroad.
Finally for live steam I watch Mill Brook Railroad and Steam Channel.
Have a good day!
Check out Al Pugliese's site. Al is the new kid on the block, and is an excellent interviewer and modeler. He begins with a wonderful bit on his quite excellent layout and techniques, and plans on doing other layouts in the central Maryland area in addition to other known modelers. He is also planning on offering many items for sale such as custom structures he has built and some by others, books and DVD's by known area modelers, brass models, custom rolling stock, rare kits, and so forth. Al's focus is craftsman modeling only which I feel will do quite well and needed.
Outstanding responses and I've learned quite a few more to look up on youtube from this thread. Thanks!
Agree with this! DJ is really good and informative.
Being new to the whole DCC thing I can honestly say that Larry Pucket and his clear and consise videos have been a big help. As far as Jason Jenson goes, As a 64 year old born and raised resident of coastal Maine I can say he's not too far off on a lot of it.
A couple that haven’t been mentioned yet.
Daniel Cortopassi is one I really like. His locomotive build and detail series are really good resources if you are into superdetailing diesels, especially the Blue Box SD40-2 series he did back when he was on TSG.
https://youtube.com/@DanielCortopassi
Brian Banna is also a favorite. He has many complete start to finish detailed diesel builds as well.
https://youtube.com/@6axlepwr
-Peter. Mantua collector, 3D printing enthusiast, Korail modeler.
https://www.youtube.com/@NorthCountryTrains
https://www.youtube.com/@mapruitt
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Wow.... So many resources... Many thanks! I wish I could have time to watch these and learn.
Jerry
Lol, I didn't realize I had so many YouTube subscriptions. Here are my favorites by category:
For model layouts and/or construction progress:
The CB&Q in Wyoming
HO Scale Union Pacific Model Railroad
https://www.youtube.com/@Rochsub
Santa Ana Industrial Lead Model RR
https://www.youtube.com/@SAILModelRR
Santa Fe's Raton Subdivision Model Railroad
https://www.youtube.com/@santafesratonsubdivisionmo2715
NSmodeler24
https://www.youtube.com/@nsmodeler24
For model railroad operations:
So Cal Scale Models
https://www.youtube.com/@socalscalemodels
Long Island Rail Road, Montauk Branch
https://www.youtube.com/@longislandrailroadmontaukb982
Manhattan Terminal Railroad (HO)
https://www.youtube.com/@manhattanterminalrailroadh9776
BeerLineModeler
https://www.youtube.com/@beerlinemodeler
Robert Todd
https://www.youtube.com/@roberttodd1642
For Railfanning/History:
fmnut
https://www.youtube.com/@fmnut
Jaw Tooth
https://www.youtube.com/@JawTooth
Mark Clay McGowan
https://www.youtube.com/@MarkClayMcGowan
For Model Trains:
TSG Multimedia
https://www.youtube.com/@tsgmultimedia
djstrains
https://www.youtube.com/@djstrains
I must spend too much time on YoutTube.
Ray
IC Tom, likely we don't need to remind you to review the back catalog of the channels of those 'Tubers (they have no influence over me) who have drifted over the years. Like Kathy who before she went off....on a different tangent (was it the MR sponsorship that went to her head?) did a lot of good videos demostrating techniques for realistic roads, fields, scenery - much of it pretty useful. Same with Luke Towen (who still does quirky stuff like the recent escalator, but IMO he used to be more relevant - probably before he started flipping spray cans).
Mojave Model Railroad is a pretty cool example of model railroading ...especially with her Alien-UFO/Area 51 scene!
Good evening
Been watching Luke Towan's tutorials for quite a long time. Besides being a likable kind of Joe, he doesn't screw around showing something. He maintains your attention span by moving right along to keep things interesting. Quite a few things I've picked up from Luke over the years.
Like Rick Reimers rock carving tutorials 1 & 2 as well. A little slower paced but he does the best foam rock carvings I've ever seen.
TF
I've seen some of these modelers before. I've enjoyed material from Ken Patterson, Stephen Bennett, Kathy Millat (she did recently tear down her NH layout), Luke Towan, rcgrabbag (huge above the garage layout), mpeterll, and several channels dedicated to showing off layouts like Need 4 Life and Pilentum. Lots of good stuff out there!
Andy
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Milwaukee native modeling the Milwaukee Road in 1950's Milwaukee.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/196857529@N03/
NVSRR You forgot Luke Towan
You forgot Luke Towan
I will check him out!
05c50 Many of the ones listed are already on my "subscribed" list, but I see a couple that I'll have to check out. One of my favorites is from a local guy djstrains. He gives a good mix of modeling and real life railroading. Not only is he a modeler, he's also been an engineer for CSX for a while and an accomplished drone pilot. He gives quite a bit of prototype information with flyovers and then gives information on how to model it. .......Paul
Many of the ones listed are already on my "subscribed" list, but I see a couple that I'll have to check out. One of my favorites is from a local guy djstrains. He gives a good mix of modeling and real life railroading. Not only is he a modeler, he's also been an engineer for CSX for a while and an accomplished drone pilot. He gives quite a bit of prototype information with flyovers and then gives information on how to model it.
.......Paul
You're right! djstrains is very good. I had to leave a few off in my initial post. I guess it's because he's N-gauge and I'm HO. Also, I'm not that interested in current railroading ... yet, which is the focus of his drone movies. His stuff is very, very good, though. I caught an interview he gave on a totally different YouTube channel (forget which) and he talked a lot about being an engineer. It was very informative!
chutton01 Let me add 2 European guys:Everard Junction, very detailed model of urban/suburban UK railroading in OO c1990. Shows his construction and detailing projects in explicit detail (maybe too detailed, but that's why YouTube offers 1.5x and 1.75x speed).Marklin of Sweden - Cool modeling of European HO. Great at interesting topics like detailing, building and animation WHEN HE IS hand-crafting and showing some manual techniques and not just downloading STL files for his AnyCube 3D printer (yay - he downloaded this file and printed 10 lumber loads - maybe its the future, but it is rather dull).However, I WILL one day try his tissue-paper and glue water modeling technique! And since this is a Kalmbach forum, I have to throw in EARLY Kathy Millatt, specifically when she still had the Mini-Kathys skits. IMO, she started wandering off topic awhile back. and I am not sure she still does Model Railroading....
Let me add 2 European guys:Everard Junction, very detailed model of urban/suburban UK railroading in OO c1990. Shows his construction and detailing projects in explicit detail (maybe too detailed, but that's why YouTube offers 1.5x and 1.75x speed).Marklin of Sweden - Cool modeling of European HO. Great at interesting topics like detailing, building and animation WHEN HE IS hand-crafting and showing some manual techniques and not just downloading STL files for his AnyCube 3D printer (yay - he downloaded this file and printed 10 lumber loads - maybe its the future, but it is rather dull).However, I WILL one day try his tissue-paper and glue water modeling technique!
And since this is a Kalmbach forum, I have to throw in EARLY Kathy Millatt, specifically when she still had the Mini-Kathys skits. IMO, she started wandering off topic awhile back. and I am not sure she still does Model Railroading....
Yep. I tuned into Everard Junction when he was installing a system to move automobile traffic on his layout with an under-top magnet and belt&gear-drive system. It blew me away!
As for Kathy Millatt, I tuned in right when she made a video about tearing down her railroad layout and you're right - she's done a lot of odd stuff since then, none of it model railroading. I guess I was too late. However, Mojave Model Railroad is a pretty cool example of model railroading from the fairer sex. She's very good and sort of like SMT - she keeps the fun in it, especially with her Alien-UFO/Area 51 scene!
santafejeff What about James Wood. Builder of the Escarpment? Quite facinating what he has done. I dont agree with his roadbed choice of some kind of tbin felt type material but it works for him, looks great and his layout is extremely clean and well built. ** Correction- its Jason Wood My mistake
What about James Wood. Builder of the Escarpment? Quite facinating what he has done. I dont agree with his roadbed choice of some kind of tbin felt type material but it works for him, looks great and his layout is extremely clean and well built.
** Correction- its Jason Wood
My mistake
Oh yeah! I just recently started watching his videos. His "floating" helix is simply amazing. I want to try to build one like it.
My only gripe - and this doesn't apply just to him - is that people with outstanding layouts don't show their plans. Or, if you have an outstanding layout planner, we never get to see the layout.
SBX I am getting back up to speed after a couple of years out. I find Rons Trains and Things and Jimmy's DIY & Digital very informative - Jimmy because he runs N Scale on Kato track the same as me (I do US outline as well even though I am in the UK). If you want a great UK based column check out Charlie Bishop at Chadwick Model Railway - fortnightly and excellent. If you wan t to see some money being spent, check out McKinley Railway is huge with lots of automation. In the meantime , check out my blog at http://www.gmrblog.co.uk
I am getting back up to speed after a couple of years out. I find Rons Trains and Things and Jimmy's DIY & Digital very informative - Jimmy because he runs N Scale on Kato track the same as me (I do US outline as well even though I am in the UK). If you want a great UK based column check out Charlie Bishop at Chadwick Model Railway - fortnightly and excellent. If you wan t to see some money being spent, check out McKinley Railway is huge with lots of automation.
In the meantime , check out my blog at http://www.gmrblog.co.uk
Yes, I watch Ron's Trains and Things (included him in my first post) and Jimmy's DIY and Digital Railroad. Both are N-gauge and I'm not, but both have great information. I thought Ron did a good job with AnyRail tutorials, but no one compares to Steam Powered Radio! That guy could write a book on Anyrail! He's basically already done it with his YouTube videos.
Yes, I also listed Chadwick Railway in my first post. Charlie Bishop is the class act model railroader in the UK. Funny, because it seems that he and Larry Puckett communicate with each other.
Marklinofsweden does a good job of scratch building and such from The low budget aspect
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
I just realized that no-one mentioned Chandwell who does very good modeling (IMO) of c1993 Urban Britian in UK-N scale.What's good is IMO, similar to Everad junction, he focuses on a building project or scene and follows it thru in detail over several videos - yeah, lots of guys do that as well, but 1) He seems to be a master of making cheap card and acetate scraps look great (and the running total he posted on his Grand Hotel series was amusing, the total being less than £10 at the end for a building that would cost maybe 70 as a premade kit). SMT OTOH, I only watch his videos when he is 'reviving' some rather rate item. Sorry, but some Tyco gimmick from the late 1970s doesn't hold all that much interest for me. Oh well.
Long Haired DavidA.K.A. David Penningtonmain man on the Sunset and North Eastern R.R.http://www.gmrblog.co.ukfrom the UK
I like to watch people that do things I would also like to do.
DarthSantaFe and ASD_ASX are my two favorites.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Trainman440 I have a few gripes against SMT Mainline (I find his "restoration" jobs to be of low quality and lazy, with only temporary fixes. Getting something to run is easy. getting something to run WELL is hard.) and James Wright (also find his videos lack luster, I can get basically all the info I need from online, he doesn't provide much info besides a 360 of the model. Some personal favorites: Darthsantafe - extensive mechanism rebuilds and reworks, very good information to know. Norm Charbonneau - beautiful layout with good guides on weathering and fantastic attnetion to detail. Explains his though process very well, and a likable guy. One of the few O scale modelers who models it seriously. Some other channels who dont speak but have beautiful layouts/models and are inspirations for me include Dferg100 (beautiful weathering, models north east steam), Wilcox38 (models NYC steam era with realistic consists), and Vic Voder (insanely detailed ATSF consists) Charles
I have a few gripes against SMT Mainline (I find his "restoration" jobs to be of low quality and lazy, with only temporary fixes. Getting something to run is easy. getting something to run WELL is hard.) and James Wright (also find his videos lack luster, I can get basically all the info I need from online, he doesn't provide much info besides a 360 of the model.
Some personal favorites:
Darthsantafe - extensive mechanism rebuilds and reworks, very good information to know.
Norm Charbonneau - beautiful layout with good guides on weathering and fantastic attnetion to detail. Explains his though process very well, and a likable guy. One of the few O scale modelers who models it seriously.
Some other channels who dont speak but have beautiful layouts/models and are inspirations for me include Dferg100 (beautiful weathering, models north east steam), Wilcox38 (models NYC steam era with realistic consists), and Vic Voder (insanely detailed ATSF consists)
Charles
I've watched many of your videos. "Getting something to run is easy." - maybe for you, but I assure you, that doesn't apply to everyone. You've graduated to getting old brass to run, which IMHO, is quite an accomplishment.
Yeah, Harrison has probably milked the "let's get it to run" thing maybe too much, but he's been doing it for a long time. I still think it's amazing. I buit my first layout in '72 and have dealt heavily in DIY audio electronics for the last 20 years. Yet, I would've never considered that repairing old locos was as possible as he makes it.
There are many others who probably feel the same. Otherwise, you wouldn't be getting such good deals on brass locos that you are able to then fix, run, and sell. ;-)
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Modeling the Santa Fe & Pennsylvania in HO
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLb3FRqukolAtnD1khrb6lQ
Instagram (where I share projects!): https://www.instagram.com/trainman440
I saw a related comment about model railroader youtubers in the Model Railroader magazine thread. Rather than derail that thread, I thought starting another one was a better idea.
I suppose I could search for this, but YouTube is so "current" that things change fast. I've subscribed to some channels that I thought had potential, only to see them disappear after a few videos.
Anyway, YouTube got me back into this hobby. First, the videos of some people's layouts were just awe-inspiring. Then later, other YouTubers built a lot of inspiration in me.
Here's just a sampling of what I've noticed and enjoy, please add to it if you can. I'd like to know who you guys think are really good (granted, there are some bad ones out there).
Model Railroading - Larry Puckett is simply a class act when it comes to model railroading, electronics, and building. I've watched everything he does and wait every Friday (Mondays now, too) for his videos.
SMT Mainline - This young man single-handedly built my enthusiasm for returning to the hobby. He's taught me that you can just have fun running locomotives. On one video, he actually re-wound a motor armature!!. And I thought I was a qualified DIY-er. Wow!
Sam's Trains - From across the pond, so most of the locomotives are unfamiliar, but he is probably the most consistent and professional model railroader on YouTube besides Larry Puckett. He does American locos occasionally, but is often just an amazing source of information about hobby in UK. They are really, really serious about the hobby over there!
Doctor Hobby - a little bit of a diversion (don't look too closely at his layout construction) but this guy has one heck of a lot of passenger trains! That's sort of my interest, too, so his stuff is very entertaining for me. He also diverts to a lot of international models. He recently debuted a couple of Australian diesels with out-of-this-world paint schemes. He may be James Wright's only real competition in terms of how many locomotives he purchases.
JLWII2000 - This is James Wright's channel. He is most like Sam's Trains, but in the US. Not as technical or as consistent as Sam, but there's probably no one anywhere who is purchasing as many locomotives. He is, without a doubt, the go-to YouTuber for video reviews on any of the latest locomotives in the US. Like Sam, he seems like a genuinely nice guy and is a credit to the hobby.
ck7813 - He's my personal favorite, because he focuses almost exclusively on IC/ICG.
mpeterll, Dubai Trains, Chadwick Model Railroad, Steam Powered Radio, Ron's Trains N Things - these guys are great at layout design and layout building.
Ken Patterson, Jennifer E. Kirk, TSG Multimedia - all with very professional video shows, they seem a credit to the hobby and promote all sides.
Fred E Model Railroad and N-Scale Union Pacific Evanston Subdivision - these two get my vote for the absolutely nicest model railroaders I've ever watched. Also - check out Shawn's Trains, too. I'd put him in this same category, with a decidedly bias toward Milwaukee. ;-)
Tom's Trains and Things - got to mention Tom, an absolute whiz with Arduino, but always brings it back to Model Railroading. He's another absolutely committed and consistent model railroader you-tuber.
There's more I could list, but can't go forever. Who do you watch? I'd like to learn about more great YouTubers doing model railroading out there.