Tony Koester on Becoming an Expert Model Railroader

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Tony Koester’s HO scale layout of Allegheny Midland Railroad is a construction project more than two decades in the making, and still counting. Over twenty-plus years, Tony has put countless hours, thought and patience into building this remarkable scale extension of the Nickel Plate Road, a railroad that has fascinated Tony since he was a boy and he began his career as an aspiring model railroader.

In this segment, host Allen Keller visited Tony’s workshop to take a behind-the-scenes tour of his innovative layout of the mountainous Virginia rail system and hear Tony’s insight on where he plans to take the AM in the future, as well as how being a devoted model railroader has shaped his family and personal life to present.

The journey to be an expert model railroader
As with most hobbies, becoming a serious model railroader can oftentimes mean making sacrifices in other aspects of your life, be it financially or timewise. The passionate model railroader puts a ton of hours and thought into the layouts they create, whether that come in the form of researching, planning or building their railroad.

Throughout his career as a model railroader and writer about all things trains, Tony has experienced his fair share of sacrificing and growing as a person. He’s developed a few bits of wise insight over the years in regards to managing your time and goals as a model railroader, and he shares this wisdom with Allen for any model railroader looking to take their hobbying to the next level.