Proto-Future and the Beginner's Guide to Model Railroading

Proto-Future and the Beginner's Guide to Model Railroading

This is a joint feed for the Beginner’s Guide to Model Railroading (BGT) and the Proto-Future Podcast (PFP), a fresh take on model railroading which covers modern transit, intercity passenger rail, and walkable, climate-just, and racially equitable urban environments.

Episodes

June 30, 2026 48 mins

In part one of this three-part series, I explain the recent history and political implications of modern transit, being: walking, bicycling, busses, streetcars, trams/straßenbahnen, light rail, stadtbahnen, tram-trains, DMUs, heavy rail subways, schnellbahnen/RERs, intercity rail, long distance/night trains, High-eR Speed Rail (HRSR), and HSR, High Speed Rail.

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Everything you need to know to begin operating on your, or any model railroad. CTC, ABS, Timetables, Train Orders, Car Cards, and Waybills are all exhaustively, thoroughly, and clearly explained.

Please consider donating at https://www.patreon.com/bgtmrring

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Part 2 of an interview with modeler savant, Tyler Trahan, talking about passenger trains, modeling, politics, news, and urbanism.

Link to the WTYP Bonus Episode Preview on Dining Cars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikq0lP9oQgI

Please consider ...

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March 31, 2026 27 mins

A bonus narration of my sole-author peer-reviewed scientific literature review in mBio: https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.00873-25?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

Please consider donating at https://www.patreon.com/bgtmrring

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A bonus discussion on urbanism, advocacy, and completely banning cars.

Please consider donating at https://www.patreon.com/bgtmrring

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This episode covers the history of the Class III shortline and narrow-gauge railroads in the Mid-Atlantic Region, including the Camden and Amboy, Ma&Pa, and Surry, Sussex, and Southhampton.

Please consider donating at https://www.patreon.com/bgtmrring

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A discussion on Low, Higher, and High Speed Rail, infrastructure politics, and Lucid Stew's history and growth as a creator.

Check out Lucid Stew’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@LucidStew

Stew’s original two videos on CAHSR:

...

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Part 2 of how to ride Amtrak, finding a train, understanding service classes, booking a ticket, waiting at the station, and the onboard experience, recorded from the Coast Starlight.

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Part 1 of an interview with modeler savant, Tyler Trahan, covering his history in model railroading, museum, and steam railroading, and his thoughts on manifestos, passenger trains, virtual modeling, club inclusivity, and public outreach.

Please consider donating at https://www.patreon.com/bgtmrring

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Part 1 of how to ride Amtrak, giving a brief history and describing the destinations and operations of every single route on the timetable, recorded onboard the Sunset Limited.

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October 13, 2025 100 mins

The second part of a pilot episode I recorded in 2023, exploring Pittsburgh and biking on the GAP trail back to Connellsville.

The City Cast Pittsburgh episode on the Silence of the Lambs house can be found here: https://pittsburgh.citycast.fm/podcasts/spend-the-night-at-the-silence-of-the-lambs-house

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This episode is a layout construction progress update amid some pretty major life changes: writing my and defending my Ph.D. dissertation, and looking to move overseas for safety. What will happen next to the layout and podcast? Listen on...

A final reminder to support CAN: https://creatoraccountabilitynetw...

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In this episode, I describe a project I've been working on with some friends to end car-dependency all across America, not just in cities, and details the many reasons why cars are always harmful to the environment, our health, and our economic prosperity.

The Centre County Highway Revolt is a citizen-led o...

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May 31, 2025 63 mins

The first part of a pilot episode I recorded, testing out the concept of PFP before I released the Manifesto, where I Amtraked from Connellsville to Pittsburgh, explored Pittsburgh, and biked back.

A reminder to support CAN: https://creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org

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April 30, 2025 36 mins

This episode finally gets us around to the "model" part of model railroading, teaching you how to prepare, paint, glue, brace, and detail either plastic or laser-cut wood kits. The different types of kits and glues are discussed, as well as scratch-building and kit-bashing, painting with an airbrush, and how to affix structures on the layout in a realistic manner.

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This episode covers the history of the Class II railroads in the Mid-Atlantic Region, primarily the Reading, Central Railroad of New Jersey, Penn-Reading Seashore Lines, and Northern Central.

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February 28, 2025 43 mins

G4's take on NYC's Congestion Pricing, just in the nick of too late. Plus a report of a recent trip to a live show between City Nerd and the War on Cars in NYC, as well as bicycling around Baltimore, DC, NYC, and Philly.

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January 31, 2025 45 mins

Much thanks to all those whom asked a question! Feel free to reach out here: https://www.bgtmrring.org/contact

Link to the subsequent interview with Tom Barbalet on Model Rail Radio found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/model-rail-radio/id335536272?i=1000634820061

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December 31, 2024 70 mins

A one(-ish) year checkup with Tom Barbalet, talking about his incredibly enduring perspective of model railroading, how the hobby has changed over the years, the direction of modeling, transit, urbanism, geopolitics, artificial life simulations, and exobiology.

Model Rail Radio/Video

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November 30, 2024 38 mins

This episode addresses the elephant in the room: that America is a now a fascist, dying country. What do we do now, and how do we fight back against the racist conservative idiots that are stealing our freedoms?

Please, please donate to:

The Freedom from Religion Foundation

Nova Ukraine

Anera

Black Lives Matter

The Rail Passengers Association

The High Speed Rail Alliance

The Sierra Club

The Parking Reform Network

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