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MEET THE MODEL RAILROAD HOBBYIST STAFF

Joe Fugate is the founder and publisher of Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine. Joe’s been a model railroader since the late 1960s and is a published model railroad author. Joe has a rich background in web software development, publishing, and video production – Model Railroad Hobbyist is just the latest of his hobby media projects.

Joe's HO Siskiyou Line layout, a pioneering mushroom benchwork configuration, was first discussed in depth by Joe in the January and February 1997 issues of Model Railroader magazine. Joe's also helped popularize the use of auto tail light bulbs for short management on DCC layouts.

Marty McGuirk is our Prototype Modeling editor and columnist. Marty got into model railroading in the late 1970s when he saw his first issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. Marty has worked in the hobby industry off and on, and is a well-published model railroad author. Marty has been an editor for Kalmbach on Classic Toy Trains and Model Railroader, and was the VP of Product Development for Intermountain Railway Company from 2001-2005.

Marty's an avid Central Vermont fan, modeling the "Southern New England" – an HO scale proto-freelanced railroad set in the 1950s and based in part on the real Central Vermont Ry.

John Drye is our N-scale editor and columnist. John Drye has been model railroading since receiving the traditional Lionel set at age 8. John is currently building two layouts: an N scale switching module based on the modern Norfolk Southern, and a basement layout based on the transition-era Pennsylvania Railroad.

When not doing trains, John works as a contractor for the US Navy and volunteers for the American Red Cross and Operation Lifesaver.

Charlie Comstock is our Layout editor and columnist. Charlie's been a model railroader since 1968 when he first visited the East Bay Society of Model Engineers. Charlie is an award-winning model railroad photographer, and became interested in serious layout design in the late 1990's when he was designing the second Bear Creek and South Jackson.

Charlie's MRH column, Up the Creek, tells tales of the newest and best BC&SJ yet - an under-construction layout designed for DCC operation (MRP 2003) - featuring yard ops, a branchline, helper grades, and local switching on a single track mainline set in 1952.

Lew Matt is our Narrow Gage/Shortline editor and columnist. Lew started with American Flyer, experimented with O narrow gage using TT track/mechanisms - then converted to O scale (On30) on his freelance Lancaster Oxford and Southern. All this while modeling the PRR in HO using the freelance Conestoga Valley, complete with heavy electrics and overhead catenary! 

Lew is a published writer, photographer, and illustrator whose work has appeard in most of the model railroad hobby magazines.  Lew's current project is restoring a 3 foot narrow gage diesel switching locomotive he bought to operate on his certified organic farm.

Tim Warris is our Trackwork special correspondent and columnist. Tim's a long time model railroader and co-founder of Fast Tracks, a trackwork fixtures company. Tim developed the idea for track assembly fixtures out of frustration with building reliable turnouts and crossings by hand. He felt there had to be a better way.

Tim started his Port Kelsey Railway in 1992, a moderate-sized double deck layout featured in the August 1997 Model Railroader. Unfortunately, the Port Kelsey was dismantled in 2006 - since March of 2007, Tim has been constructing the 1930's CNJ Bronx Terminal in both HO and N scale.

Ryan Andersen is our New-Media hobby correspondent.  Ryan is a relative newcomer to model railroading, but he's anything but a newcomer to modern new-media technology.  In October 2007, Ryan started the Model Railcast Show, a weekly model railroad focused podcast (talk show) available from iTunes.  Ryan was bitten by the railroad bug in 2007 when his son wanted to build an HO layout. 

Ryan built his first 8 by 5 HO layout and still uses this layout for improving his modeling skills and techniques.  Ryan is planning his next railroad to be set in the late 1800's.

Jim Duncan is our Layout and Operation special correspondent. Jim has been a model railroader since age 3 when his dad gave him his first train set. Jim is a contributing editor for the OpSig journal, The Dispatcher, where he has several bylines to his credit.

Jim's an active operator, traveling around the country to operations weekends as well as hosting sessions on his large, multi-deck layout encompassing the GM&O's Illinois mainline between Chicago and St. Louis. It features the infamous Brighton Park (Panhandle Crossing) manual interlocking, heavy industrial switching, 5 yards, and over 800 feet of main line.

Richard Bale is our News and Events editor and columnist. Richard writes our news column under the byline of The Old Yardmaster. He has been writing about the model railroad trade for various hobby publications since the 1960s.

Richard is currently introducing 3 of his grandsons to the hobby by involving them in the construction of his fifth layout. He enjoys building models, particularly structures, some of which appeared in the June 2006 issue of Model Railroader magazine.

Jeff Shultz is our Internet correspondent and Model-Railroader-at-Large. Jeff has been modeling off and on since age 8. Jeff's background is Internet support and system admininistration, so he spends a fair amount of time on model railroading forums. Jeff also is the "face" of MRH, and often the "guy behind the mike" for MRH's National Train Show videos.

Jeff models the Willamette & Pacific RR in HO Scale in what used to be his garage, as well as being a regular operator on Joe Fugate's Siskiyou Line layout.  His MRH blog can be found at http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/blog/52 .

Les Halmos is our Advertising Account Manager. Les has been a model railroader since 1979. He rewrote and published the Modular Standards for the Northeastern Region of the NMRA in 1981(Modu-Rail Standards). In 2001, he founded the Free-Modu-Rail Group and has been active in building modules, documenting  and promoting the Free-mo standards. Les likes computer layout design, electronic gadgets, DCC, and building models - and he's very pro-NMRA.

Les has a solid background in drafting, computers and High Tech Industrial Controls Sales & Marketing, he's now focusing on doing advertising marketing for MRH.

Patty Fugate is our Office Manager and Magazine Layout production specialist. Patty keeps the Model-Trains-Video.com and Model Railroad Hobbyist office running smoothly, and supervises the other office workers. She's also an experienced professional typsetter, having done complex projects like corporate annual reports. Patty does the layout of MRH.

Patty's a meticulous model railroad scenery maker, and knows the hobby well, although she's not a modeler, per se. Patty is also our founder Joe Fugate's wife, and she tells him "I think you need to go work on your trains for a while" any time she sees he's looking stressed!