Benjamin Park got into model railroading because he thought it would be relaxing-a break from his day job managing logistics for a regional trucking company. Then he discovered operations, and now he hosts timetable-and-train-order sessions in his basement that are arguably more stressful than his actual work. He models the Milwaukee Road in the early 1970s, focusing on the stretch between Minneapolis and Miles City, Montana. Ben's writing tends to focus on how to make a layout function like a real railroad: realistic car routing, proper train handling, and the kind of operational details that separate a running layout from a static diorama. He lives in Bloomington with his wife and two teenagers who think his hobby is kind of weird but whatever.