James McDonald
@jamesdmcdonald.bsky.social
Musician, historian, and fabricator. I play drums (ska, reggae, cumbia, punk), write history (lots about trains, but also food and convenience), and build all sorts of things from models to theater sets. Mostly model train posts these days.
Reposted by James McDonald
Huge news. We’re backing up the legendary Susan Cadogan at this year’s @supernovaska.bsky.social in September!!!
January 30, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Huge news. We’re backing up the legendary Susan Cadogan at this year’s @supernovaska.bsky.social in September!!!
Reposted by James McDonald
Join the #HagleyHistoryHangout for a chat w @bordergroves.bsky.social and indep scholar Elizabeth Moore about the many controversies sparked by the Long Island RR during its nearly 200 year history. Here or wherever you find your podcasts: www.hagley.org/research/his...
Please subscribe and share!
Please subscribe and share!
Rage! At the Train Station: Long Island Railroad Controversies | Hagley
Infrastructure projects have frequently generated controversies in American history, and railroads in particular have been the cause of many a political fracas.
www.hagley.org
January 20, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Join the #HagleyHistoryHangout for a chat w @bordergroves.bsky.social and indep scholar Elizabeth Moore about the many controversies sparked by the Long Island RR during its nearly 200 year history. Here or wherever you find your podcasts: www.hagley.org/research/his...
Please subscribe and share!
Please subscribe and share!
Reposted by James McDonald
One month away! EST heads to the Virgin Islands! 🇻🇮 19.Feb at R Bar St Thomas and 21.Feb at Iggie’s Beach Club. Both shows alongside DJ Quan and Steady Rock Sound System!!
January 19, 2026 at 9:17 PM
One month away! EST heads to the Virgin Islands! 🇻🇮 19.Feb at R Bar St Thomas and 21.Feb at Iggie’s Beach Club. Both shows alongside DJ Quan and Steady Rock Sound System!!
Reposted by James McDonald
Headlines decades from now will all be about "someone found the last intact copy of XYZ digital media thought long lost because a person saved it for future generations in an old storage format"
BE that someone with the stuff you love, especially the ephemeral and obscure stuff.
1/2
BE that someone with the stuff you love, especially the ephemeral and obscure stuff.
1/2
January 6, 2026 at 10:38 PM
Headlines decades from now will all be about "someone found the last intact copy of XYZ digital media thought long lost because a person saved it for future generations in an old storage format"
BE that someone with the stuff you love, especially the ephemeral and obscure stuff.
1/2
BE that someone with the stuff you love, especially the ephemeral and obscure stuff.
1/2
Reposted by James McDonald
Don't steal pies this Christmas.
December 16, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Don't steal pies this Christmas.
Drain hose from washer popping loose and draining into the house? 0/10. Would not recommend.
December 3, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Drain hose from washer popping loose and draining into the house? 0/10. Would not recommend.
Anyone want to start a new band? Specifically a duo named after this old soap?
November 1, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Anyone want to start a new band? Specifically a duo named after this old soap?
Reposted by James McDonald
My #1 goal for all of what I do is to make OUR lives hopefully a bit more joyful.
Are there "serious" topics about the model railroading hobby?
Sure. Mostly centered around inclusiveness of gender/race/economic status.
The key is inspiring people to enjoy the hobby at a level they wanna enjoy it!
Are there "serious" topics about the model railroading hobby?
Sure. Mostly centered around inclusiveness of gender/race/economic status.
The key is inspiring people to enjoy the hobby at a level they wanna enjoy it!
October 20, 2025 at 11:14 PM
My #1 goal for all of what I do is to make OUR lives hopefully a bit more joyful.
Are there "serious" topics about the model railroading hobby?
Sure. Mostly centered around inclusiveness of gender/race/economic status.
The key is inspiring people to enjoy the hobby at a level they wanna enjoy it!
Are there "serious" topics about the model railroading hobby?
Sure. Mostly centered around inclusiveness of gender/race/economic status.
The key is inspiring people to enjoy the hobby at a level they wanna enjoy it!
Timonium train show this coming weekend. Hoping to pick up some new tools and maybe a freight car kit or two. #ModelRailroading
October 20, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Timonium train show this coming weekend. Hoping to pick up some new tools and maybe a freight car kit or two. #ModelRailroading
Check out this super weathering technique for modelers.
Using salt for weathering. This and other REALLY USEFUL videos (🤭) can be found on my YouTube channel.
#ModelRailway #Latchmere
#ModelRailway #Latchmere
October 12, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Check out this super weathering technique for modelers.
Reposted by James McDonald
A bittersweet farewell to our 2000-series! 🚇
Today, we removed the final one from Greenbelt Rail Yard. These trains were first introduced in the early 1980s, operated nearly 200M miles, and carried more than 775M passengers.
Now, we’re making way for our 8000-series! 👋
Today, we removed the final one from Greenbelt Rail Yard. These trains were first introduced in the early 1980s, operated nearly 200M miles, and carried more than 775M passengers.
Now, we’re making way for our 8000-series! 👋
October 2, 2025 at 5:02 PM
A bittersweet farewell to our 2000-series! 🚇
Today, we removed the final one from Greenbelt Rail Yard. These trains were first introduced in the early 1980s, operated nearly 200M miles, and carried more than 775M passengers.
Now, we’re making way for our 8000-series! 👋
Today, we removed the final one from Greenbelt Rail Yard. These trains were first introduced in the early 1980s, operated nearly 200M miles, and carried more than 775M passengers.
Now, we’re making way for our 8000-series! 👋
Reposted by James McDonald
Our next show is this Saturday in Newport News. One Love Reggae Music Festival!! Come forward!
October 1, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Our next show is this Saturday in Newport News. One Love Reggae Music Festival!! Come forward!
Reposted by James McDonald
Our next shows…
September 20, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Our next shows…
Back from @supernovaska.bsky.social . What a great weekend!
September 15, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Back from @supernovaska.bsky.social . What a great weekend!
Reposted by James McDonald
Reminder, that if you want an HO scale model of the first 4-2-0 built, the Experiment of the Mohawk & Hudson, you can get a 3D printed kit on my shop here: 3dptrain.com/products/183...
September 15, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Reminder, that if you want an HO scale model of the first 4-2-0 built, the Experiment of the Mohawk & Hudson, you can get a 3D printed kit on my shop here: 3dptrain.com/products/183...
Reposted by James McDonald
Next at Supernova, Eastern Standard Time
September 12, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Next at Supernova, Eastern Standard Time
16 years ago today, CSX 8201, CSX 8509, and CSX 8803 were heading west through St. Denis, MD on their way to Jessup, MD to pick up a transfer run to Baltimore. 8201 was L&N 3573 built in 1974, 8509 was ex Seaboard built in 1983, and 8804 was originally Conrail 6373, built in 1977. My photo.
September 5, 2025 at 9:11 PM
16 years ago today, CSX 8201, CSX 8509, and CSX 8803 were heading west through St. Denis, MD on their way to Jessup, MD to pick up a transfer run to Baltimore. 8201 was L&N 3573 built in 1974, 8509 was ex Seaboard built in 1983, and 8804 was originally Conrail 6373, built in 1977. My photo.
Reposted by James McDonald
Oh, hi there. It’s your friendly neighborhood EST here to say a) it’s Bandcamp Friday so we’d love your support there (easternstandardtime.bandcamp.com naturally) and b) we’re playing Froggy Daze festival in Narrowsburg, NY tomorrow and Supernova in Virginia next weekend. Very excite.
Eastern Standard Time
Put together top musicians from Washington, DC’s Jazz and Reggae scenes, give them the recipe for the original Jamaican Ska, throw a heavy dose of vintage Soul in the mix, shake well, and the result i...
easternstandardtime.bandcamp.com
September 5, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Oh, hi there. It’s your friendly neighborhood EST here to say a) it’s Bandcamp Friday so we’d love your support there (easternstandardtime.bandcamp.com naturally) and b) we’re playing Froggy Daze festival in Narrowsburg, NY tomorrow and Supernova in Virginia next weekend. Very excite.
Reposted by James McDonald
For over 25 years I drew train pictures for the screensaver program Traffic but I stopped drawing about a year ago to finish school. Suddenly, today, I started up again. Here are some CM&StP 28’ boxcars in 1880s-1900s versions. Scale is 10px=1 meter.
September 2, 2025 at 12:22 AM
For over 25 years I drew train pictures for the screensaver program Traffic but I stopped drawing about a year ago to finish school. Suddenly, today, I started up again. Here are some CM&StP 28’ boxcars in 1880s-1900s versions. Scale is 10px=1 meter.
Reposted by James McDonald
This is my plea: stop using colourised photos in the news and in books. Don’t encourage ‘fun’ distortions of historical images that could produce confusion, for the sake of clicks/likes. Accept historical images with all their flaws and gaps: they don’t need ‘correction’, they need interpretation.
August 29, 2025 at 9:33 AM
This is my plea: stop using colourised photos in the news and in books. Don’t encourage ‘fun’ distortions of historical images that could produce confusion, for the sake of clicks/likes. Accept historical images with all their flaws and gaps: they don’t need ‘correction’, they need interpretation.
Reposted by James McDonald
No film gets historians right, but that's only because no audience wants to watch someone quietly work their way through a cardboard box of old papers, in total silence, for eight straight hours.
an interesting subtopic! which shows/movies are beloved by the profession for Getting It Right! Lawyers famously love MY COUSIN VINNIE, doctors I believe love SCRUBS, apparently Aussie barristers are surprisingly fond of RAKE's depiction of some aspects of the law.
Oh god I remember watching HOUSE with some doctors, it was a the usual mix of “you would get fired instantly and never practice medicine again no matter how good u are” and “that case actually isn’t hard to solve at all”
August 28, 2025 at 11:32 PM
No film gets historians right, but that's only because no audience wants to watch someone quietly work their way through a cardboard box of old papers, in total silence, for eight straight hours.
Saturday’s #ModelRailroading. The Ma&Pa boxcar (rear) is ready for paint. The Milwaukee Road boxcar (gray, 2nd from back) needed sill steps (since added) but is now ready for paint & I finished the brake rigging on the Union Line and CRR of NJ boxcars (3rd & 4th from back, respectively). Progress.
August 24, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Saturday’s #ModelRailroading. The Ma&Pa boxcar (rear) is ready for paint. The Milwaukee Road boxcar (gray, 2nd from back) needed sill steps (since added) but is now ready for paint & I finished the brake rigging on the Union Line and CRR of NJ boxcars (3rd & 4th from back, respectively). Progress.