Al Barten created technical manuals in his day job before retiring in 2005 to devote full time to his V-Scaler and Virtual Railroader web site publications. He has contributed to Railroad Model Craftsman, Railfan & Railroad, Electric Lines, Rail Classics, Locomotive & Railway Preservation, Trolley Talk, and Orion Nature Quarterly magazines; has been Editor-in-Chief and contributor for Woodbridge's Train Simulation Craftsman magazine and the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum and Myrin Institute newsletters. His photography has appeared in Railfan & Railroad, Electric Lines, Today's Liturgy, American Artist magazines and elsewhere. Al was a cofounder, board member, and officer of the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum in Shelburne Falls, MA, and a member of the editorial board of Orion Nature Quarterly.