There are a lot of local memories in two of the books that Robin Miller has published.

One book is a history of Lehigh Valley radio: “American Radio Then & Now: Stories of Local Radio from The Golden Age 2nd Edition” (172 pages; paperback $24.95; Kindle $9.99; 2024).

The other book, also with a Valley viewpoint, is about backyard railroading: “Little Engines that Can and Toymakers who Create them” (150 pages; paperback $29.95; 2024).

Backyard railroading, which Miller also calls large-scale model railroading, is about building trains with tracks that you can ride on, although they are much smaller than commercial passenger trains.

At an Asian restaurant in Bethlehem, Miller says that “Little Engines” “started as a memoir of my dad. He owned 14 businesses and not-for-profits.”

One of the businesses that Bob Miller owned was Miller Backyard Railroads. The company is said to be the first to make the hobby available to people by offering accessibility and affordability.

One thing that made this possible was the use of aluminum rails, which weighed less and made shipping easier. Says Miller: “A piece of aluminum rail wore like iron but it was also very bendable. You can make airplanes out of it.”

The first part of the book describes the present-day hobby, with many color illustrations of the work of modern railroaders.

“I look up railroad people whenever I travel. They are the nicest people in the world. There are a lot of younger people, and a lot who remembered my Dad.

“I found that many of them still had my Dad’s parts. They might have been rusting in a barn, sitting around for half a century. Often, they are used to make new cars and engines, and used to make new equipment out of old parts.

“There are a lot of suppliers now. Today, we have 3D printing and electric remote control, things we wouldn’t have dreamed of in the fifties.”

Most backyard railroaders belong to clubs. One close to the Lehigh Valley is the Reading Society of Model Engineers: www.rsme.org

The Miller family used to have one of their own model railroads, one of the largest in the United States, in Point Phillips, Moore Township.

Among Bob Miller’s first employees were his sons. The first job Robin had that was not with his father was as an announcer for WGPA.

“American Radio,” rewritten and expanded for a second edition, takes a detailed look at radio from its beginnings through its golden age (around 1930 to 1962) into the present.

Miller’s descriptions of the participants, the energy of live radio, and the sometimes crazy happenings explain why radio stations have been popular over the decades. There are many illustrations in black-and-white and color of the people and equipment that powered the many local stations.

Each book is full of colorful stories. There could have been even more, Miller says: “You could keep going on forever, but at some point you have to say that it’s done.”

Miller was born in Fountain Hill and is a lifelong Bethlehem resident, a graduate of Liberty High School and Lehigh University, and a ninth-generation Moravian.

As president of Filmaker, Inc., which he spells with one “m,” in 30 years he has made 300 titles and won 52 awards. He is a consultant for audio and video recording, broadcasting, and studio design and building. His website is www.filmaker.com.

Miller writes about his first nerve-racking appearance as a pianist on WGPA at the age of eight.

He went on to lead four local bands: the Bethlehem Progressive Ensemble, the New Breed, Beyond Good and Evil, and Miller and Company. He is married to Nancy Desiderio, who is a vocalist.

Miller is also the author of “Better Sound from your Phonograph: How come? How-to!” (145 pages; paperback $39.96; 2022), a manual about turntable and vinyl record use.

“Literary Scene” is a column about authors, books and publishing. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com