Lou Palumbo was born and raised by Italian immigrant parents in New Castle, PA. He lives there today with his wife Marcia and his four children. He graduated from Youngstown State University in 1967 with a degree in Psychology and Sociology, and was employed by the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare. Lou served as Executive Director of the Lawrence County Department of Welfare for 28 years, retiring in 2004. Lou opened The Underground Railroad Shoppe in 1985, and began writing articles and columns for various toy train publications starting in 1987. Since 2007, Lou has been writing a monthly column called “Views from the Underground” for Classic Toy Trains Magazine, and is known for his candid and constructive opinions of the toy train hobby, along with his famous “home spun” humor. His writings are informative and entertaining for all readers.