Thanks ...

I'm not Charlie, but thanks for the kind words about the Hot Trains video vol. 1.

The emphasis in Model Trains Video's new Hot Trains series is railfanning a model railroad with lots and lots of model trains running.

Unlike the Allen Keller series, Hot Trains totally overdoses on realistic railfanning video angles and on treating the model as if it were a real railroad. You get tons of trains running through great scenery - and see the railroad operate as the owner envisioned it would be run.

In addition, Hot Trains throws in lots of how-to extras.

We think it's a cool new format for presenting model railroading in a way that's unlike what's been done so far.

If you'd like to see a preview, just click this link.

Is there narration?

Joe,

I love the idea of having more railfanning of a (model) railroad (compared to the Keller "model" of doing videos) but in the preview there wasn't any narration.  Even on prototype videos there is narration as to what is going on, what the train is, etc.  Is that how these videos are done, or is there no narration.  Also, is there a trackplan that we can follow so we can see where the video is being taken.  These are both features of the Keller video's that I find a positive. 

Ken L.

Narration

Ken, I've got 6 prototype videos and not one of them has any narration.  However, it would be nice, I agree, if there was at least some narration to give you an idea of what you are looking at.  Of course, titles could do that in a pinch, too. 

I liked it!

Charlie did a great job on this (and the BC&SJ). It has a nice balance of rail fanning, a little operations, some how to and a once around the layout real life look. I think Charlie really hit it out of the park when it came to the sound. I know most folks won’t understand this. It’s not just and the blending of the general sounds of a train, the jointed rail and squealing wheels or using the right horns during the op’s.   It’s beyond the speed matching the sound to the engine - how many noticed the babbling brook as the train crosses over the bridge, the dog barking at the train or the birds? It’s these details that make the quality of the Model Train Video collection – 5 part how to, Live Ops! and now Hot Trains.

Sound cars, squealing flanges, done and dusted...

Dear Steve,

Yes, Digitrax "Soundbug" decoders are probably the most cost effective "sound only" decoders that can be fit in HO freightcars. (They are "user loadable", but it's not a "plug n play" system yet by most accounts).

Clanking couplers and flangesqueals are a regular question over on the LayoutSound yahoogroup. The team there have developed a number of solutions over the last 2 - 3 years, and would be happy to share...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LayoutSound/

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

PS while the audio foley/effects in videos are wonderful, similar effects are totally do-able _Right_Now_ in your own layout room! Ask the LayoutSound guys for more info...
(No Hi-Jack intended, I just know that they've been "cutting edge" RE Layout and "Scale Sound" for years now...)

Narration

Yup, the video is fully narrated. Some serious, some tongue in cheek (like the comment about radiological dating showing the age of the oldest rocks along the BC&SJ right of way being at least 6 years old).

I'm really glad you guys liked it. It was quite a blast to make...

Horace Fither sez to tell youse guise that he had a great time making it too, desipite the picnic table / checkers game conversation in the ending credits...

Cheers,

Charlie ( am I really an Alco-holic) Comstock

Uh Oh, Joe,...

Just when I thought I wouldn't have to buy anything else for a while, you come up with something new to put on the shopping list. I guess you won't be winning any popularity contests as far as my wife is concerned, but what she doesn't know isn't going to hurt anyone. So keep my future purchase a secret until it arrives.

Ok, I was joking but right now I'll have to find time to watch the preview since my office computer at work can't look at video previews. It'll have to wait until tonight when I am home. I'll probably buy it then. Obviously you plan to release more of these. So why not offer a subscription deal?

Irv

HOT Trains!

First off, many, many, thanks to all of you who have bought (and are buying) volume 1.

Actually Joe took a 'supervisory' role in HOT Trains. I did the modleing, scripting, shooting, editing, post production, audio dubbing, dvd programming as well as enhancing some scenery that wasn't up to snuff for the video. My other Joe buddy, Joe Brugger, helped in a number of scenes by helping with lighting set up and juggling throttles while I juggled tripods and the camcorder. Joe Fugate has been my video production mentor/guru - with out his tutalage over the last two years HOT Trains would not have been possible. He provided general guidance, Q/A, and advice/help building the cover and DVD artwork for volume 1. Model-trains-video.com is handling the creation, packaging, and shipping of the DVDs.

As far as volume 2 goes, yes, I'd like to produce more HOT Trains videos. However, producing HOT Trains volume 1 AND Model Railroad Hobbyist at the same time left me little to no time for sleeping and paying attention to my ever-so-understanding wife. I did have a lot of fun working on this DVD -- getting to see your layout come to 'life' on the 'silver screen' is a real kick. For a while I was so immersed in this projbect I'd walk into the train dungeon (as my wife calls it) and think "This can't be my railroad" because I was so used to seeing it from a scale person's eye view.

I would like to do more of these DVDs, but can't commit to a schedule until we get monthly issues of MRH under control. If/when I do commit to a schedule, there may or may not be subscriptions with discounts -- HOT Trains is already 1/2 the price of Allen Keller videos (with the MRH bonus coupon codes. It's been almost t two years since I was laid off from my high-falutin', hi-tech, day job and I'd really like to earn enough money to hold on to my train room (and house).

If you want to see volume 2 and see it  sooner rather than later, buying DVDs will send me (and Joe) a clear message that we should get crackin' on it.

Thanks again to all of you!

HOT trains!

Have no fear I'll be putting n my order. I've bought just about everything else Model.Trains Video.com sells.

Just placed my order.

Irv

Hot Trains, HOT STUFF!

No special deals required!  The MRH subscriber coupons are enough.

Sounds fantastic!  Reserve a copy for me.

HOT Trains is to be a unique video series

The idea is for HOT trains to be a unique video series that has nothing comparible to it on the market.

- Total immersion in a railfan's view of a layout
- Production values that set a new standard for model railroading videos
- Takes you inside the mind of the layout owner as to how they envision their layout to be operated
- Meaty how-to bonus segments showing you how YOU TOO can model to this level

Each volume will have a very specific topic focus - volume 1 is all about ALCOs on Charlie Comstock's 1950s steam-to-diesel transition layout. Future volumes will cover more topics on Charlie's layout as well as cover some topics on my Siksiyou Line.

We're also interested in doing other operations-oriented layouts as volumes in the HOT Trains series. However, we can't forget we now have a monthly magazine to put out, so we will need to balance producing this unique new video series with producing our eZine.
 

You've got my interest.

I just ordered the 1st HOT Trains. And what you tell me now means that I can look forward to the series but not on a regular schedule just yet.

I never subscribed to the Allen Keller series. Indeed I own only one of his DVDs and that has more to do with the fact that I read Howard Zane's book than it does to what Allen does.

I hope you don't try to cover similar topics you have already covered because that might get boring.

BTW, have you looked at Model-Railroad.TV yet? You'll find it advertised in the October issue of Model Railroader.

Irv

Let's Talk Trains- Train 111

Charlie, since Train 111 is so long and heavy, wouldn't you want to keep the helpers in the train for the ride down the other side of Oak Hill so you would have the breaking power of the additional locos?

As I said earlier, very well done video and layout.  I am not a "nit picker"; just want to talk operations.  I've probably watched the DVD a dozen times!!!

THANKS

Hey, don't wear out your DVD

Hey, don't wear out your DVD player Jim.  The Alcos don't have dynamics and the hill to Salem is a mere 2.3% instead of 2.8% so the helpers go back to South Jackson / Mill Bend where they're more useful.  When running a 44 car HO train you start to see some real train dynamics - the crews have to be careful not to pop the lids of draft gear boxes (especially older Athearn boxes) and/or stringline.

Glad you like it so much!

Charlie

+ +

OK. Now get your hands on one of those miniature video camcoders  Rick showed us a while back and shoot from the  track or the road.

Marc Fournier, Quebec

Ordered mine today

Can't wait for it. 

Download

Will it be available in a downloadable format?

Yes

Yes, will be working on that next when we get back from the PNR convention in Seattle this week and weekend.

Maybe by the end of this month ...

Stringlining in N Scale

One of the things I do when I am running my trains is to see how many cars each of my locomotives can pull. I used to run into stringlining all of the time until I got one of my fellow Brooklyn N-Trak club members to put some weight in some of my cars.This is especially a problem with hoppers and gondollas. These cars don't weigh much in N-Scale and you usually can't hide weights in them since there really isn't much room for it if you have an empty hopper or gondolla.

Now if you can figure out how to create a load for them out of a weight, then you'll have no stringlining problem. This is relatively easy to do with a gondolla since you  can make it look like a load of pipe by using finishing nails suitably cut and prepped. Hoppers will still be a problem if you don't always create coal or other typical loads that will hide the weights.

Before I learned any of this (don't bother asking how I learned it), I used to be careful of the order in which freight cars were placed in a train with the lighter ones at the rear of the train. It's awful hard to convince experienced N-Scalers that you know what you are doing that way.

Irv

Can others submit material for a video?

I was wondering, since the publishers of MRH and the producers of Hot Trains are the same group of people, will you, in the future, accept submissions for videos to be included in the series?

Ken Leaver, Jr.
President/CEO, Pennsylvania & Allegheny RR, circa 1953

Sure ...

Sure ... You talking subject recommendations or finished video submissions?

Video Submissions.....The

Video Submissions.....The Interim P&A will have several Coal Mine's so in 2 years I should have sufficient scenary and operations to make a submission.  Though to do this, I would need to know what are the standards for video recording, so the "focus" would be "Working the Coal Shifter in 1950s Appalachia", with a focus on Coal Mine Operations and Steam. Lots and Lots of Steam.  With additional clinics on TT&TO operation, how to make cheap but effective ground foam, and creating moveable/portable layout benchwork sections using shelf mounting brackets, and some other clinics of how I built the P&A.   If this is a possiblity, it would effect the timetable in how I will construct the Interim P&A as I will want to record various stages of Construction But if it's not something that would happen, there's no sense in planning and accomodating for it hence why am asking.  I have set a FIRM Deadline of October 7th, 2011 for being ready for the first Operating Session for the P&A so it wouldn't be too long after that before there should be several scenes to video record trains running through, as the mine shifter does it's work.  Though, the mine shifter locomotive will be either a "leased" Allegheny Midland Road 2-6-6-2, or this part of the mainline is a joint operation between the AM and P&A just like the C&O and NYC had join operations in West Virginia to serve several coal mines. 

Another "extra" I would like to include, is discussing the Interim P&A versus the Ultimate P&A under design for it's new location.  This disucssion could include the "Chainsaw" layout concept as the Interim P&A is a partial chainsaw as certain sections of the layout will not be reusable with the new plan. 

How it would be submitted would be up to you and yoru staff.  I could submit a "rough draft" with how I think it would be best to have it, or, and I think you would prefer this so you could make the best choice since you are all more expereinced than I, submit raw footage of everything and allow you to cut and paste as you think best. 

This is why I am asking will you take submissions and if the answer is yes, and it sound like it is, how would it be best to go about it.  I am prepared, when the time comes, to submit a very detailed proposal with perhaps a "quick and dirty" version of some of the "shots" to be included before all the time is invested by anyone into makign the video. 

Thanks Joe! Hope you are enjoying the Convention! 

Ken L.

Excellent work!

Charlie,

I looked at the preview and I'm going to buy the DVD.

I am curious as to what video camera(s) you used as I mess around with some on-board video cameras myself.

Rick

HOT Trains Video

My copy arrived in Friday's mail. Of course I couldn't watch it since we got hit by a tornado or two in Thursady night and didn't get power back until sometime yesterday which was the Day of Atonement. Now you wouldn't think that NYC would ever be subject t those kinds of weather conditions but it does sometime happand and last Thusday was obviously one of those times. I still haven't gotten to watch it.

My house sufered no damage due to the fact that the only tree is in a neighbors yard and it didn't come down. But others weren't so lucky. There were big trees blocking the streets and avenues so driving was imossible and even today therare streets blocked by fallen trees and what is worse, fallen power lines. Most of the power has been restored but I wonder what would have happened if I had wired my ayout and was running trains on it whe the storms hit?

Irv