No- this isn't a train robbing event. I just caught the end of "Monster Garage" and it showed Jesse James in a supped up, rail wheel and hemi equipped new Dodge racing Sierra Railway #28!

Watch for the repeats.

Joshua

Enjoy,

Rich

Discover channel Monster Garage, Magnum Train

rcizik5519@earthlink.net

> No- this isn't a train robbing event. I just
> caught the end of "Monster Garage"
> and it showed Jesse James in a supped up,
> rail wheel and hemi equipped new Dodge
> racing Sierra Railway #28!

> Watch for the repeats.

> Joshua

I confess I watched the show. It was amazing to me how little their two 'railroad' experts knew or contributed. When they machined the missing wheel and finished with a square flange, I thought they might be headed for trouble. In any case, the car derailing during the 'race' was fun!

I wonder if anyone should write and tell them that hi railer equipment has been around for decades, designs have been worked out, parts available, and they did not have to try to re-invent the wheel.

Bob Kutella


68trolley@comcast.net

While the recognition and publicity it brings the RR is good, it's too bad some of the money and effort they spend creating this useless junk couldn't be put to good use, like finishing old No. 3. How about a TV show covering that?

ryarger@rypn.org

> While the recognition and publicity it
> brings the RR is good, it's too bad some of
> the money and effort they spend creating
> this useless junk couldn't be put to good
> use, like finishing old No. 3. How about a
> TV show covering that?

I was thinking something along the lines of the Ohio Central, such as their push to get #33 done for steam fest. You want to see a documentary,
with passion, heart, and how a group can work together to get a project done, their ya go:

You have "American Chopper"

You have "American Hot Rod"

How about AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE?

TJG

tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

> You have "American Chopper"

> You have "American Hot Rod"

> How about AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE?

It'd have to be based in Schenectady, NY. :o)

mconrad@msmgmt.com

Could you repair Baldwins on that show???

> I was thinking something along the lines of
> the Ohio Central, such as their push to get
> #33 done for steam fest. You want to see a
> documentary,
> with passion, heart, and how a group can
> work together to get a project done, their
> ya go:

> You have "American Chopper"

> You have "American Hot Rod"

> How about AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE?

> TJG


Al's Rail Photos
acp19809@yahoo.com

> I was thinking something along the lines of
> the Ohio Central, such as their push to get
> #33 done for steam fest. You want to see a
> documentary,
> with passion, heart, and how a group can
> work together to get a project done, their
> ya go:

> You have "American Chopper"

> You have "American Hot Rod"

> How about AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE?

> TJG
Ah yes, the same concept was chuffing around in my head TJ. The question is would it ever happen.

Let see, we'd need a boss who knows just about everything about locomotives and gets all over people when they're not doing what they're supposed to. (aka Paul senior from AC)

Any suggestions?

We'd need a bunch of younger guys that are good, but still learning. (Heck, i'll sign up for that part :-)...i have TONS to learn

I agree, that would be pretty freekin cool if it ever happened. And TJ's very right about a group coming together with passion, dedication, and a love for their work. Discovery Channel execs, where art thou?

Timmy B

tjb231@comcast.net

> Ah yes, the same concept was chuffing around
> in my head TJ. The question is would it ever
> happen.

No way, you get a budget for 6 days of work, its a race against the clock, you have to hire gearheads who know whats cool but not historians who know whats right, and in the end result it needs to spin wheels, make smoke, and run the risk of exploding to be exciting enough. Maybe on a half-wit operation, but not at most museums. The attention span of the cable chanel execs is really unlikely to be long enough to explain what you would need to do. PBS or independent radio is the destination for this kind of story.

> You have "American Chopper"

> You have "American Hot Rod"

> How about AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE?

Do not forget you already have an appropriately named show "Overhaulin". A pretty girl, a mope who gets duped, everyone laughing behind his back at the cruel trick, and a pot of gold reward at the end of the show. What a country!!

Now how to figure out to get a caboose car onto the show. Seems the key ingredients would be use of a LOT of Bondo, some stylish body revisions, and a radical paint job. That ought to make us preservationists REAL HAPPY!

Bob


68trolley@comcast.net

O.K., reality check -- remember how "American Chopper" got started. The original episode/ documentary on the "Jet Bike" was much more thorough then today's show. It was documentary on the regular process, not a hurried schedule thing like they push now. There is no question that this show has done amazing things for mainstreaming the mazaing work that bike builders/ owners do with their works of art. And I think everyone has seen the amazing nature of Thomas with kids, and what it has done for different museums --- whats to say a show like this couldn't do the same?

If you really watch the show (I'm not talking Moster Garage, AC), it usually takes about a month to get the bike together --- they just elapse the time into two shows, usually and hour long; we don't see a lot of the more mundane things. Hate to say it gentleman, but the schedule OC (Ohio Central) is on right now with the #33 would be perfect for this. Some things I found amazing that the average joe I think would:

1.) Hot-riveting: you don't think the site of red-hot bolts coming out of a small forge then quickly riveted into place by a rivet gun wouldn't blow most people away?

2.) Needle-scaling -- This has become one of my favorite tools of the trade. Seeing what a couple guys with a needle-gun can do with a firebox, etc would be eye-opening as well.

3.) Putting tires on a locomotive --- flames, metal, dirt grime ARRRGHH ARRRGGHHH ARRRGGGHHH.

4.) And one of the things that most people find fascinating about the current shows WELDING, and lots of it.

Mark Perri's detailed slide show to narration and music of the restoration of #6325 is probably the best example I have seen of how this could work. If any of you haven't seen it, its an amazing treat for the senses.

TJG

tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

...
> O.K., reality check -- remember how
>It was documentary on the
> regular process, not a hurried schedule
> thing like they push now.
...
> they just elapse the time into two shows,
> usually and hour long; we don't see a lot of
> the more mundane things. Hate to say it
> gentleman, but the schedule OC (Ohio
> Central) is on right now with the #33 would
> be perfect for this.

Sounds fine to me, if you can get it on cable, so much the better. Like I said, I think PBS would be a good market for the documentary. The history channel probably would be more interested if it fired some kind of weapon or was invented by the Nazis. On these other channels, I think that trains, while interesting, are just not as mainstream/pop culture as motorcycles and hot rods are.

> O.K., reality check -- remember how
> "American Chopper" got started.
> The original episode/ documentary on the
> "Jet Bike" was much more thorough
> then today's show. It was documentary on the
> regular process, not a hurried schedule
> thing like they push now. There is no
> question that this show has done amazing
> things for mainstreaming the mazaing work
> that bike builders/ owners do with their
> works of art. And I think everyone has seen
> the amazing nature of Thomas with kids, and
> what it has done for different museums ---
> whats to say a show like this couldn't do
> the same?

-(rest of TJ's message removed for space)-

TJ's got a point. OC would be perfect for this right now. Plus there's all kinds of interesting people there to keep the "average joe" riveted with the human element as well. People like John Rimmasch, Jason Johnson, Scott Czigans, Gary Bensman, Scott Stouffer, Joe Schriber, etc... all add a great human touch to the whole deal. Heck, Jason even looks like Paul Jr. (Sorry Jason!) :-)

See everyone (and 33) @ Trainfest!

Tim Botti


tjb231@comcast.net