Jesse James, accompanied by a popular actress, toured the Georgia State Railroad museum today. He said our little Davenport is a "bitchin" restoration project(imagine what he would think of a "real" locomotive). And after seeing our 1,500lb power hammer operate he decided he must have one.
Not really preservation related, but thought it was kinda cool. Wonder if he will ever try to do something rail related on his show.

jasonsobczynski@yahoo.com

Wonder if he will ever
> try to do something rail related on his
> show.

I've got it! Turning the ex NS train master slugs into REAL train masters! Love the show, watch all the time.

Joshua

Funny you should mention this! I hae been wondering if we'll ever see a "Steam Locomotive Monster House" or a "New York Central American Chopper"!

Great shows. Maybe Discovery Channel would like to underwrite a "park to operation" steam locomotive series? American Locomotive! Each season, a new park disgrace gets rebuilt into a living, breathing, fully functional, steam locomotive, and not jazzed up, either. Start with C&O #1604, then onto a U.P. Bigboy, and then....


glueck@maine.edu

I can tell you without any hesitation that there are two major reasons there are so many shows like Monster Garage, This Old House, Trading Spaces and so on... they are relatively cheap to produce and they attract an audience valuable to specific advertisers.

If you want to pitch a locomotive restoration show, I think you might find it easier than you'd expect if you do some leg work and come up with the following things BEFORE meeting with a network:

1. Attach a known personality to the project -- this doesn't have to be a celebrity, in this case it could be someone well known in the railroad field.

2. Get a production company interested, preferrably one that has worked with the channel you are pitching.

3. Have a sponsor ready to go. Nothing will grease the skids like that. Netowrks rarely underwrite anything. 99% of the time it is third-party money.

My current role is not involved with listening to pitches, but I can tell you that in the past when hearing pitches was part of my job, anyone with those three factors set would rocket to the top of the list.

Go for it!

Rob

rdavis@rypn.org

I think what sells much of these shows is not the actual work that's being done. But the personality conflicts between the people in the show.

Oh - and they have to be fairly good looking with well-endowed women thrown in for good measure.

> I can tell you without any hesitation that
> there are two major reasons there are so
> many shows like Monster Garage, This Old
> House, Trading Spaces and so on... they are
> relatively cheap to produce and they attract
> an audience valuable to specific
> advertisers.

> If you want to pitch a locomotive
> restoration show, I think you might find it
> easier than you'd expect if you do some leg
> work and come up with the following things
> BEFORE meeting with a network:

> 1. Attach a known personality to the project
> -- this doesn't have to be a celebrity, in
> this case it could be someone well known in
> the railroad field.

> 2. Get a production company interested,
> preferrably one that has worked with the
> channel you are pitching.

> 3. Have a sponsor ready to go. Nothing will
> grease the skids like that. Netowrks rarely
> underwrite anything. 99% of the time it is
> third-party money.

> My current role is not involved with
> listening to pitches, but I can tell you
> that in the past when hearing pitches was
> part of my job, anyone with those three
> factors set would rocket to the top of the
> list.

> Go for it!

> Rob


les@nessman.net

>Funny you should mention this! I hae been
> wondering if we'll ever see a "Steam
> Locomotive Monster House" or a
> "New York Central American
> Chopper"!
I did E-Mail the Teutels a couple of pix of an EL SD45-2 with a suggestion that they build an EL bike.
John J. Blair

Funny you should mention this! I hae been
> wondering if we'll ever see a "Steam
> Locomotive Monster House" or a
> "New York Central American
> Chopper"!

> Great shows. Maybe Discovery Channel would
> like to underwrite a "park to
> operation" steam locomotive series?
> American Locomotive! Each season, a new park
> disgrace gets rebuilt into a living,
> breathing, fully functional, steam
> locomotive, and not jazzed up, either. Start
> with C&O #1604, then onto a U.P. Bigboy,
> and then....


jjbx@twcny.rr.com

> I think what sells much of these shows is
> not the actual work that's being done. But
> the personality conflicts between the people
> in the show.

I respectfully disagree with that.

While the personal interactions add to the mix, I think that people really like to see things created. It's fascinating to watch a pile of parts and some flat metal become a motorcycle. Or a pile of wood because a house.

I personally hope that it sparks more interest in "trades" with the young folk today. I think that it is rotten how we only seem to place importance on people who earn college degrees. I'd like to see some programs implemented like in Germany, where there are internships and people look with pride towards craftsmen and machinists.

JimE

Jim's train page
jrevans@accuREMOVEsort.com