I gotta admit, I found this one much more enjoyable than the first two -- maybe my expectations have been adjusted, but I actually enjoyed it. The host seemed impressed with the speed, and at 150mph, he probably should be, and provided good insight into the past of the PRR. The engineer he was riding along with seemed to bantar back and forth with him while providing decent information as well. -- any other thoughts?
First Two! Dang It, You mean I missed one?:tb-mad: I’m still mind boggled by the number people and trains traveling through Penn Central. I had no idea. :tb-confused:I also found the track & switch building interesting.
I think this one was a lot better than the first two, maybe they are starting to figure it out as they go. Still too many low camera angles and fast pans, and they have to figure out how to mike him so he doesn't have to shout over heavy equipment. All the other shows have figured that out. Maybe there's a chance yet. :tb-biggrin:
The host was, for him, low keyed and it made the show more enjoyable. It was fun to see, especially as an ex New Yorker (1950-1972) Pen Station was always impressive. The history was very interesting and mostly accurate. See ya Ron
I love this series....Maybe it will get some viewers to get into model trains.....Possibly Model Railroader and big Mfg'ers could pool together to do a world's greatest hobby campaign comercial on the program. OR have an extreme model train episode.....
I definately enjoyed it and have always been a huge fan of the Acela. The host seemed just as impressed as I was. Russ
Although the host is sometimes a little more animated than I like, I thought the series was good so far. I have them recorded on DVR so I can play them back for friends that haven't seen them.
Kalmbach and PBS are ahead of you- "Tracks Ahead", a series about real and model trains, has been shown on PBS for some time. First hosted by the late Chuck Zehner, then by Ward Kimball, there have been several 13-episode series.
I watched back to back episodes Saturday afternoon. The one that he rides a double stacker from Long Beach to Fort Worth and the Acela episode. A few weeks ago when I first saw this show I thought the host, Matt, was a bit over the top with his loud explanations and whatnot, but I realized every time he gets loud he is trying to talk over some kind of loud noise. When its not loud he talks pretty normal.I am starting to like the guy actually, he kind of grows on you.:thumbs_up:
I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought the host was a little over the top. The first two episodes made me wonder if it wasn't aimed at a younger audience.
Tracks Ahead has been out of production for a couple of years although there were some rumblings in milwaukee about soem new episodes coming on board. I think it is funny that Microsoft is the lead sponsor on this and yet still no train sim2 and no mention of it in any of their ads. I also find it sad that Kalmbach has not even one ad on any of these shows that I have seen, what a missed opportunity....
I don't have cable TV but I do have this past my window: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxedw8ecBBM"]YouTube - Acella Vid From My Window Outbound to Washington via Providence[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAUsYqZNPXk"]YouTube - Acella Vid From My Window (1).mov[/ame] Not very extreme.
Now an Extreme Model railroad episode would be nice! I think it is aimed at a younger audience. The execs probably figure railroad and model railroad enthusiasts will watch it. Most of these people have families, which means kids and you want to have the kids interested. But then again, the time is a little late for the little ones. Honestly, the last episode did nothing for me. I think the editing still leaves A LOT to be desired. The train had not even pulled into Baltimore yet and the host was talking about how they encountered a lot a regional rail lines on the way. Well, a few of them were SEPTA Regional Rail trains they were showing. SEPTA is Philly and the immediate suburbs in PA. I think I also saw a NJ Transit marking or two in their as well. Kind of getting ahead of themselves. It is like showing pictures of a cross country trip in reverse. I hope the new one is a little better in that sense. I could watch the show even with a different host.
