A Trip on the Tuscarora Railroad

[kstrong]

Considering I do this for my day job, it's somewhat surprising that it took me this long to actually get out and get some video of trains running in my back yard. Anyway, I shot this a few days ago to give me a feel for where I need to do some more landscaping, etc. Hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNqCM70ZuK4

Later,

K

[Mike Dorsch CJ&M r.r.]

Pritty cool Kevin , its come a long way . Love the camera work you did , real professional .

[altterrain]

Nice video Kevin. I especially like the shot of the couplers with the track going by (now, what movie did I see that in? ). I'd like to see that shot when going over a bridge or trestle.

-Brian 

[kstrong]

...I'd like to see that shot when going over a bridge or trestle.

If I didn't have the camera plugged into the charger at that point (because the battery was dead), you would have. Next time. Alas, no running water below it, though.

Later,

K

[Camaro1967]

Excellent and very professional. Just like riding the train actually.  I am curious what kind of camera does one need to do something like this, and did I read it correctly, you edited in the sounds from some other place?  Well done.

Paul 

[ghelman]

Nice Kevin. I can't imagine anyone seeing that and not wanting a GR. I am finding that this hobby has so many aspects.

[Anonymous]

A great video Kevin. Very atmospheric, it was just like being there.

[kstrong]

The camera's nothing special, a Panasonic MiniDV palmcorder. Any of the small camcorders from Panasonic, Sony, JVC, etc., will work quite well. The flip-out screen is great for the low-angle shots, but does get in the way of the on-board stuff. If you're in the market for a camera, look for one where the normal eyepiece viewfinder rotates up, too. That way, you can glance down and see what you're getting.

The sounds were taken from footage I shot up at the Georgetown Loop Railroad while covering the restoration of Colorado & Southern mogul #9. I just looked for similar shots from the Loop to what I shot in the back yard, and edited in the audio tracks to match.

The editing software I used for this is nothing fancy. It's called "Avid FreeDV," and as the name implies, it's free. It's a very stripped-down home version of the software I use at work, but it's got enough features to where I seldom need more for putting together home video. iMovie and MovieMaker (or whatever the PC's equivalent is) will also work well. I suspect their learning curves aren't quite as steep, either.

Here's a link to the restoration story:
http://www.cbs4denver.com/video/?id=[e-mail]
You have to watch a 15 second commercial first. Sorry 'bout that, but if we don't pay the bills, I can't do more stories like that.

Later,

K

[bman36]

Hey Kevin,

Well done! Enjoyable and easy to watch. I do camera work for our church service which is televised. I can totally appreciate what goes into making a video. Take us for another tour one day soon! Later eh...Brian.

 

  

[BigTreesRailroader]

  Kevin,

 

  Very nice video!  I really love the shots at ground level,  especially those of the Heislers running gear.  The folage has really taken off.  great stuff !!.

 

Tom Rey

Kaweah Box & Barrel Company

Sequoia Valley Railroad