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Model railroading...on PBS!

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Model railroading...on PBS!
Posted by tstage on Sunday, September 27, 2020 5:57 PM

I rarely watch TV.  However, I noticed that one of my local PBS stations (Ch. 993 WNEODT2) has a show scheduled for this evening @ 7:30 PM called "Ken Karlewicz: Working on the Railroad".  I don't know anything about the guy other than the following blurb from the Spectrum website:

Photographer Ken Karlewicz builds a model railroad that resembles the Delaware & Hudson trains of the 1980s and the landscape of that era.

Original airdate: October 5, 2018.

Although it's neither my era nor my railroad, I'm going to watch it.  The background photo for the show looks very nice.  I hope he runs it realistically.

Anyone familiar with Mr. Karlewicz?

Tom

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, September 27, 2020 6:04 PM

I just checked my local PBS station (WGCU) schedule, and it is not there.

Your PBS station must receive better support from viewers like you.

Letus know how the show was. Our PBS station used to run a show called Trains, Tracks, and Trestles (or something like that), and it was not very good.

-Kevin

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, September 27, 2020 6:42 PM

It is possible that this, along with a great many PBS shown, might be accessible 'on demand'  via the PBS 'Passport' (which you can arrange with a $5 or more monthly contribution to a PBS affiliate of your choice):

https://www.pbs.org/passport/learn-more/

Could be cheaper than having to add a cable 'tier' or whatever even if your local station plans to run this segment, especially if some of the other shows like Pipe Dreams are interesting too...

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, September 27, 2020 6:58 PM

Overmod
Could be cheaper than having to add a cable 'tier' or whatever

I get my television through an antenna. No tiers (or bills) here.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by tstage on Sunday, September 27, 2020 7:23 PM

I just finished watching the program.  It was good - although a few segues were a bit abrupt.  It made me wonder if it was edited down from a larger piece of work.

The 25 min. program was basically an introduction for the general audience (i.e. the non-MRRer) to MRRing and all its facets.  It encompassed building, detailing, weathering, photography, railfanning, themes, operating sessions, and train shows.  The personal stories shared by Ken - as well as his operating colleagues - of how each became interested in MRRing really tell a story of family, relationships, and friendships.

If you happen to see it on your local PBS schedule, it's definitely worth a watch.  And Ken himself is a fine MRRer.  I think his weathering technique - both for the D&H locomotives and the scenery - is applied realistically for a working railroad ca. 1980 - without overdoing it.  That's an art into itself.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, September 27, 2020 7:34 PM

 

tstage
Anyone familiar with Mr. Karlewicz?

He's been mentioned at another magazine's site a few times.

This fellow's blog has some photos and descriptions of Ken's layout:

http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2019/08/scenery-inspiration-visit-to-ken.html

SeeYou190
I get my television through an antenna. No tiers (or bills) here.

Ditto. Even being seventy-miles from the transmitter towers I get great OTA reception. Even at the caboose Cool

 

Doctor Wayne first mentioned this video in an earlier post:http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/278772.asp

 

 

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by tstage on Sunday, September 27, 2020 8:04 PM

Thanks for posting that, Ed.  I would say that 60-70% of the content in the above video link was what was in the program that I viewed on PBS.  This video seemed to concentrate more on Ken's artistry and his philosophy of photogrphy and modeling.

And I forgot to mention in my earlier comments that I really appreciated the Bach Goldberg Variations used for the background music.

Tom

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Posted by Harrison on Sunday, September 27, 2020 8:09 PM

Ken is one of my D&H modeling heros, I wish I got TV. We have about 4 TV channels on average, so not great. I love his youtube videos and his modelling.

 

Harrison

Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.

Modeling the D&H in 1978.

Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, September 27, 2020 10:52 PM

Harrison
We have about 4 TV channels on average, so not great.

When I was growing up we only had 3, we did not even have NBC. When we moved to Louisiana it jumped to FIVE! All three networks, PBS, and the TBS Superstation.

-Kevin

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, September 27, 2020 11:34 PM

 We had 3 - unless you turned the antenna, then we could get 2 more, inlcuding the one that showed Dr. Who.

 Can't say I've seen ANY of the train shows on either local PBS station, even back when Tracks Ahead was still going.

                                          --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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