Hey Rail-fans! As many of you know Model Railroader Video Plus has just launched a new series - It's My Railroad: Port Smith Project Build! I'm Steve Brown, and I'm the one you see in the videos.
I thought it might be fun to start a discussion topic about this series of episodes on MRVP. I would love to hear your comments, and feedback. Heck, I'd even like to hear your ideas! After all, I am just a regular guy building a model railroad like many of you.
If you missed the introduction, here's a link to the free video: https://mrv.trains.com/how-to/scenery/2019/03/its-my-railroad-with-steve-brown
David, Ben, Jenny, and the whole gang have been so much fun to work with. Can't wait to hear from you!
Until then, rail-on my friends!
Model Railroader Video Plus: MRVP
Also On YouTube: IMRR
That is a great and entertaining video. You sure do look like you are having fun.
.
I love ports too, for every reason you mentioned.
After you Saws-All your third layout, it gets a lot easier!
Why is it Heresy to scratch build a gantry crane?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Your havin' fun, and that's what it's all about.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
Since you asked... I find the presentation style to be quite off-putting - more suitable for motivating a group of 10-year old kids than your typical model railroader.
Congratulations on making Grivno look like Brando.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
When I saw this post yesterday, I assumed it was another newbie's attempt at blatant advertising. And I also assumed the powers that be would jump on it shortly.
But after I watched some of the video it hit me that the thread is from "Kalmbach". Still, its blatant advertising.
Gee, I get a Kalmbach email ad or two pretty much every day (Not exxaggerating) and having them on the Forum as well is too much........
Have to say, the video is aimed at kids (too young to be on this forum) and is a "put off" to this life long, old guy MR.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
mobilman44Have to say, the video is aimed at kids
It's interesting that the other branch of David Popp's video empire is children's programming.
carl425Since you asked... I find the presentation style to be quite off-putting - more suitable for motivating a group of 10-year old kids than your typical model railroader.
Or maybe to get new blood and enthusiastic young people into the hobby.
30 seconds into this video I knew the fuddy-duddies would not be on board with it.
I know Model Railroading is just about the last stuffy snobby hobby out there, but it is time to evolve and just have fun. I like fun. This video sure seems fun to me.
Scale modeling, wargaming, RC airplanes, etc. have all become much more fun and less stuffy in the past couple of decades... Model Railroading is going to also.
A future of millenials playing with Steampunk Trains, Monorails, Mag-Levs, Bat-Trains, etc. might be off-putting, but Model Railroading cannot continue to appeal only to the 70+ crowd for much longer.
The future is fun, I welcome it, and whatever it takes to get more people involved.
I certainly am in line with the theme IT'S MY RAILROAD! The STRATTON AND GILLETTE really is MY railroad!
I am sure if we all took ownership of our own railroads we could enjoy this even more. I am.
SeeYou190 carl425 Since you asked... I find the presentation style to be quite off-putting - more suitable for motivating a group of 10-year old kids than your typical model railroader.. Or maybe to get new blood and enthusiastic young people into the hobby.. I know Model Railroading is just about the last stuffy snobby hobby out there, but it is time to evolve and just have fun. I like fun. This video sure seems fun to me. -Kevin
carl425 Since you asked... I find the presentation style to be quite off-putting - more suitable for motivating a group of 10-year old kids than your typical model railroader..
Or maybe to get new blood and enthusiastic young people into the hobby..
No offense to Steve Brown but way too much talking and gesturing and nowhere near enough showing the layout. I will give the presenter an A+ for enthusiasm but a lot lower mark for content. Model railroading is a visual hobby.
That's the problem with a lot of videos, whether they are MRVP or YouTube and whether they are about model railroading or some other household project. Who can make it through a 14 minute video if it is all talk and no show?
Rich
Alton Junction
Congratulations getting in front of a camera and for sticking your neck out and showing up in the forum. I think it would be a good thing for the forum if more MR staff participated.
It's a tough crowd here and Steve now knows how Darryl Waltrip felt when he announced his retirement and opened the racing news to read how he was a major liability as an announcer and Fox Sports should fire him.
Since MR is footing the expense for this forum, I don't have a problem with using some space to advertise, but I took Steve's post as a sincere request for feedback. Of the MRVP staff I think Popp has the best mix of enthusiasm in his presentations.
You are the most high energy of anyone I have ever seen doing a model railroad presentation and as others have said, it is a bit over the top. I prefer a conversational style.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Too mutch drama for me,only made it about half way. I want vedoes that show me how to do ''it'', just the facts.
There are a ton and then some ,of MR videos on U TUBE, most are stupid and silly IMO. but then there some very good, informative,and useful ones. They will keep me interested, allow me to learn without insulting my intelligence
BigDaddyOf the MRVP staff I think Popp has the best mix of enthusiasm in his presentations.
Absolutely. With the possible exception of Drew Halverson (Trackside Adventures) David is the only truly excellent presenter of the bunch. Most of the rest get by well enough so that I'm willing to overlook the fact that they are not professional presenters because they have a skill that I want to learn and they are doing their best to share it with me.
If only David would stop using "well..." the way the valley girls used "like...", he would be perfect.
Gotta admit, I loved the enthusiasm of the presenter and I have been modeling since 5 years of age, some 66 years worth.
Okay . . . Steve's modeling philosophy, his design philosophy, his layout philosophy, and his operational philosophy are all very similar to mine. It appears we model the same locale and the same era. And he's an N-scaler.
On the other hand, I have about twice as much hair as he does and I drink a lot less coffee. But on the whole, this adventure looks promising. We'll see where it goes.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Well, may this old "fuddy duddy" opin once again.....
I watched the dvd again and suggest the star reduce the coffee intake and seriously cut back on the hand gestures. It reminds me of the infomercials of old, and some could interpret it all as "a line of whatever".
In my work career, I participated in plenty of presentations to "higher ups". In preparation, we would tape each speaker and then play in fast motion with the sound turned off. Some folks looked like they were trying to fly, a few looked like they were set in stone, and the best speakers seemed to just move and gesture naturally - and they came across as sincere and not trying to sell something to the audience.
All that said, my opinion is just that. But, even though I am an old "fuddy duddy", I have a distinct advantage over those of lesser years.
Yes, I was their age once and recall very well how it was. And, I also have those additional years/decades of life that they don't have (yet).
ROBERT PETRICK I have about twice as much hair as he does
I have absolutely no idea what you meant by this Robert... double zero is still zero!
I've been a model railroader for 50 years (OMG!!), and I mean scale modeling. I'm not counting the very early Lionel years.
I find Steve's presentation very entertaining. Maybe he is a bit over the top at times, but he generally stays on topic and doesn't ramble on too much (check out some of the other Model Railroading Youtube channels and you'll see LOTS of that!). And since I'm not looking at his videos as a PBS documentary or something put out by CBS News, I think he just makes it more interesting. Plus his enthusiasm is just plain infectious.
If you watch some of his Youtube videos, you'll see that he is not just "skin deep." Steve is a pretty decent scratchbuilder, and overall a pretty good modeler. He's just often a bit unconventional (and that's not a bad thing).
I hope I never get so staid and moribund in my approach to life that I can't enjoy someone's overabundance of enthusiasm.
As for being for kids - I never got that impression, and frankly don't see how someone else does. His videos strike me as being for everyone.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Lately, the print magazine has articles that are incomplete and act as "teasers" for pay (even more) for videos. I see this as a deliberate move away from my only magazine fix to another easily ignored web site.
I only subscribe one year at a time now. I don't think the print magazine will have much good content for too many more years.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I don't subscribe to MRVP, so, whatever.
I must say, he is the last guy I ever thought I'd see as a host for MRVP !
I never watched his own stuff, something like "It's my railroad", or something like that.
Not my style of presentation, BUT, I am an extremely critical video watcher, and I make it though very, very few videos. I like content, not theatrics or a comedy show.
I like that Martin guy? from across the pond? He breifly explains what he's going to do, and then it's right to the action, with his voice in the background, while he quickly goes through the steps.
YOMV.
Mike.
My You Tube
Steve Brown only has one post, so he is still delayed by the moderators.
We probably won't see his replies until Monday.
By the way.... Steve!
Steve:
I enjoyed your video even though I can be categorized as a "senior, senior citizen". I am looking forward to seeing more.
Joe
mobilman44...the video is aimed at kids (too young to be on this forum)...
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
SeeYou190Steve Brown only has one post, so he is still delayed by the moderators.
If they moderate their own video stars, well that is plain...opps, I just go off moderation myself. never mind
If he's smart, he won't do the twitter thing and start a war, but thank us for our input and maybe change or maybe not.
Wow! Thanks for the great rersponse and the stimulating welcome rail-fans! I totally dig the feedback and look forward to reading more of it as this build moves forward! If you have any relvant questions about the project, go ahead and ask them here. I'll check back in regularly, and until then, rail-on my friend!
ItsMyRailroad I'll check back in regularly, and until then, rail-on my friend!
Thank you for sticking around with us, and for having thick skin.
Please join in the conversations, and please bring your energy and fun with you!
I read all the comments first, and then decided I needed to see the video to see what brought such a range of reactions.
I personally liked this video, and I hope to see more.
York1 John
I also watched the video after reading the comments. I like the enthusiasm, my only suggestion would be to talk over the video rather than standing there lecture style. It would give us a better view of the layout having close-ups of it (with you talking over it) rather than having you just point to the different areas.
I found the parts where you were talking over the satellite photo of the port/co-op to be much more engaging and interesting. Let's face it, when you are in a lecture hall listening to a speaker eyes tend to wander around the room until the slide show starts. Talking over video of the subject at hand will convey the same amount or more information in a shorter period of time. I like efficiency.
The best (how to) videos on You-Tube are the ones with a really short introduction and minimal shots of the person standing there. Show me, don't tell me, it's a video.
I look forward to the next one.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Looks like you have average skill and lots of enthusiasm. Typical model railroader, so I can see your appeal for this company. Which I could find a high skill site, used to be one but it lost its appeal after it was sold, they started another one but it has not been the same.
The series has promise, but I also agree that the seemingly purposeless hand gestures and the nearly-manic energy level wear out their welcome. Indeed it reminds me of the many amateur "sports commentary" channels on YouTube, where at least the "stars" have the excuse that they appear to be kids indulging in controlled substances and evidently still live in mom and dad's (train-free) basement.
Dave Nelson