For those of you that enjoy the “Great Model Railroads” video series put out by Allen Keller Productions, I’m wondering which volume is your favorite and why?
I own three of them at the moment - Volumes 1, 29, and 41. I really enjoy watching Vol 29 over and over. It features Chuck Hitchcock’s Argentine division of the ATSF in Kansas City. I like watching diesel locos in action and enjoy learning about how Chuck recreates the prototypical operation of the passenger trains.
I’m looking to get my hands on other videos in this series and I’m curious about which particular volumes others enjoy watching.
I got vol. 1, 14, 21, 24, 39, 28, 38, 36, and 44. I like vol. 36 the most because it features John Gray’s UP over Sherman Hill layout. Its pretty sweet. Bullmooses, Bigboys, Turbines, and other cool UP steamers make appearances. And it appears to have the best layout lighting of any GMR tape.
Plus Sherman Hill is one of the best rail spots in America.
Do any of you own the video that features Ron Kuykendall’s HO layout? I saw his HO layout in a MRR magazine about a decade ago. It was a very good looking layout featuring a mid-sized American town with small industries.
I was curious about feedback as I’m considering purchasing this tape.
Thats vol 21, my second favorite GMR tape. Go for it. I got mine by chance a long time ago. Caboose Hobbies had it for $20. It features Sud pacifico con Otros and the Western Eclectic. Both fantasticlly crafted layouts. His urban structures are marvelous.
I like the videos but personally feel they’re too expensive. I mean you can buy a full length, professional motion picture which costs millions to make, for something like fifteen dollars or less! And that’s my 2-cents…[swg]
As one who is associated with a model railroad video project in the works (on my Siskiyou Line, see the link in my signature), I can tell you that comparing the model railroad video market to the Hollywood Movie market is not comparing apples to apples.
A smash hit video in the model railroading market will sell 10,000 copies if you are lucky, and probably far less. At those numbers, the Hollywood folks would consider their product a dismal sales failure.
So you cannot produce model railroading videos in enough volume to get the price down to be what you see Hollywood media videos selling for.
I do agree that Keller’s Videos are a bit pricey, but to expect him to sell them for what you can get standard Hollywood fare for isn’t going to happen. If you find a video you like, you’ll pay the price. I own several of Keller’s videos myself, with #5 (Don Cassler’s B&O) and #9 (Rick Rideout’s L&N) being favorites.
Yes, but it is true that $45 + shipping for a DVD is a bit steep. I think they could sell for less and sell even better than they do now and still pay for production costs with a profit.
As it is, you have to really want the DVD to pay that price, IMO. If the right video comes along, I might pay that, but I won’t just pad my collection at those prices.
The Mid Continent Library system in our area stocks a good percentage of the GMR videos. Hence, I request a number of them, pick them up when they come to my local branch and enjoy them at home. The library lets you keep videos for 2 weeks so plenty of time to take notes and write down those great ideas the owners share.
There are several that I really like - don’t remember the numbers offhand, but my favorite is the one of Tony Koester’s Alleghany Midland. Other favorites include Howard Zane’s Piermont Div(two of those) and George Selios(I haven’t seen the 1st only the 2nd and 3rd one). There are several others that I can watch over and over again.
Mark http://webusers.warwick.net/~u1015590/
I’m thinking of the one where the entire layout was in Utah and it was all mines. Not a single tree anywhere. Everything was barren and all one color.
Prototypically it may have been dead on, and I’m not faulting the owner’s modeling, but if I had a basement full of layout like that, I’d shoot myself!
I also didn’t like the one on the Narrow Gauge layout. Bob somebody?
The one with John Armstrong. Vol 28. This O scale layout shots looked to close up. [:(] If the cambra zoomed out, you’ll see benchwork and other parts of the room. There’s not much scenery cause the giant O trains take up all the space.
I wasn’t feelin’ it. I’ve had it for 2 years and have only watched it twice.
I have about half of the Allen Keller videos. I recently started buying them in DVD format. They are great. I find that each time I re-watch one, I learn something new. I don’t know if I have a favorite,but some are better tha others. I prefer the ones that feature HO scale layouts.
It sounds like you’re referring to Al Lindop’s Utah Midland. He may be trying for coal railroading on the Utah Railway and D&RGW coal mining region around Helper, but the scenery doesn’t look like the prototype. That part of the state has its areas with few trees, but many that do; even the ones without look more interesting than the layout’s monochrome approach.
Speakingof trees, IIRC, on the video the statement is made that there isn’t a single tree on the entire layout. The monochromatic approach you mention is right on. I knew there was something visual about the layout that hit me visually and I think this is it – everything’s the same color.
As I say, that’s fine if it’s realistic and the modeler has achieved what he is trying to (re)create, but personally it’s just not MY cup of Hydrocal.