The other day my friend and I were talking about how our ‘significant others’ watch these design shows on TV like ‘Trading Spaces’ or ‘Design on a dime’ and we thought , how come nobody does a TV show about building a model railroad? So we came up with a few ideas;
‘Trading Layouts’
Where 2 modelers that have layouts that are in need of renovation trade layouts for 2 days. Each has a budget of $1000, and a mobile shop which they can use to design and build the renovated layouts.
‘Design your layout on a dime’
This show has noted layout designers & modelers, helping a new modeler design and build a layout in 2 days with a budget of $1000.
‘This old layout’
This show features noted modelers who have dismantled their old layouts and have rebuilt new ones discussing the old as well as the new layouts.
I don’t know about you, but I would never miss an episode!! [:)][:D][:)][;)]
twalton8
I started an informal railfan club with some model railroading friends of mine. We call it the “Vista Dome Club”. We had a discussion a while back how cool it would be to do a TV show for PBS or something. The series would be titled “Model Railroading with the Vista Dome Club” But we didn’t get into any of the logistics. Just a series of What if Scenereos. Maybe if we can get a grant for the right equipment or something. Possibly.
I don’t see “Trading Layouts” the way you described (with people given a small budget, and a short time to redo someone else’s). We all have different ways of doing things, and what we like, and that won’t me***oo well. Have you seen some of the reactions when someone hates a room? Now, maybe if you take the same idea, and instead of two people doing each other’s layout, how about just a scene, or a building, or rolling stock, or something like that? The timeframe would work so much better, and the subject item can change from episode to episode for variety and interest. Make it something that can relatively easily be removed by the owner if they want (not hard to do for an engine or caboose), and I think that would work better.
Design your layout on a dime might be interesting for a couple of episodes of a show, but not the whole thing. If you’ve noticed, every special interest magazine (whether it be models, cars, car stereos, architecture, home decor, etc.) profiles the cream of the crop, the most interesting, and the best that they can find. They’ll occasionally show how to do things on a dime, but most are the very nice items.
I would think something that combines those would have a better chance. While not every episode will include everything (just like every issue of MR doesn’t include every type of article), have segments touring a layout (be it club or private), follow an operating session, document a national meet (like Motorweek will cover an auto show), follow someone doing a project (building a structure, detailing an engine, whatever), have a project layout (or project module) that can also tour the country so that people can see it in real life. This could also make a big difference in growing interest in the hobby too.
Well I don’t think you’d rebuild the layout from top to bottom but you’d fix scenery or add too it. Unless it’s a 4x8 or smaller this couldn’t be done in a day. You also gotta add in drying time to which in some cases could be a couple days.
But on to logistics money would be a huge concern, who’s going to pay for it? Very few advertisers would commit since there would be little fan base. Trading spaces worked because there are a lot fo people who own less than stellar houses that want a better one but can’t where in the MRR cmmunity is drasticly smaller. Though it’s a neat idea it is of course a pipe dream.
Andrew
I have dish satellite TV, and there’s a channel called RFDTV which deals mainly with farming and horses, but about twice a week they have a show called “I Love Trains” that is mainly about Lionel layouts, but a lot of fun to watch–especially the host, who is about 14 and REALLY into trains. They also have some interesting programs on railroads and railroading. Hard to catch, because their schedule seems to change from week to week, but worth looking up. Other than that, I can only think of the TLC channel and their garden railroads. PBS used to have a series on model railroading, but that seems to have gone the way of the steam locomotive, at least on my local PBS channel–which unfortunately has relegated itself to self-improvement seminars peppered with every-other-week Begathons.
We’ve found a great channel on one of the Astra satellites - Bahn TV. This is a TV channel funded by the Deutsche Bahn (German Railways), and it basically has constant coverage of German and other European railways - very good for modelling these as the run-bys give you good ideas for train formations. There’s also a series on Swiss railways (both metre gauge and standard gauge) on the Travel channel. Worth a look if you can pick up either, though it’s easier to watch Bahn TV if you know some German - without this you’re limited to watching the pictures, though this isn’t a bad thing - it’s worth watching for the scenery! Both channels are Free To Air.
IF I HAD $1000, AND A FRIEND WHO KNEW MY RAILROAD,
life would be great.
LOOK, all aside, there is a certain pride I have in creating
my own little empire. If I had someone else come in and
try to build one for me on a budget, I would not have that
same pride of the work done. It is always better to have a
friend to share and experience a journey together. That is
why I liked the “This old layout” concept. You take a layout
that is aging and IMPROVE upon it with friends by your side.
FROM EXPERIENCE-----
My layout is at an operational point after two hard years of
labor. I can now do scenery for the next 60 or so years of
my life, GOD WILLING ! I have kept tabs on expenses and it
is more than just $1000 with today’s market. I have not done
anything extravagent either, very basic thus far. Nice idea.
I as well have documented this progress on video and can
look back on my work and laugh at myself for not being a
photogenic person. As I review my video journal each time,
I come to realize that I sure wish I had someone to help me
do some of these things, but have become very good at skills
I once thought were “over my head.” My local rail club has kept
me company when I needed them, but at a different place.
An open house maybe now on the ECR could work.
Thanks for the time.
KEN_ECR
I watch RFD-tv
but the schedule has been the same for the last month
I am in Texas and here are the show schedules
Trackside: 6:00 pm thursday
features steam and diesel mostly disels
I love trains: 6:30 pm thursday
has been doing a series on caterpilar earth moving equipment lately
Trains and Locomotives: 8:00 am saturday
this past saturday was N&W 4-8-4 steamliner steam engine 611
the saturday beore was the 2-6-6-2?
I am not a fan of N&W so the whell confic might be wrong
go to RFD-TV.com ot get a weekly schedule
thats what I do then I know if I want to watch something or just skip it
SURVIVOR; BOXCARS
Ordinary people from across the land must
survive in a string of boxcars and live off what
they can forage. Then they must compete in a
series of challenges to see who gets put off and
left to walk home. OOPS…
almost forgot, PEOPLE HAVE DONE THIS,
they are called HOBOS.