Charlie Comstock suggested shooting some footage on my Coos Bay branch using special lighting to make it look like a late summer afternoon when the shadows are starting to get long. Charlie did all the lighting and video work, including the video editing.

It makes for an interesting look at the branch that you don't see under the layout's normal lighting ...

Joe I continue to be amazed at your modeling skills. Your railroad presents an impression of the prototype like few others. From the textures to the contours to the weathering it all "seems right". Makes me want to take an axe to my own. Thanks again for sharing.

Mike

I like the way the lighting was done.  We often see bright pictures of model railroads and the odd night scene, but rarely do we see late afternoon or dusky-like pictures.  It just provides a different way to look at things and provides some variety.

Also, are you planning to incorporate that photo into your backdrop at Camas Valley, or was this purely for the footage?  When I first saw it, I thought that's one cool scene I haven't yet seen in all the videos and photos of the Siskiyou line, then it became clear it was an actual photo, though I wasn't certain until the photo credit at the end of the video.  But didn't we go through Ten Mile creek twice?   

I always enjoy a trip on the Siskiyou Line.  Noah walked by as I was watching the video and thought I was watching a real train passing!

I too liked the lighting and shot angles used.  I am a fan of more information and favor a documentary style video so I would have liked to hear a bit of voice over as well.  Good soundtrack!  Overall another fine Movie Monday installment!  Nice job Charlie!

Great photography, particularly the use of shadows.

Outstanding modeling.  The details that especially popped out were the trees and grasses, but the spike and plate detail was mostly invisible and barely perceptable otherwise (as it should be, so I won't bother with it). 

I just ran this video though my 56in HD TV and my neighbor Brian was here watching it with me! I think with what I'm building and this fantastic Video of Joe's RR a new model Railroader was borne. This is some great work of filming Joe's Siskiyou line in the late afternoon Charlie. The lighting effect at the lower angle it really did look very much like the real thing. Brian wants me to help him start his own Railroad and he also wants me to play your video again. He can't believe the trees and how well you have put your railroad together. Well got to start the video again. Really Fantastic work guys.

Dan

Submitted by skiloff on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 11:11.

I like the way the lighting was done.  We often see bright pictures of model railroads and the odd night scene, but rarely do we see late afternoon or dusky-like pictures.  It just provides a different way to look at things and provides some variety.

Also, are you planning to incorporate that photo into your backdrop at Camas Valley, or was this purely for the footage?  When I first saw it, I thought that's one cool scene I haven't yet seen in all the videos and photos of the Siskiyou line, then it became clear it was an actual photo, though I wasn't certain until the photo credit at the end of the video.  But didn't we go through Ten Mile creek twice?   

Dave

Those background photos at Camas Valley were pure luck (or maybe serendipity?). Joe has worked and worked and worked on those Proto 2000 SD-9 locos and got them to run pretty well. But they are still subject to the electrical pickup hiccups common to that brand and vintage - doesn't matter so much for running the engines, but the sound track came from the SoundTraxx DSX decoder in one of the units and those are incredibly picky about NO drop outs in track power, even really tiny ones.

Anyway, I was having terrible sound track problems because when a DSX has a power loss the darn thing insists on going through its "starting-the-diesel-from-scratch" sequence. Ugh. I noticed that they ran ok through Camas Valley and had Jeff Shultz (who was driving the train for me while I shot video) make a couple of passes through the scene. I was only hoping to get some good solid soundtrack there (which I did), but as luck would have it I noticed that the 4x6 photos Joe has taped together leaning up against the wall looked pretty convincing as a background! So I got the camera in real tight and shot some scenes there for video as well as audio! Not too bad for a handful of 4x6 prints, taped into a mini panorama, leaning up against the back drop!

I like the Camas background enough myself that I may try some photo murals for the backdrops on the peninsula of the BCSJ when I get that far on construction.

Incidently the sound from the little 1" speakers was a bit on the "tinny" side (they are after all 1" speakers so there's only so much one can do with them). So I used the editing software to drop the pitch a few notes and I added in a good dose of reverb. Sounded much better that way.

As far as your comment on Ten Mile Creek, that's not quite true. My goal was to provide entertainment rather than absolutely accurate representation of Joe's railroad. I editted the sequence to look like the train was running through a much longer piece of track than is actually there. I think the train went through that scene at least 3 times (and maybe more). Now, where else did I pull that trick while editing?

Glad you all liked the video. It was a blast to shoot and edit.

Cheers,

Charlie

That was spectacular.  I thoroughly enjoyed my railfanning break today.  Who would have thought I could be eating a sandwich at lunch, at my desk, and be transported to western Oregon.  Thank you.  Again.

Hey guys.

Enjoyed the Video only problem is that it was only 12 minutes . Charlie great camera work and lighting felt and looked like a late fall afternoon and I think thats what you were going for and it worked.

Joe have been viewing your layout on youtube and Video's for years now, scenery is flawless and love the look of the consists, always know your layout form the number of engines on the head end.

Over all a great video on a great site, keep them coming.

Mike

Did I detect a lot of new scenary work ?

Now what we need is the arrival at Coos Bay!