Serendipity – ah, there’s that word again. I kinda like the
way it trips over the tongue and the QWERTY.
And, yes, I know I’ve used it a lot of late in these
entries. It’s just that some really nice experiences, many involving travel
and/or photography, have sprung from serendipitous origins, most recently, my
current ‘scapes exhibit at Piola.
I hope not to give the impression that, were it not for
kindly twists of fate or serendipity, there’d not be good things to celebrate
in these pages…but here’s a really nice thing to share with you, dear assembled
eyeballs (especially if you love trains as I do), that did, well sort of,
result from a serendipitous suggestion.
Those who follow my photography know I exhibit my work
frequently on the European web site Foto-Community. And if you follow my work
there, you know I often post images of trains in European settings.
A while back, a fellow F-C photographer and train lover,
sent me a link to a German television and video series, which, from seeing my
train photos and reading my narratives, she thought I should know about. The
series is called Eisenbahn-Romantik
and it airs on the German SWR Fernsehen.
This series presents superbly produced half-hour programs,
each dealing with a special railroad line or set of experiences. These programs are also easily found on You Tube.
The guiding spirit for Eisenbahn-Romantik is Hagen von
Ortloff. He's been doing it since 1991. If ever a man enjoys what he does, it is he. His enthusiasm and
knowledge in presenting these documentaries is contagious.
Anyhow, as the saying goes, one thing led to the next. I
believe the impetus was happening upon an Eisenbahn-Romantik program about the
Nostalgic Pullman Glacier Express, including its route segment on my favorite
railroad, the Rhätische Bahn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, along which it was pulled by my favorite still-running vintage electric locomotive, the Krokodil. I wrote to Herr
von Ortloff, expressing my desire to purchase this program if and when released
on DVD, and put forth my interest in any opportunities to do
English version narrations for any of his programs.
I was delighted to receive a letter during the summer from the
company that produces the DVD versions of
Eisenbahn-Romantik programs, as a result of their having been given my name by
Hagen von Ortloff.
|
Along the Coburg line, a farmer seeks a wife! And will this search be crowned with success? |
Herr Schumacher inquired as to my rates and interest in
voicing the English narration for an E-R DVD.
We quickly reached an agreement, and I was engaged for the project, the upcoming
DVD set on Europe’s
foremost model train show, OntraXS. The show takes place each year at the Dutch
Railroad Museum
in Utrecht. Hagen von Ortloff and
his crew had shot voluminous high quality video at this enchanting show,
including interviews with show and museum officials and, of course, the
modelers who come from throughout Europe to this model
railroading summit.
We would do it “transatlantic” – they’d send me files of the
video and scripts, and I’d record the narrations in my studio and upload the
files to be subsequently mixed with the video, music, and other sound in Germany.
If ever a narration project was more in my wheelhouse, er, locomotive cab...…
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Lewin Leski station detail from Lewin Leski layout chapter on OntraXS DVD |
The lovingly shot video, combined with the expertly chosen
music and sound mixes, the contagious enthusiasm of everyone interviewed, and
Hagen von Ortloff’s superbly engaging script capturing the enchantment of these
miniature worlds, combined with my own love of trains (no matter the size!)
made the narration project a delight.
I was also honored to learn I was selected to voice Herr von
Ortloff’s longest production yet, actually resulting in a finished presentation of 150-minutes, entailing release as a two-DVD
set.
As you may know from reading some of these rambles, I spent
a large part of my early years messing around with model trains, and the most
precious memories of those years had to do with visiting those big elaborate
layouts and the enjoyable situation of birthdays at Holiday
time…visions of new locomotives, cars, accessories, all dancing like sugar plums in my head…
|
In the Ruhr Valley (Revier-Module) |
But I had been away from the hobby for a long while and was
delighted to discover all the refinements since my own model railroading
experience, including all the digital sounds for all manner of steam, diesel,
and electric locomotives and other touches of reality-in-miniature. And there
is, of course, the sheer love that these modelers bring to their craft in terms
of re-creating earlier eras of railroading. And it’s not just the trains, but
the whole milieu, often depicting gentler eras. I do not recall seeing even one
miniature figure dashing about with a cell phone pressed to his or her ear…
It was all the more…heartening,
in this era of de-humanizing and de-socializing video games that have taken
over so many of our youth, to see such a gentle, human element in the European
railroad modelers and the enchantment of the visitors, of all ages, to the show
in Utrecht. It is definitely on my list for a future Europe
visit.
|
"Darius" wheezes along the canal harbor of Jotwédé, confident that fireman Jean Pierre will shovel coal as needed. |
If you share my enthusiasm for trains of all eras, as well
as these unique miniature worlds, I’d like to recommend this DVD
set, presented in wide-screen format. You won't just be looking at video of model railroads - you'll be immersed in a magical, miniature world.
I should advise North American readers that unless you have a “universal” DVD
player (one that will read European PAL
discs) you will not be able to view this on your TV, but the DVDs will play just fine on your computer.
My thanks to Hagen von Ortloff, Wolfgang Schumacher, and
Andreas Stirl for a most enjoyable project.
Alle einsteigen! All aboard! Next stop, Enchantment.
©2013 Steve Ember
Screen captures from OntraXS DVD ©VGB Verlagsgruppe Bahn GmbH
Labels: Dutch Railway Museum, Eisenbahn-Romantik, Hagen von Ortloff, Model Railroading, OnTraXS
1 Comments:
Once again, dear Steve, your enthousiasm is catching and makes an interesting read!
I remember my father's then boss inviting the family for a Christmas dinner at their home and then showing off his miniature landscape and trains included, where a dreamy little city and many small inhabitants made a wonderful world for a 10 year old girl.
Needless to say, Onkel Karl was German and the visit had something special for us...
So your post has brought this all back to me - thanks for this!
Hugs from Zaragoza,
Susana
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