I think of the very first story in the very first TMTV show for
November: Tim Warris and the Bronx Terminal layout. How
that led to FastTracks is a great example where manufacturers
fit into the hobby.
Let’s face it, most people get into manufacturing because of
their passion for the hobby.
Like Jason Shron and his Turbo Train, the pilot we did for the
Wheels on Steel
show idea. That Turbo Train wouldn’t exist if it
weren’t for the passion Jason has for Via Rail.
There are a lot of stories to be told through the lens of manufac-
turers, and they’re just great stories without being “advertising.”
Joe:
We’ve also said it’s appropriate for hobby vendors to do
clinics under certain guidelines. If a vendor or hobby manu-
facturer has a product and can come on camera and explain
how to use it, that’s certainly OK. But it needs to be a how-to
clinic, without marketing hype.
Barry:
I’ll give you a good example of that: Ken Schlotfeldt from
Badger Airbrushes. I’ve talked to him about doing a clinic on
airbrushes, on everything from how to choose an airbrush, to
how to use one.
Ken told me that he will do demos, and he will use whatever
brush, (even if it is the competition’s brush) that’s the best tool
for the job. If vendors will do that, it gives them instant cred-
ibility. That’s how vendor content will be done on TMTV. Focus
on facts, not hype.
Joe:
Yes, that’s what we want.
Barry:
One thing I like about vendors – they’re the most moti-
vated to come and do clinics. While we do pay an honorarium
to any guest who appears in Backshop Clinic, for example, it
seems the people who make certain kinds of products are the
most motivated to demonstrate the different products in that
space, including other vendor’s products.
The only “ad” you might see on TrainMasters is a short bill-
board from, for example, one of our sponsors, Green Frog.
Green Frog Productions has been very generous in allowing us
access to their entire library of archived video.
So when we talk about Bob Bartizek’s Pennsylvania and Western
Railroad, we have footage of the Pensy from the 50s we can
show. In return for them giving us access to their library, we’ll
display a logo billboard in the show. But it’s not an overt com-
mercial, it’s just a billboard thanking them for their support.
6: The TMTV crew shoots the Tim Warris Bronx Termi-
nal segment, which became the opening story in the
inaugural November edition of TrainMasters TV.
6
MRH introduces TrainMasters TV - 6
MRH-Dec 2013
