The Bridge Abutments Have Arrived

Hi Folks:

I got a call from Roger Peterson last night (the day after Christmas) who informed me that the bridge abutments from Mainline Bridges arrived. As you know, it was a blizzard yesterday, so the poor truck driver had a time of it on the roads to make his delivery. But they are here and safe at the farm where our mini Ashtabula Gorge film set is located. The photos below show how they were shipped upside down so they would travel better.

Roger said the truck got stuck a few times trying to back into the driveway. I'm sure the driver was very glad to have this delivery over.

The cat in the last photo that is checking out the bridge was not part of the shipment. :-)
Thank you Mainline Bridges for your beautiful work and craftsmanship of these pieces. I am convinced there is no model railroad bridge manufacturer in the country better then Mainline.

Len Brown
Producer/Director

First Foundation Donates!

Hi Folks!

I have some good news to report! The Robert S. Morrison foundation has blessed our project with a $10,000 grant. This is the first grant we have received for underwriting of the program. I call this an ice breaker, because once you get your first foundation on board and show that you have successfully navigated the grant process with one foundation, other foundations are more likely to help. So this is very good news for our project.

Thank you Robert S. Morrison Foundation for a great Christmas gift!

Len Brown
Producer / Director

The Waiting Game For Grants

Hi Folks:

Its been a while since I have blogged anything, so I figured I needed to let everyone know what we have been doing lately.

First of all, I hope everyone will have a great Christmas and get to enjoy the company of family and friends this season. Christmas around the Brown's home is a very busy time and we are looking forward to having family over for Christmas Eve dinner and celebrations.

So, what has been going on with Engineering Tragedy? Right now we are filling out grant applications like crazy and we have to have a ton of them turned in by Jan 15th and Feb 15th. We have already turned in about 3 applications, but its to soon yet to hear if we won any funding yet.

We were hoping to start filming by this February, but without the funding in place that's not going to happen. Our big grant application with the National Endowment for the Humanities will not give us an answer until July. Having said that, we are not discouraged at all. We feel we have a great story and team! Plus, we really spending a long time putting these next grant applications together, so they are complete and follow the example of other successful applications. We might be running 6 months behind, but that's okay.

We were planning on filming the winter things first, but if we have to start with the summer filming first and then do our winter filming next winter, that will be fine as well. I think this is more my fault, because I did not realize how the grant cycle worked and how long it took to get an approval for a grant.

We are still moving forward!

May you all have a great Christmas!

Len Brown
Producer / Director

The Bridge Abutments Are Done!

Hi Everyone:

I just got word tonight that the bridge abutments are done and ready to ship this next week. You can check out the new photos I posted on the website. http://www.engineeringtragedy.com/The_Model_Bridge.html
The new photos are the last ones at the bottom of this page.

We are also still continuing with our fundraising efforts and have been turning in applications for grants and have more to turn in this next week. Raising funds for a PBS film is always the hard part, but I feel confident we can do it.

Len Brown
Director / Producer

Fundraising Dinner & Coming To Jefferson

Hi Folks:

Our fundraising dinner went very well on Nov. 27,  and we had over 100 people in attendance. Now we need to get our grant applications in to those foundations that want to help us. If you know of a foundation that wants to help or if you would like to donate to the film, please email us or go to our website and click on the donate button. Remember our film has non-profit status through our fiscal sponsor NETA (National Educational Telecommunications Association, so your donation is tax exempt. 

On the morning of Nov. 28th, Patti and I were on Star 97.1 FM for the morning drive show with Mark Allen and Jeremy James. If you missed it, here is the link to the Youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxfkfti8THA

Today Patti and I will be in Jefferson at the Jefferson Historical Society to shake hands with people who want to see the train we are using in the film.

Take care!

Len Brown

The Train Was Delivered!

Hi Everyone:

On Friday, Nov. 23rd, the entire train with the two engines, the Columbia and Socrates, with all 11 train cars were delivered to the Jefferson Historical Society. They have set up a Christmas Village in which the train we are using in the film will be running around all during the month of December. Richard Mullen, Gary Tabor and Bob Pellton have worked very hard getting this display ready to be unveiled at our first fundraising dinner on Nov. 27th. Richard Mullen even built a small Ashtabula Bridge and gorge for the train to cross.  Patti recorded a test run of the Socrates Engine:

Here are some other photos of the layout being built. You can see these guys are having a good time building this and testing it out. The two engines have QSI computer emulators added to them, so they make all the sounds of a real engine. They even start and stop like a real train engine! Its just amazing to watch.

Richard Mullen: In the middle of the layout:

The small Ashtabula Bridge Richard built over the gorge:

The Columbia Engine: Note the headline was damaged during shipping, but we can fix it.

The Socrates Engine:

When we got the engines there was no manual in the box telling us how to operate all the computer controls, so here we are trying to figure out how this thing works. After a few calls to QSI Solutions, we figured it out. From front to back. Gary Tabor, Richard Mullen and Len Brown.

That's all for now, but make sure you go to the website and check out the "Model Bridge" to see the latest photos of and progress being made on the 15.5 foot Ashtabula Bridge being used in the film.  Mainline Bridges is doing an AWESOME job building it. We are expecting the abutments to arrive from Phoenix, AZ any day and the bridge to follow about a month after.

We also have a FaceBook group called, "Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster." The group is open to all and will be a great way to keep up with all the news.

Thanks everyone for your support to make this film.

Len Brown
Director / Producer

The Train Cars Are On The Way

Hi Folks:

Jim Manzone, the man who painted our model train cars of the Pacific Express #5, sent me more photos and has told me that the train has been shipped to me! Here are some photos he sent, and I must say, this train is going to look great on camera! Notice the drum on the observation car, which is the last car on the train. It says Pacific Express #5.

The Latest News

Hi Folks:

I have not blogged you all in a while and must tell you there has been a lot going on. On Wednesday Nov. 10th, I was in Ocala, FL with Jim Manzone, president of the Ocala Model Railroaders Historic Preservation Society. Jim is painting the model train donated by Bachmann Trains, we will be using in the film. He is doing a great job and you can see the photos from my trip in a new section of the website you can find here: http://www.engineeringtragedy.com/The_Model_Train.html

We have also picked up a new sponsor The Canton Bandag Co. and they are repairing the wheel of the fire steamer owned by Dave McCaff, so we can use it in the film. The Canton Bandage Co. is the ONLY company in the world that still makes old solid rubber tires. The wheels on this 1892 American La France Fire Steamer are large, heavy and they don't make parts for them anymore. I am very lucky that the only place in the world I could get this work done is right in my back yard. Dave McCaff was kind enough to allow us to use his fire steamer in exchange for getting the wheel repaired. Normally this repair would be around $2,700.00. Thankfully the owner of the Canton Bandag Co. (Dave Richards) likes our film project and has offered to do the repair as a donation. WOW, what a blessing that was!

The first photo you see is Patti looking at the broken wheel on the steamer in the barn and the second photo is the steamer outside the bar before it had a broken wheel and was still in operation.

The dirt moving at the Peterson farm in North Bloomfield, where we are building our outdoor movie set is done. Now we are waiting for the bridge and then we can start laying track, and decorating the mini set with trees and ground cover. 

I have about four more behind the scenes videos I need to edit and get up on the website. As soon as I get time to do that, I will get them up.

That's all the news for now!

Len Brown

Last Film Location Scouted

Hi Folks:

Yesterday Gary Tabor and myself went to the last film location that needed to be scouted. The Pymatuning Dam just over the Ohio line in Pennsylvania. This is an area we can use as the location to film action which takes place on the wooden pump house stairs.

We can also film victims being pulled from the gorge here. Its a much better location then Zoarville, Ohio and its closer to the area we are filming other scenes. Now I just have to get permission to film there. I talked with a Ranger at the park office, but the main Ranger I needed to speak with was not in. I left a business card and hope he will call me sometime soon.

After that, Gary and I stopped by Roger Peterson's house to drop off the train track Bachmann donated and experiment with the little Mantis rototiller to try and break up the large dirt balls created during the bridge set excavation. It worked great! Roger has done a great job getting this area ready for the bridge, but we have a few more work days up there before the snow flies to get it ready.

Its been a busy summer and now I need to start getting our grant applications in to finish our fundraising. If I can't get the funds raised all the other stuff we've been doing is for nothing. However, I have faith its all going to come together and I keep pushing forward.

Keeping the faith!

Len Brown

The Rest of the Train Is Off To Florida

Hi Folks:

On Monday the three train cars we were short and all the train track we needed for our mini movie set arrived as another donation from Bachmann Trains. Bachmann Trains out of Philadelphia, PA had been an AWESOME company sponsor for this film. They have donated close to $8,000 worth of product so we can recreate the Pacific Express #5 and bring it back to life on camera. Also, I can't even begin to thank all of the other people who have been working on this project, donating their time and money to help make this film a possibility.

Yesterday, I sent the last three train cars to Jim Manzone in Florida for painting and will be going to his home next week to interview him and film some of the painting process for the behind the scenes video.

At the end of this week I will be taking the track to Roger Peterson, in North Bloomfield, Ohio to use on the outdoor set he is building for the bridge and train for us to film.  I will also be going back to the Ohio and Pennsylvania border to scout another film location. 

Its all coming together!

Len Brown

More News As We Move Forward

Hi Folks:

Today was a busy day. I was up at Case Western Reserve University filming them removing the wooden Howe Truss bridge they built from the indoor engineering lab to the outside of their building for weather testing. As you remember, this was the same style of bridge that replaced the all iron Howe Truss of Ashtabula after it collapsed Dec. 29th, 1876.

I also received news that Bachmann Trains is coming to our rescue once again! They have decided to  donate the last three cars we needed to complete our train, as well as all the track for our outdoor film set and two coal tenders for the engines. So as soon as I get them, the train cars will go to Florida to be painted with the others and the track will go to Roger Peterson, who is building out outdoor film set.

I have also added more photos to the website of my latest film scouting trips to Century Village in Burton, Ohio and the rolling mill in Cleveland, Ohio. I found the rolling mill very interesting because it is the same kind of rolling mill that was used to make the iron I-beams for the Ashtabula Bridge. This is the only working 19th century rolling mill in the country, and its still used today to make train track parts.  You will find all the new photos on page 2 in the photo section of the website.

Donations are also still coming in for the making of the film, but we have a long way to go, so tell everyone you know.

Take care!
Len Brown
Director / Producer

We Made The Papers!

Hi Everyone:

Team member Barbara Hamilton wrote a great article for us in The Gazette a local Ashtabula County paper. I think it will help us get more interest in the community in the film. Great Job Barbara! I could not find the article on line to add the link, so sorry about that.

In today's news, I was back in Ashtabula and Jefferson scouting more film locations and talking to more people. I am so happy with how supportive everyone in the area has been to this film and how nice everyone in the community is. Gary Tabor, found me a great set of double tracks so film one of our scenes as well as got us access to the Antique Engine Club Grounds where we checked out another depot building. Unfortunately it won't work for us.

I also stopped by the Ashtabula Fire Dept. and spoke with Lt. John Paul who was kind enough to allow me to burrow two disks with old historic photos on them to use in the film. What a great bunch of guys at the Ashtabula Fire Dept!

Barbara and Bill Hamilton were nice enough to take me all around again so I would not get lost. :-)

I still need to make contact with the Chestnut Grove Cemetery Staff and have been working on that for about a week with no luck, but I'm sure they will be contacting me shortly.

I also got a surprise call today from a man named Nathan Clark. What a wealth of information he was and I think he even found me two more film locations! I did not realize that Greenfield Village in Detroit, MI had working engines similar to ours in the film and he sent me photos of them. One even has the LS&MS logo on the side. WOW! Thanks Nathan, I hope we can meet some day.

Team member Roger Peterson is still hard at work on the grounds where we will be filming the model train and bridge. Roger is one hard working super motivated guy that I am so happy is on the team. His enthusiasm for this project and willingness to do just about anything to help me out is just amazing.

That's all the news to report for now.

Len Brown
Director & Producer

It's Been A Busy Week!

Hi folks!

Wow, what a week! Monday was my visit to the Century Village in Burton, Ohio scouting more film locations. What a great place and great film location! They have a multitude of 19th century buildings including a train depot we can film in. Elizabeth Wantz was my tour guild through the property and with her help, I was able to find many of the locations we need. This location coupled with the Ohio Village in Columbus, OH will just about complete our location needs. Hopefully I can find the rest of our locations in Ashtabula on Thursday when I go there.

I was joined by my dad Leonard Brown Sr. and by team members Barbara and Bill Hamilton, with their friend (and my new friend) Gary Tabor. We were all snapping photos like crazy and talking about new developments in the project.

From the Century Village it was off to North Bloomfield, Ohio to check out the progress and work of team member Roger Peterson, as he started constructing the outdoor set where we plan to place the bridge and train for filming. Roger and his father have gotten out the backhoes and bulldozers and started excavating the area we plan on shooting this section of film. If you look at the photos below, you can see the Ashtabula gorge taking shape. The bridge is 15.5 feet in length and will be placed between the dirt mounds you see in the last photo. I know it does not look like much now, but when the landscaping is done and the miniature trees and the bridge are in, its going to look great! GREAT JOB ROGER!

I also spoke to Jim Manzone in Florida today, who is painting our train cars. He has them all apart and plans to start painting them this next week. He also has all the decals ordered and I plan on visiting him Oct. 10th at his shop in Florida, so be looking for the video coming soon.

Thanks
Len Brown
Director / Producer
Beacon Productions

Scouted More Film Locations

Hi Everyone:

I was back in Jefferson and North Bloomfield, Ohio this last Saturday with Patti, checking out the location Roger Peterson is going to be digging for the model bridge set. We also stopped by the Jefferson Village to see if any place there would work for filming. However, the owners of the Jefferson Village will be in Florida in February, when we plan to film, so it looks like the Jefferson Village is out. In better news, we found another village called "Century Village in Burton, Ohio that looks like it will fill the rest of our needs and I plan to visit there this next week.

On Monday Sept. 11th, I was in Cleveland and visited the Cleveland Track Material Company to see the only hand rolling mill still in operation in the United States. The rolling mill equipment was build in 1890 and is still being used today. It was very impressive to watch these men pull hot steal ingots  from the furnace and roll them into track material. It will make a great film location and the owners are happy to help with this project.

From there I went to the Midwest Rail Preservation Society round house (also in Cleveland) to see if there shops could be a stand in for the LS&MS rail shops and yard, but it does not look like they will work. 

From there it was off to Stan Hywet House in Akron, Ohio to find Amasa Stones office, bedroom and bathroom he committed suicide in. What a great location, I scored a touchdown at this property! Now I just need to see what the location fee is going to be to film there.

That's all I have for you now, but there is more to come so stay tuned.

Len Brown

"Loco Lee" joins the team!

Hi Folks:

More exciting news today as Lee Wheelbarger "Loco Lee" joins the ET Team! Lee Wheelbarger is taking charge of the train that was donated by Bachmann Trains, and is really going to do it up. He is adding a QSI Imulator that will make the train chug, smoke in sink with the chugging, have a fire box glow under the train that sinks with the chugging and putting in a lighting system that will flicker like the real oil lamps of the day. He has also recruited a friend Jim Manzone, to paint and weather the engines and cars so they look as real as real can be on camera.

When real railroad presidents want models  of their locomotives done, "Loco Lee" is the guy they call. He also has over 500 model locomotives in this personal collection.

Lee is so good and so famous for his work making model trains look real that he is doing the model G-Scale trains that will run under the National Christma Tree in Washington D.C. this Christmas season.  We are extremely lucky to have "Loco Lee" and Jim Manzone working on this project.

Len Brown
Director / Producer

Update on our progress

Hi Everyone!
Sorry it has been a while since I have blogged Its been busy, so this will be a long blog.

A lot has happened over the past few weeks with our production that I would like to share, starting with a new film location. David Simmons, our team member and adviser with the Ohio Historical Society, helped us find a film location for the making of the iron I-beams. I was not sure how we would be able to film this important part of the story until David figured it out and introduced me to Bill Willoughby, COO of Cleveland Track Material, Inc. They run a real 19th century rolling mill complete with all the 19th century equipment. Big men, with big tongs, handling hot iron out of the rolling mill.  Just like they did in the 19th century! I plan on doing a scout with David Simmons in Sept. during a time they are running the mill.

The next big thing is I got a call the beginning of this week from Jeremy James, a radio show host with Star 97.1 Ashtabula. He said they would like to help us anyway they can and would like to interview Patti and I about the project in the near future and put a link to the Engineering Tragedy website on the radio station's website. So we will be setting up something soon on that.

Now to today! We have a new team member joining us by the name of Roger Peterson. Roger is an industrial fire chief with 21 years of service to the Bloomfield Fire Department where he is the Asst. Chief and a paramedic. He is also president of the North Bloomfield Historical Society as well as a Township Trustee in his 7th year of public service.  Roger loves railroads, model trains and history so this story is right up his alley. He will be working with us on fire history, fundraising, and the construction of some of our outdoor sets for the model bridge at his property. You can find his picture with his wife Heather on the website in the team area here: http://www.engineeringtragedy.com/The_Team.html

Stay tuned there is more to come!

Len Brown

We Are Working Away

Hi Everyone:

We are working away on Engineering Tragedy. I have been on Fiverr.com promoting our website and fundraising campaign and we now have over 7,739 followers on Twitter and we keep getting more hits to the website each day.
Make sure you tell all your friends about the show and keep the hype going.
Since the script is done, I've been spending time reformatting it so Debbie can break it down. Then we figure out how many shooting days we have, how many props we will need and locations we still need to scout. We still have a lot of work to do and I guess you eat an elephant one bite at a time.
Thanks to all our supporters!
Len

The Fundraising Has Started!

Hi Folks:

Its official! Engineering Tragedy has just launched its first fundraising campaign at Indiegogo.com. Patti and I worked really hard to think of some great rewards for donors and do a good fundraising video to stir support for the project.

Some people might be asking, "if this project is for PBS, why do you need funding?" The answer is simple, PBS does not fund their producers. Producers must seek their own funding and that's why you see an ad at the beginning of  PBS shows that says, "This program is brought to you in part by the Ford Foundation and Views Like You." So, you are the "views like you" part of this equation. :-)

Help us get the word out by Tweeting and Facebooking all your friends and sending this link to the "Donation Depot" for donations to help us get this film made!
http://www.indiegogo.com/engineering-tragedy?contribution_success=true&a=889180

Thanks
Len Brown, Director & Producer

First Preproduction Meeting Went Well!

Today was our first big preproduction meeting where we decided on the look of the show and began the development of the shot list. We also went over all the things that still need to be done and now I'm really feeling the pressure. There is a lot to do before we can start shooting!

For lunch we had a big cookout with hamburgers, watermelon, potato salad, baked beans and more. Then it was back to work.  My next big task is to finish the budget and start the fund raising.

I have to say I am really impressed with our team! They are excited, enthusiastic and full of great ideas.

Matt McComb, our Animation Director, has been hard at work and finished making a 3-D render of the bridge. He has also added more detail in the engine and train cars. You can find his new updates in the 3-D section of the website.

That's all to report for now, but stay tuned!
Len Brown

3-D Animations are in!

Hi Folks:
The first 3-D renderings of the train that our Director of Animation, Matt McComb, has done are in and all I can say is WOW! When Matt is done he will have brought back to life the Pacific Express #5 rolling down the track on that fateful night of Dec. 19th, 1876. Matt is creating our train in a 3-D world, so we can show the audience how the accident happened and watch the crash in all its terrifying reality. Check out the websites new "3-D Graphics" section to see the new images he has been working on over the past month. Also be looking for a behind the scene video interview of Matt talking about the creation process of his 3-D models coming soon!

First Pre-Prodcution Meeting Scheduled

Our first preproduction meeting is set with main crew members for July 16th, 2012. We will be reviewing the script and developing our shot list. It will also help us develop a solid budget and give us an idea how many shoot days will be needed to complete the film. Patti has been developing the list of characters for the casting director and figuring out how many extras we will be needing. Len will also be exploring different costume companies for costumes rentals for extras or cast members that need them.  We are lucky that some of the people who are volunteering to be extras own their own costumes, which will be a big savings. There is still much to do before the cameras can roll, but this first preproduction meeting will be a big help in nailing down some important factors.
I'll keep you posted!
Len

Meeting with 3-D Director

Hi Everyone:

Patti and I had a great meeting and dinner Wed. evening June 13th, with Matt McComb, a team member and  3-D animator for the project. He is just full of great ideas for Beacon Productions and he showed us some of the 3-D renders he has been working on for the train engine and cars. All I can say is WOW, they look amazing! Matt is placing our train and bridge in a 3-D world, so we can crash it, and show the audience really what happened and how it crashed.  We will try to upload some of the things he is working on to the website so you can get an idea of what he is doing.

That's all to report for now, but stay tuned!
Len Brown

New Video and 1st Draft of Script Done!

Hi Everyone:

Patti and I are working every day on the film. You will notice we have added a few new sections to the website and a few new videos.  The newest video we just posted shows the trains from Bachmann arriving. After we are done filming them with the bridge, they will be going to the Jefferson Historical Society to be displayed.

Today Matt McComb was over and we downloaded the 3-D models to begin working on the 3-D graphics that will be used in the film. The 3-D graphics are important because they are the graphics that will allow us to show the bridge collapsing, how it collapsed and the train crashing.

I finished the first draft of the script today! It still needs some editing and additions, but I'm happy with the progress. Over the next few weeks, I will be reading through it and making my edits. (Patti)

It looks like once we add the interviews from our engineer experts and historians we will have a 90-minute program. The script is not set in stone yet because we have a few more facts to check out. We will be contacting the Cleveland Police Museum on Monday, June 11th, to see if they can help us find any historical records on the murder of Charles Collins.

I also made changes to the Wikipedia website, which had some wrong information posted on it.

I also want to encourage anyone who is following this film to sign up to follow us through your email. By doing this you will receive emails of new postings on that are on the blog so you won't miss a thing.

We will soon be launching our fund raising campaign to gear up for the big filming this winter, so we will keep you posted on this.

Take Care
Len Brown, Director and Producer

Welcome

Hi! Welcome to the official blog site for Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster. This is where you can ask all your questions and get all the updates during the filming process.

This story is about the worst railroad bridge and train disaster in United States history. It happened in Ashtabula, Ohio on December 29, 1876 during a raging blizzard. In this town off the shores of Lake Erie, an all-iron railroad bridge collapsed sending a luxury train, The Pacific Express No. 5, plummeting 70ft into a frozen river. Of the172 souls that were on board, only 75 survived, most with serious injuries. Of the 97 who perished, 47 were identified, 50 were unidentifiable.

Similar to the Titanic, the crash of this luxury train would prove to be more than just a tragic accident.
This disaster once captivated the nation with stories of tragic loss of life, dramatic rescues, murder, and suicide.

Our team of historians, writers, and film makers are excited to bring this story back to life in a documentary film.

We hope you can join us!

Beacon Productions
Len and Patti Brown