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
This blog is for the followers of the documentary film "Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster."
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
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
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
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
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
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
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
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
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
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