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Rails, Tales & Sales
Winter "wonderland" came to the North Country early this season. My railroad rambler received her winter shoes on November 12, a day before the first snowfall. Marilee's Fit went in the day after. I hate driving on studded tires when the roads are bare, but there have been dicey morning commutes without them. So begins another sentence of short, cold days. 'Tis the season to create a warm and cozy environment, complete with your favorite snacks, beverage, and railroad-inspired "info-tainment." The Tell-Tale Productions You Tube Channel offers lots of free visuals. Enjoy our unique blend of free content: unreleased productions, video trailers, behind-the-scenes stuff, and classic live shows I have given over the past quarter-century. We continue to dig through our archives, digitize, clean up, and have webmaster Pete Land (the best web guy in the world, BTW!) upload for your viewing pleasure. All this takes resources, of course, and purchasing our forty DVDs and downloads prevents a derailment.
Colorado railroads are among the most popular in the world. My thirteen years as a resident created the opportunity to videotape the entire state from 1987-2000. Much was happening during that time. We caught fading glimpses of a virtual rainbow of liveries and falling flags. I wore out a brand new Mazda chasing trains of all sizes and shapes. Every rail route was explored! Get all TEN DVD's (with generous running times of 2 or more hours each) for only $99.95. That's less than ten bucks each, shipping INCLUDED. Closer to my present home: Rutland Railroad and Vermont Rail System have similarly priced multi-packs. ALCO locomotives star in a two-volume set, as does the Midwestern U.S. Sadly, many contributors have passed in recent years. Our interview segments with them have become priceless. St. J &L.C, B&M, CV/NECR and Delaware & Hudson have been added to our offerings during the past two years. For 2018, KEESEVILLE, AUSABLE CHASM & LAKE CHAMPLAIN shows an epic side of our work that has only been hinted at before. Only $19.24 for the DVD, and downloads begin at $4.99.
Ausable Chasm is among the greatest natural wonders of our region. The fact a 5.6 mile shortline railroad served it, from a Delaware & Hudson connection is all the more wonderful. This issue of RAILS, TALES & SALES has a direct link to the DVD/download release party, complete with 47 minutes of the 101-minute epic. Two presidents, countless silent film stars, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford rode "The Peanut." Now, it is your turn!
A TRAINY NIGHT IN KEESEVILLE: Peanut Railroad Remembered
Watch on YouTube
Tell-Tale Productions began, unofficially, in 1990 as I lugged a cumbersome, borrowed VHS camcorder along an abandoned former Colorado mainline. The poorly surveyed, prairie-prowling Denver & New Orleans was only in the limelight from 1881 until the Colorado & Southern Railway arranged for trackage rights on the Santa Fe (part of today's Joint Line) in 1898. Within a year, the old D&NO was taken out of service from Manitou Junction (east of Colorado Springs), to the northern edge of Pueblo. The northern 73 miles, from Denver Union Station to a connection with the Rock Island at Falcon, struggled along until a 1935 flood ended the story. The last train to Melvin, Parker, Hill Top, Elizabeth and Elbert happened on July 3, 1936. I'll always be grateful to Dell McCoy, owner of Denver's Sundance Publications, for transforming me from "researcher" to "author." All 2700 copies of the 376-page hardbound chronicle sold within a few years of its 1997 publication. It was 21 years ago, this week, that Denver & New Orleans: In The Shadow of the Rockies arrived from the bindery. January, 1998 brought a special book release party, sponsored by the Parker Area Historical Society. Most of my friends packed the library, where I was joined by Jess Mann and Harry Jackson, among the last who worked on that long, lost railroad. This was an incredible time, full of laughs and history. These gentlemen created an afternoon to remember. Anyone with an interest in the iron horse, and the good old days, will love this. Jess and Harry, I think of you often. May there be a train yard beyond those pearly gates, and C&S 4-6-0's waiting to transport you to fabulous places. The holidays bring memories of love shared with "adopted family" Gilbert and Rosa Lee, Ella, Burt, Bob, the Ed's, Jack, and other everyday folks who lived along the line. You will always have a place in my heart. Now, only a click of the mouse (or touch of your pad) away.... a golden opportunity to witness the sun setting on the last of those who lived Colorado's "Pollywog" train in the shadow of the Rockies.
PARKER, ELIZABETH, ELBERT, FALCON, COLORADO: When The C&S Railroad Came To Town
Watch on YouTube
Tell-Tale Productions is viewer supported by people like you. Our continued existence depends on your support. Please like our Facebook page, and share with others. The entire climate of visual media is in transition. Several scripts are in the works, and new state-of-the-art equipment has been secured. Sales of our existing catalog of forty titles funds this future. Please check out the $12 DVDs, downloadable titles, and sign up for our free You Tube Channel. We look forward to seeing you at the local shows, or joining you in cyberspace. Warmest regards,
James R."Jim" and Marilee C. Jones
Tell-Tale Productions
Colorado railroads are among the most popular in the world. My thirteen years as a resident created the opportunity to videotape the entire state from 1987-2000. Much was happening during that time. We caught fading glimpses of a virtual rainbow of liveries and falling flags. I wore out a brand new Mazda chasing trains of all sizes and shapes. Every rail route was explored! Get all TEN DVD's (with generous running times of 2 or more hours each) for only $99.95. That's less than ten bucks each, shipping INCLUDED. Closer to my present home: Rutland Railroad and Vermont Rail System have similarly priced multi-packs. ALCO locomotives star in a two-volume set, as does the Midwestern U.S. Sadly, many contributors have passed in recent years. Our interview segments with them have become priceless. St. J &L.C, B&M, CV/NECR and Delaware & Hudson have been added to our offerings during the past two years. For 2018, KEESEVILLE, AUSABLE CHASM & LAKE CHAMPLAIN shows an epic side of our work that has only been hinted at before. Only $19.24 for the DVD, and downloads begin at $4.99.
Ausable Chasm is among the greatest natural wonders of our region. The fact a 5.6 mile shortline railroad served it, from a Delaware & Hudson connection is all the more wonderful. This issue of RAILS, TALES & SALES has a direct link to the DVD/download release party, complete with 47 minutes of the 101-minute epic. Two presidents, countless silent film stars, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford rode "The Peanut." Now, it is your turn!
A TRAINY NIGHT IN KEESEVILLE: Peanut Railroad Remembered
Watch on YouTube
Tell-Tale Productions began, unofficially, in 1990 as I lugged a cumbersome, borrowed VHS camcorder along an abandoned former Colorado mainline. The poorly surveyed, prairie-prowling Denver & New Orleans was only in the limelight from 1881 until the Colorado & Southern Railway arranged for trackage rights on the Santa Fe (part of today's Joint Line) in 1898. Within a year, the old D&NO was taken out of service from Manitou Junction (east of Colorado Springs), to the northern edge of Pueblo. The northern 73 miles, from Denver Union Station to a connection with the Rock Island at Falcon, struggled along until a 1935 flood ended the story. The last train to Melvin, Parker, Hill Top, Elizabeth and Elbert happened on July 3, 1936. I'll always be grateful to Dell McCoy, owner of Denver's Sundance Publications, for transforming me from "researcher" to "author." All 2700 copies of the 376-page hardbound chronicle sold within a few years of its 1997 publication. It was 21 years ago, this week, that Denver & New Orleans: In The Shadow of the Rockies arrived from the bindery. January, 1998 brought a special book release party, sponsored by the Parker Area Historical Society. Most of my friends packed the library, where I was joined by Jess Mann and Harry Jackson, among the last who worked on that long, lost railroad. This was an incredible time, full of laughs and history. These gentlemen created an afternoon to remember. Anyone with an interest in the iron horse, and the good old days, will love this. Jess and Harry, I think of you often. May there be a train yard beyond those pearly gates, and C&S 4-6-0's waiting to transport you to fabulous places. The holidays bring memories of love shared with "adopted family" Gilbert and Rosa Lee, Ella, Burt, Bob, the Ed's, Jack, and other everyday folks who lived along the line. You will always have a place in my heart. Now, only a click of the mouse (or touch of your pad) away.... a golden opportunity to witness the sun setting on the last of those who lived Colorado's "Pollywog" train in the shadow of the Rockies.
PARKER, ELIZABETH, ELBERT, FALCON, COLORADO: When The C&S Railroad Came To Town
Watch on YouTube
Tell-Tale Productions is viewer supported by people like you. Our continued existence depends on your support. Please like our Facebook page, and share with others. The entire climate of visual media is in transition. Several scripts are in the works, and new state-of-the-art equipment has been secured. Sales of our existing catalog of forty titles funds this future. Please check out the $12 DVDs, downloadable titles, and sign up for our free You Tube Channel. We look forward to seeing you at the local shows, or joining you in cyberspace. Warmest regards,
James R."Jim" and Marilee C. Jones
Tell-Tale Productions
