Wanna Be A Star? Entertainment Company Looking for Railroade

I just received this email:

Good Day,

My name is Dominique Bouchard and I am a Casting and Development Director working with High Noon Entertainment (http://www.highnoonentertainment.com).

We are currently looking to develop a new series around the railroad yards of the North East & Great Lake areas. The show will focus on the individuals who work for the railways (getting a glimpse into their everyday lives). We are in the very early stages of development so any insight in finding the right railway/railroad or crew of railroad employees would be greatly appreciated. This will be a format for shows very commonly seen on the Discovery Channel or National Geographic. We are very interested to know your thoughts and gain feedback about our ideas and the access you think we could gain into this amazing & historic industry.

It would be fantastic to find employees/crews that know each other but it’s not a deal breaker if they do not.

If you can recommend anyone or the best way to find candidates for this series, please let me know. Anyone interested or who may have questions can reach out to this email or email their number and I will call them directly. Interested individuals should send a recent photo along with their name, age, contact info, and area of expertise.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best,
Dominique Bouchard
Casting Director
High Noon Entertainment
E: [email protected]

That's really cool! Every time I watch some of the stuff on discovery channel and history channel I always wonder why they haven't made a reality show revolving around railroads. I hope this goes ahead.

Mmmmmmmnnnn.. Wouldn't prudence dictate running this by the management of the prospective railroad(s) prior to approaching any employees?

DISCLAIMER: I've been wrong before so this wouldn't be a first.. Oh, and I don't claim to speak for Prudence, she can speak for herself.

Nah, Prudence retired several years ago.

And Patience wasn't far behind.

A follow-up email:

We appreciate your help and insight in this amazing & historic industry. Below is more info to share with your contacts and the industry. I would share it as Railroad Casting for Major TV network.

We are currently looking to develop a new series around the railroad yards of the North East & Great Lake areas. The show will focus on the individuals who work for the railways (getting a glimpse into their everyday lives & characters). We are in the very early stages of development so any insight in finding the right railway/railroad or crew of railroad employees would be greatly appreciated. This will be a format for shows very commonly seen on the Discovery Channel or National Geographic.

It would be fantastic to find employees/crews that know each other but it’s not a deal breaker if they do not. We are looking for all types of stories and are open to speaking with anyone interested. For example, family owned railroads, generational railroad employees and all railroad employees who feel they have a story to tell.

Anyone interested or who may have questions can reach out to this email or email their number and I will call them directly. Interested individuals should send a recent photo along with their name, age, contact info, short story and area of expertise.

Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best,
Dominique Bouchard
Casting Director
High Noon Entertainment
E: [email protected]

The problem with a show like this is that no one would believe the stories or even what was shown on TV!!

We say it all the time at work, its so funny you tell a non-railroader a true story about what happened at work on the railroad and they will look at you like you have 3 heads and say "your making that up...that can't happen", while you tell a railroader the same story and they are like OH MY GOSH THAT HAPPENED TO ME TOO! And then proceed to tell you another story that tops yours

Best of luck with this, it sounds cool and would be neat to see a realistic and fun view of this very interesting but largely hidden from public view, industry! I don't think Id like to be in/on it, but id watch it!

Ill stick to looking for myself in posted youtube videos from railfans trackside - HAHA

One of the things about it is, when you are working, it all seems so.......well, routine. Only in looking back from the perspective of retirement do the experiences I had take on any significance. It is now, after 25-27 years, that I can see humor, interest, the angst, and the significance of it all. I can sit and relate stories that happened back then that take on a lustre that was lacking back then! There was nothing interesting or exciting about trudging thru a yard at 3AM with a cold wind whistling right down thru the "tunnel" created by the lines of cars on adjacent tracks, and YOU are hunkered down crunching ballast and fumbling with lanterns and switch lists. Nothing "interesting" a'tall! Nothing comforting about that shadowy figure that just crossed over a cut of cars ahead, and you are wondering if it is some nefarious soul up to no good, or, perhaps, another hapless railroad man like me just freezing his *** off, too! All YOU are thinking about is getting that cut of cars 'booked' and getting back into the yard office, hoping there's some coffee left. OR wringing out wet yellow rain slickers (it never rains on the railroad, boys!) Oh, yeah, it's exciting a'right. But then when an old man begins to look back at it, it takes an entirely different light and the stories begin to take shape. "I remember the night that the Southern Crescent was way late due to a derailment and.................."

GF

I agree with that Jtgshu, My grandfather used to work for a railroad company. I always thought he was just making things up or at least wildly exaggerating when he talked about his memories there.

I doubt its made up. Like so many jobs, railroading is made up of hours and hours of boring repetition, punctuated by moments of terror. And then there are the funny moments that leave one giggling long after some incident, or over something someone said. It can be laborious. It can be really sad. There's the time a "hobo" got off in Charlotte, NC, slipped and mashed most of his toes off as he stumbled under the train. It was a Sunday night, and I had just reported for duty, and was told to go up to the mail room and clean up after an accident. There was a trail of blood leading into the mail room, a circle of blood as the vagrant limped back out and down to the yard office seeking help. There was no one up at the mail room at the time, so he left a long trail of blood all down the hill leading from the passenger ramp. Not fun at all. AND the Special Agents checked this fellow's background.................and found he was wanted for MURDER in Charleston, SC! He had apparently ridden the trains north, then got onto a southbound in order to "shake" the cops off his trail. THIS trail ended at Charlotte! If told right, there's LOTS of stories about railroading!

GF

So does anyone know if this did or will go anywhere? Enquiring minds want to know!

papabarn wrote:So does anyone know if this did or will go anywhere? Enquiring minds want to know!

I will take the lack of response as a NO.