Just stumbled on an episode of "Tracks Ahead" on Mikwaukee public TV that featured an interview with our train friend and author Henry Kisor. I enjoyed putting a face to the name I've seen posting here & whose book "Zephyr" I so enjoyed.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Well, Judy, thank you for outing me! Seriously, I had a good time doing that show. I thought the TracksAhead people were smart to caption my speech so that everyone could understand it.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Anyone know how I could find out if/when it will be shown on any other PBS outlets? I assume that is a PBS show, right? I can access 3 different PBS feeds via my DirecTV, so maybe I'll get to see this.
Posted by Railroad Bob (Member # 3508) on :
Thanks for your advocacy work, Henry. I'll try to "track" down your interview as well.
Frank in sunny and warm SBA
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Thanks, Henry.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Thanks; I think I'll go ride a train. Loved the wool gathering comment! That sort of thing is what Amtrak should use to advertise train travel (let's not talk about reality for the moment).
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: Just discovered the episode is on YouTube.
Well that was pretty cool. What a hoot it was to see the original Amtrak designs and color on the interior of the Superliners. Orange curtains, orange vinyl headrests, and the dining car---oh the dining car!!! REAL FOOD!! I love how the narrator says that the chefs get to use their own special ingredients, and they use "regional cuisine" such as fresh fish from the Colorado River. HAH HAH!! Yeah, not so much any more eh? Now the "chef" gets in trouble if he spices up a dish or brings in his own stuff. Too bad---I have had some really, really great dinners on-board Amtrak when the REAL chefs would bring a whole slew of spices and other "stuff" from home to make the food that much better. These days, "Go to the freezer, get the box, put box in convection oven, place on plate". I guess that's why I'll never be happy with AmFood---because I know what it CAN be like.
Henry---do you recall what year this was? And that must have been great to ride up in the head-end. Do you recall where you went (from where to where)?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Smitty, that was in 2001. Twelve years ago! The camera guys and I rode in the cab from Denver to Fraser, I think. That was a crowded cab.
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Thanks for the You Tube link, Henry!! Enjoyed seeing you and your wife in the video!! By the way, where can I find a copy of your book? Is amazon.com the best place to get it, or might it still be available in certain book stores? Thanks--
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
RRRich, the original edition of Zephyr can be found here and there in online bookstores. The updated (2012) edition is an ebook and is available on Amazon, Nook, and other vendors.
Posted by TBlack (Member # 181) on :
Henry, I'll chime in, too. I particularly liked your wife's comment about your having been married 33 years and don't need to read her lips any longer. And your closing comments!....you're a poet!
Tom
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
We've now been married for 46 years. All she has to do is lift one eyebrow and I say, "Yes, dear."
Thanks to all for the kind words.
Posted by Joe Urda (Member # 8938) on :
Henry, Thanks to you and Debbie for doing this piece. You're the best.
Joe
Posted by MargaretSPfan (Member # 3632) on :
That was a wonderful piece! Now I have a face to go with the name. Thanks for the YouTube link! You were very fortunate to get that cab ride. The footage was gorgeous!
Henry: I have not yet had the pleasure of reading your book. I really must remedy that soon.
I, too, very much miss the days of food prepared on board mostly from scratch.)
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Henry -- I found your book on amazon.com and ordered a copy finally!! Looking frward to receiving and reading it!!
Thanks --
"Railroad Rich"
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
I think Henry is the first person I've "virtually" met on RailForum! Good to put a face to the name. Good video.
Posted by Railroad Bob (Member # 3508) on :
quote:Originally posted by Geoff Mayo: Good to put a face to the name. Good video.
+1 from me too. Thanks for the youtube link, Mr. Kisor.
My question is which station/depot is that in your video, Henry? Debby seems to be "inside" the inner office in the agent's area, on the other side of the barred window.
Great to put another face to the name, as Geoff says. I've been able to do that with Mr. GBN a few years back. Still recall our two nice dinners: @ the Packinghouse in GBB, and the steakhouse in the CHI ex-urbs.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
That was inside the Glenwood Springs station. The two women who staffed the station at the time were both in the book, so were very accommodating. I think they would have been anyway.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
I was just about to ask whether the interview portion was inside the Glenwood Springs station.
It's a wonderful piece and I enjoyed watching it. I had nearly forgotten the Zephyr from the days when a string of MHC's (Mail Handling Cars) typically trailed the Superliners.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
quote:Originally posted by notelvis:
It's a wonderful piece and I enjoyed watching it. I had nearly forgotten the Zephyr from the days when a string of MHC's (Mail Handling Cars) typically trailed the Superliners.
There was one major drawback to us railfans when it came to those MHC's on the Zephyr----and that has to do with PV's. During the winter, there are some neat PV trips that I've taken from Emeryville to Reno (overnight, then back the next day). I think it has something to do with the air brake system on passenger trains, but the way they had to make up the train was to place the PV behind the Superliners, and then the MHC's behind the PV. So when you go out onto the "back porch" of a PV, you're staring at an MHC---which is no fun. Come to think of it, I don't think it was air brake issues....I think it had to do with the wiring that goes through the MHC's. Do they call it an MU connection? I'm not "up" on these technicalities....
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Out on the line seeing the mail handling cars always made me think of the institution where I earned my bachelors degree -
Mars Hill College.
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Henry K -- my copy of your Zephyr book arrived today from amazon.com!! It looks like I got a copy which was actually signed by you!
Looking forward to reading the book -- it seems to contain a lot more than what I expected!!