[Train-a-Mania]

...California is well known for its picturesque beaches and ocean views, but once you travel north the scenery becomes quite varied. We reviewed Jeff Farquhar's Pacific Surfliner route in the first season of the show, but can this new version of the route expand the experience? We'll find out in this review...at the railyard!



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LINKS
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Official "At The Railyard" website:
http://www.attherailyard.com/

Have your own opinions about this route? Share them here and give the route your own score:
http://www.attherail...4-8-surfliner-2

Surfliner 2:
http://www.trainsim....=surfliner2.zip
http://www.trainsim....liner2patch.zip

Rolling Stock:
Surfliner, Metrolink, and Coaster sets: http://3dtrains.com/...surfliner.shtml
Coaster F40PH-2C: http://www.kurtkamin..._F40PH2C_2.html
Hyundai Rotems: http://www.westcoast...hread-4608.html
Amtrak B32-8WH, Superliner Cars: http://streamlines.ca/
SP 4449: http://trainsim.com/
Coast Daylight Passenger Cars: http://valleypass.com/Sales/SP.htm

[Noisemaker]

Amazing job yet again of what looks like a really 'narly and totally rad' California route! When it comes to movies, I usually can't stand 'sequels', but gotta say these MSTS routes are definitely 'new and improved'!
Kudos to Jeff for his diligent hard work on all this, and he's set a modern day precedent yet again!

The other thing that totally blew me away is the last tune on the soundtrack is by Nick O. himself! That's some superior shredding guitar that raised Dick Dale's eyebrows! My only question is, how'd you do it Nick? It doesn't sound quite 'natural' - and forgive me if it is. And not to sound even more debasing, but kinda sounds like XG/GM? Kudos if you did all that with that! But then also sounds like VST's and DX's of some great guitars I've used by Musiclab and AAS (always have to watch how I spell that!). So done with a supplied pick/strum pattern template, or did you make your own for that? However you did it Nick, me, Steven Tyler, and Simon Cowell are all pretty impressed! :bigboss:

[RailfanML]

That last song was excellent, Nick. I see you composed it, but who played it? That guitar line was sick. Nice review! The 4449 looks right at home.

[Jovet]

Roísín? I think you mean Enya? :bigboss:

[paulytechnic]

jovet, on 17 May 2012 - 01:54 PM, said:

Roísín? I think you mean Enya? :D

Though the music featured in the video wasn't the original Enya version, it still sounded pretty darn nice! http://www.elvastower.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif Back on topic...I'm seriously running out of different ways to compliment Nick on his many reviews! A beautiful review for a beautiful route! I'm still amazed (and thankful) for Jeff's skill at crafting that route, especially when you consider just how dense, varied, and interesting the scenery is on such a sprawling distance!

The rest of the TV/movie industry should take notes from your show, Nick! http://www.elvastower.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/hi.gif

[Gman347]

Nick, You are without peer! I do so look forward to each new release from you. The camera shots, the music and the voice over are all fantastic. An now you are doing your own music! :( What's next? Can't thank you enough for producing and sharing these clips with us. :D And, that was a nice touch, including links to the equipment you used. Excellent! :mshk:

And without a doubt we can't thank Jeff enough for his continued efforts on this route that he has generously provided for our enjoyment. The first version was fantastic in it's own right. And now this new version looks even better. :rolleyes: :blush:

Really looking forward to your next review.

Best Regards,

Paul G.

[Noisemaker]

Exactly PaulyTechnic! The kid humbles me senseless! If I ever got a good 'green light' and a big budget on any of my 'intense and deep' ideas, I'd make Nick an offer he couldn't refuse. And better than Kim Jong Il - I'd let Nick be whatever felt comfortable to him for my project. Be it Director, Photography, Soundtrack, Editor, And knowing Nick - he'd take them all! Nick's got SEVERE talent! :D

[Mipman25]

Nick had said before in his website that he wrote music, which made me wonder why he didn't write music for At The Railyard. Now that he has, the result is incredible. Nick should seriously consider publishing some of the music he writes, even if it isn't in an At The Railyard episode. By the way, the next episode is the SLI Green River sub.

[Train-a-Mania]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! :)

Noisemaker, on 17 May 2012 - 01:17 PM, said:

The other thing that totally blew me away is the last tune on the soundtrack is by Nick O. himself! That's some superior shredding guitar that raised Dick Dale's eyebrows! My only question is, how'd you do it Nick? It doesn't sound quite 'natural' - and forgive me if it is. And not to sound even more debasing, but kinda sounds like XG/GM? Kudos if you did all that with that! But then also sounds like VST's and DX's of some great guitars I've used by Musiclab and AAS (always have to watch how I spell that!). So done with a supplied pick/strum pattern template, or did you make your own for that? However you did it Nick, me, Steven Tyler, and Simon Cowell are all pretty impressed! :oldstry:

RailfanML, on 17 May 2012 - 01:19 PM, said:

That last song was excellent, Nick. I see you composed it, but who played it? That guitar line was sick. Nice review! The 4449 looks right at home.

I composed "Surf Line" using Acoustica Mixcraft 5. The guitar is fake - I took the original guitar sound, ran it through an amp simulator, and further tweaked it. I came up with the riff, and constructed everything else around it.

jovet, on 17 May 2012 - 01:54 PM, said:

Roísín? I think you mean Enya? :D

What you heard was a cover of the original Enya song.

Dustin Raiken, on 18 May 2012 - 10:55 AM, said:

Nick had said before in his website that he wrote music, which made me wonder why he didn't write music for At The Railyard. Now that he has, the result is incredible. Nick should seriously consider publishing some of the music he writes, even if it isn't in an At The Railyard episode. By the way, the next episode is the SLI Green River sub.

I write songs that come to me, but they don't always fit the reviews I make.

I have considered releasing some of my music on a venue like iTunes. The trick is that my music covers a variety of genres, so I don't know if it should all be put together on one "album."

[Noisemaker]

Thanks Nick, I'll have to check that software out - that's a new one to me. Surprising though you didn't say Cubase or Cakewalk. :oldstry: But you did a heck of a job with it all. Just amazing what anyone can do with music these days. Though I've become more like Simon Cowell in judging it all. But compared to XG/GM and/or cramming that through rack gear, pedals, and early VST plugs - it's passable for a Quentin Tarantino flick now I'd say. ;)

As for putting out 'varied things' on one album - go for it! It certainly didn't hurt Brian Eno, Darryl Hall, or Robert Fripp. That's the albums I like best, and done my best to keep that 'concept' stuff alive. My 'train album' Metalurge goes from classical soundtrack to industrial native rythem to D&B dance to Kenny G jazz to Anne Murray MOR and some weird experimental sounds in between. To skip through it looking for a 'hit' DJ's would be disgusted (Though Swank On Wheels and Streamliner did make it to a few stations and clubs. ;) ) But to listen to the album in it's entirety, it conveys the birth, progress, social impact, and demise of The Iron Horse in 45 minutes or so.

As 'out there' as the album is - to do anything about 'trains' still gets one equated with Kraftwerk, Boxcar Willie, or Psychedelic Furs. :sign_thanks: