For the last three decades, PBS viewers have been vicariously riding the rails on Great Scenic Railway Journeys, now hosted and produced by Winston-Salem-based Robert Van Camp.
The series and other PBS documentaries produced by Van Camp have garnered 20 Emmy Awards and over 100 nominations.
The Great Scenic Railway Journeys’ 30th Anniversary Special will air this Wednesday on PBS NC stations statewide.
Robert Van Camp recently joined Neal Charnoff in the WFDD studios to talk about the program.
Interview highlights:
On why the show resonates with listeners:
"We introduce people to these 'heritage railways,' as I call them. The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad was the first program I ever did, and it is a step back in time when you go up to Bryson City with a steam engine sitting there, and going up through the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. And I think the other thing I find, with all the interviews over the years, is that it slows people down ... you're forced to slow down in that time capsule."
On replacing David Holt as host:
"David Holt, great friend, hosted the series for 20 years. I had no idea that I would still be doing this, that PBS would keep coming back to me and say, 'We want another show.' And David, unfortunately, had some health issues with Parkinson's. He's just not able to do the show anymore. And then they came to me and said, 'Look, you go around the country, you do all the pitching and the fundraising, you do the breaks. You host it.' I go, 'I don't want to host it!' That means I have to stay clean, you know? And I'm used to climbing all over these trains, filming and all this stuff. But so I'm honored, you know? I'm honored that I get to travel the world and live in Winston!"
On his efforts to aid train preservation:
"I've been covering this industry for over 30 years, and I'm very passionate about preserving and presenting our railroad transportation history. Because I've met so many of the people. I felt their passion, and I've made these investments over the years of buying some of these historic rail cars and rehabbing them and then leasing them back out to heritage railroads. ... And the other thing is, these time capsules, when you step into [them] and, you know, Presidents stood on these back platforms, or congressmen going town to town. Railroads are the fabric that built America."