Do a lecture and a TV show

Steamtown partners with the History Channel and WVIA productions for winter lecture series SCRANTON - Steamtown National Historic Site has formed a new educational partnership with the History Channel, a nationally recognized A&E Network subsidiary, as well as with regional PBS affiliate WVIA, adding a new video component to enhance their “Winter Lecture Series” for 2007. The History Channel is one of the nation’s leading cable television networks featuring compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network provides an inviting place where people experience history in new and exciting ways, enabling them to connect their lives today to the great lives and events of the past that provide a blueprint for the future. The History Channel has earned four Peabody Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, ten News & Documentary Emmy Awards and received the prestigious Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network’s Save Our History campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel reaches more than 90 million Nielsen subscribers. WVIA Public Broadcasting is a regional catalyst, organizer and educator, using media, partnerships, ideas and programs to advance the best attributes of an enlightened society. The PBS affiliate features entertaining documentary films on historical, cultural and contemporary topics produced by the commonwealth’s most renowned documentary filmmakers. Steamtown NHS will partner with both providers to showcase some of their best railroad-oriented productions during their Winter Lecture Series in January and February 2007. Additionally, guests enjoying the History Channel productions will be able to purchase copies directly at www.aetv.com. They will feature the History Channel’s “Transcontinental Railroads” production from the “Modern Marvels” series on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 1 p.m. Far more than a track across the country, this magnificent transportation link heralded the modern American age and gave hope to the post-Civil War nation. They close out the January segment of their video presentations with the WVIA production, “History of the Honesdale Branch of the D&H Railroad,” on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 1 p.m., featuring S. Robert Powell, Carbondale Historical Society, Rodney Brown, Waymart Historical Society, and noted D&H biographer and historian, Jim Shaughnessy. On Sunday, Feb. 4 at 1 p.m., they will feature the History Channel’s video “Freight Trains” from the “Modern Marvels” series. The golden age of railroading may be behind us, but the freight train remains the backbone of the American economy. The History Channel will present “Great Railroad Visionaries,” from the “Trains Unlimited” series, on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. From robber barons to engineers, these are the stories of the men who shaped one of the greatest accomplishments of the industrial age. The people in WVIA’s “The Pennsylvania Experience” series run the gamut from courageous to outrageous, and on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m., “Scranton: The Once and Future City” will highlight the courage of the people rebuilding a shattered northeastern U.S. city. On Sunday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m., the History Channel presents “When Giants Roamed: The Golden Age of Steam” from the “Trains Unlimited” series. Take to the rails with the largest steam locomotives ever built in this comprehensive history of the invention that changed the world. Finally, wrapping up the special video presentations of this year’s Winter Lecture Series, WVIA presents “Railroading’s Miniature Marvels” on Sunday, March 11 at 1 p.m. Railroad hobbyists have a tremendous breadth in modeling interests and approaches as they represent involvement with multiple scales, varied railroad themes, radio control and operating sessions. Several regional hobbyists are featured in this production. Many visitors find that the Winter Lecture Series offers a connection to the past. Tours of the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Locomotive Shops, where visitors have the opportunity to observe their emphasis on long-term repairs, are also offered daily during the winter months. Located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Steamtown is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 570-340-5200 or toll free 888-693-9391, or visit the Steamtown NHS Web site at www.nps.gov/stea.