"RAILROAD ALASKA"

[cabforward]

PROGRAM:  Railroad Alaska

NETWORK:  Destination Channel (cable)

SUBJECT:  Dialog Involving Freight Crews and Maintenance Crews.

EPISODE:  "Ice Attack"

SERIES:  Season 2, Episode 9 (2014).

 

i enjoy watching the program and hope it returns for many seasons to come.. my issues with the program involve the comments made within the freight train crew and within the

m-o-w crew..

 

within the freight crew, there is constant criticism of road hazards, weather, the threats of being delayed to a destination and even the progress (or lack of it) when track crews are working to clear obstructions or determining whether the right-of-way ("r-o-w") is safe for use.. why are the engineer and brakemen (especially the woman) always groaning about the possibility of delay or even slowing down? THIS IS ALASKA! are you guys disappointed that it isnt as smooth-running as the mid-west of "the lower 48".. what do you expect? how long have you been working on the "a.r.r."? the same thing happens every year.. it freezes, it snows, it avalanches, it melts, it floods.. any/ all of these things will mess-up a railroad's trackage.. are you surprised? this freight crew is more concerned about their personal lives than hauling the r.r's. goods.. they talk about what they will do after work; who they will be meeting; what they will do, etc.. what about concentrating on the job and worrying about "off-duty" issues when they are off-duty?

 

the freight crew and maintenance crew repeatedly speak of "hurrying up" and "getting out of the way" before the freight  / passenger train(s) arrive(s).. what is the point of this? again, THIS IS ALASKA! how can they be so pushy about getting to the end of the run anywhere close to "on-time"? do they really think complaining and moaning about track conditions or about how slow the track crews are in clearing the r-o-w helps anything? its like honking your horn in gridlocked auto traffic: whats the point? you cant get there any sooner, no matter how long you push that horn.. if they work faster, would you be willing to sacrifice safety for speed?

 

in the episode cable-casted on 12/20 (season 2, episode 9: "ice attack" (2014)), a roadmaster was inspecting the r-o-w for blockage due to melting ice.. he was a few miles ahead of the freight train.. during the hazardous part of the run, he encountered blocks of ice on the track.. he stopped to inspect the situation.. he radioed to the freight crew that the ice blockage would halt traffic until the ice could be cleared.. he radioed for a m-o-w crew with heavy eqpt. to respond, and they were enroute.. then, a trackside signal was shown in a red signal "aspect".. for some reason, the freight crew, after acknowledging the shutdown of the trackage, did not/ would not respond properly.. when visually sighting the red signal, the engineer made an emergency stop, slamming on brakes, and damaging rolling stock..

 

then the real fun began.. beyond using emergency brakes to stop the train, some wheels of freight cars came up with flat spots.. so, a special crew had to be dispatched to the train to lift the car(s) with defective trucks and replace the defective wheels.. is this for real? the engineer caused that problem by ignoring warnings that the track was blocked and operating beyond safe speed for the situation forcing an emergency stop, causing damage to the truck wheels and jeopardizing the payloads, all of which cost the r.r. big $$.. .. and, at the end of the program, the crew is happy to finally get off work, lamenting what a hard day they had put in, and so glad to be safe and sound, on the way home..

 

what i think is, these idiots are lucky to have jobs! they make small talk in the cab, which distracts the engineer from watching the track for hazards; they lose their focus when they should be helping the engineer by watching the r-o-w and cars following for problems with the cars and animals striking the train, causing danger to the loads and the integrity of the train.. the engineer exceeded safe speed, ignored warnings from the roadmaster, and applied emergency brakes, which was totally unnecessary had he responded properly from the "git-go"..  would these goof-offs find a job in the "lower 48"? i dont think so.. watching railroad alaska, with the freight train crew especially, they come across as the 3 stooges..

 

but, i could be wrong!

 

can somebody show me where?

[Mookie]

John Q Public - could care less about the workings of trains - wouldn't watch a program that didn't have some "drama" built into it.  If you want reality in trains, get it thru Kalmbach/trains.  If you want drama - watch Railroad Alaska.  That's how they pay the bills - thru the people that watch. No reality tv now is not "scripted".   

[cabforward]

this series, and some episodes, shows r.rs. operating in a bad light.. while it is a "given" that tv is taken with a grain of salt (do people still use that phrase anymore?), it still, to me, disparages the dangerous, hard work that is r.r.-ing.. next, we might see nuclear reactor employees having a wild party with velly dancers, booze, etc., in the main reactor control center; but, dont take it seriously, folks, its only cable-tv!

[MidlandMike]

I agree with Mookie that the cameras encourage drama.  Nevertheless, without cameras, I have observed workmen in many industries, who may occasionally talk shop, but more often after working fulltime at the task, would rather talk about life outside of work.

[cabforward]

i also agree that "reality" productions "stage" their reality.. much of it appears being "staged" over spontaneous.. i watch a lot of reality programs, but it didnt bother me until the issue of r.r.-ing came up.. although i enjoy "r.r. alaska", it bothers me that the wrong idea of the job and crew employees are being presented.. it bothers me because teen-agers and other groups could beleve that besides the bizarre behavior of crew employees, it could encourage certain types to behave maliciously on and with r.r. property: children palying on / about the r.r. r-o-w, endangering their safety (steep embankements, r.r. trestles).. also, as the crew in this episode were behaving badly o.j.t.and inside an engine cab, that anyone might take the chance to approach a loco, and finding the cab unattended and unlocked, might "take over" the unit and start pushing buttons, changing handle settings, etc.. bottom line, they could end up with on a "runaway". doing who-knows-what damage before the engine could be stopped safely.. i wouldnt stop watching because of these possibilities, but i have to wonder-- what if the industry were to form a unit to object to this kind of "reality", and ask producers to present a serious side of the job.. it might encourage more people, young and older, to respect r.r. property and be cautious around any kind of dangerous eqpt., r.r. or otherwise..

[thayer north sub]

I agree with cabforward wholeheartedly.  I worked MOW for 28 years on the Frisco, BN, BNSF. The dialog between workers is so stupid and not professional. Where is the dispatcher in this? Track Warrants, Track & Time?  Hard to watch without boiling over.

[MidlandMike]

Filming on the ARR must get the permission of the RR.  Do they have a problem with the actions of their employees?  I thought the crews had a problem with the proposed installation of safety recording cameras facing them.

[cabforward]

whatever issues the cfrew(s) and employer had with filming o-j-t were likely settled with concurrence if crew and r.r.. however, i cannot believen that the crew and a.r.r. are happy with what ended up on the tv screen.. its like saying people look different in person than on tv; also, like saying tv adds 10 pounds.. you dont turn out the way you expected..

[samfp1943]

MidlandMike

Filming on the ARR must get the permission of the RR.  Do they have a problem with the actions of their employees?  I thought the crews had a problem with the proposed installation of safety recording cameras facing them.

 

 

 

   "Shop Talk"   I have not seen any of the' Season 2' of Railroad Alaska, but Get a grip folks...It is made for TV programing... Even HGTV is doubling doen on the drama in their programming.

Apparently, Season 1 was watched enough,while  creating enough interest to bring it back for Season2.               

 Obviously, it did generate the 'right numbers'.

I guess the TV Programing folks do not have enough drama in their own lives, so they vicariously provide the masses with their own brand of "realistic" REALITY Programing???  

Who would have ever thought when it kicked off "Ice Road Truckers"; That that darn thing would last for as long as it has?   Or even the "Highway thru Hell" or the Wrecker Show(?), based in and around Chicago??

I drove OTR for a lot of years, and was in the trucking game for several decades... Mostly, it is dull, boring, repitious, and for brief minutes "heart in the throat" Scarey. Then there are the various Regulatory issues one has to constantly deal with while making a living in the cab of a truck.

Around here, we have actual railroaders, who from time to time will' lift the edge of the tent', and we (outsider railfans) get to glimpse some of their job routines..  Which also, can be dull, boring,repitious, and have their own "heart in the throat" scarey moments. Not to mention the constant  awareness of obeying their own GCORs; whose rules, and regulatons govern their jobs and performance, while haveing have  their own set of implications.

  

 

 

[cabforward]

what about messing with unsecured track switches and other eqpt.? if that is put on "railroad alaska", wouldnt children want to copy that? i dont want young people to see the reckless behavior on "railroad alaska" and think its o.k. to copy it.. adults know the difference between "horsing around" and dangerous behavior.. do you really think kids under 17 know the difference as well? if they do, why do teen-agers make so many dumb decisions? it isnt about whether adults think its o.k. to "have a party" in a loco. cab while o-t-j, its about what young people think and how likrly they are to copy ahwt they see?