You know what I like about it?
I get to see something besides GP40-2's and GP40PH/F40PH's on NS and NJT.
I thought the first was better, actually. The host aside (I guess the over the top part is necessary if you have "Extreme" in the show title) I couldn't help wonder why they spent 10 minutes showing how to drill hillsides, and break rock on a train show. Sure, it was interesting, but I'd rather have seen something more railroad specific. Like the quick cut shots of some machine sliding track sideways in the ballast. Why not explain the process of creating a road bed, show a cross section, or something....
But again, for a free show.......
I'm trying to model 1956, not live in it.
What a disappointment. The manic, infomercial screaming host has nearly ruined what could have been a great, informative show. I will give it one more try on mute.
Artrek- Pan Am- ConductorWell lets see I may have a biased opinion buuuut here it goes anyways. 1. The 79mph downeaster as you say only applies to passenger trains not the freight trains he is the conductor of. The freight trains can only operate at the most of 40mph with a telematry receiver (which is rare enough) and thats only down past Portland Maine. And an afterthought is that he and I both operate where 25mph is fast for the condition of the tracks and the engines. 2. I head multiple times that he is loud and blah blah blah... Well you kinda have to be when all they have is that stupid mike hovering over your head and not the mike that is hidden under the collar of your shirt. If any of the brainiacs that are complaining about it noticed when he was inside he was normal voiced not yelling over the engines. 3. I heard alot of guff about the dialog... Have any of you people heard of editing? You say something infront of the camera (Kidding or not) and the editors can and will put it in whether you were joking or not. Not only that they can put it in wherever they want to. So if he said "choo-choo" once in a cut to make people laugh (Which I know is beyond most people, but he is really funny in real life) then they would put in the show to attract a audience that know nothing of railroading. And in conclusion you can slam me if you want but I needed you all to know those little fact that you either overlooked or were to bent on flaming something to investigate. Oh and in all the engines it says "Dynamic brake disabled" even though there wern't any in them when the company bought them before I was born.
Thank you. I;m glad somebody can rightly defend him here. Admittedly, I found his mannerisms as a little over the top as well, and possibly distracting for the engine crew. But I for one enjoy the show.
-Morgan
FlashwaveI for one enjoy the show.
So do I, even if the host does act a bit strange.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Extreme Trains in 8 minutes!
Mike Rowe would have crawled inside that smoke box.Concrete tie plant was pretty cool.
It was funny how cool he thought it was that the catenary on the drawbridge could seperate. Duh! How else could they electrify it? He got so excited that they were going 95 mph, too. He kept calling it the Acelar, or at least it sounded like it. Overall, the show is good, but they need a new host.
santafe347It was funny how cool he thought it was that the catenary on the drawbridge could seperate. Duh! How else could they electrify it? He got so excited that they were going 95 mph, too. He kept calling it the Acelar, or at least it sounded like it. And he says the top speed is 150 mph; the Acela can go faster than 150, it just isn't permitted to. Overall, the show is good, but they need a new host.
It was funny how cool he thought it was that the catenary on the drawbridge could seperate. Duh! How else could they electrify it? He got so excited that they were going 95 mph, too. He kept calling it the Acelar, or at least it sounded like it. And he says the top speed is 150 mph; the Acela can go faster than 150, it just isn't permitted to. Overall, the show is good, but they need a new host.
Actually, right towards the end he just said they can go faster, but are limited due to traffic and rail quality.
I dunno, I thought he was pretty good this time. Still excitable, but he wasn't shouting the whole time and seemed like less of a loon. Pretty good information, too.
I liked the footage of the New Haven electrics. Seeing Boston was also neat! Notice how he never mentions Pan Am, just a "railroad in Maine."
Alex
Wikious santafe347 It was funny how cool he thought it was that the catenary on the drawbridge could seperate. Duh! How else could they electrify it? He got so excited that they were going 95 mph, too. He kept calling it the Acelar, or at least it sounded like it. And he says the top speed is 150 mph; the Acela can go faster than 150, it just isn't permitted to. Overall, the show is good, but they need a new host. Actually, right towards the end he just said they can go faster, but are limited due to traffic and rail quality. I dunno, I thought he was pretty good this time. Still excitable, but he wasn't shouting the whole time and seemed like less of a loon. Pretty good information, too.
santafe347 It was funny how cool he thought it was that the catenary on the drawbridge could seperate. Duh! How else could they electrify it? He got so excited that they were going 95 mph, too. He kept calling it the Acelar, or at least it sounded like it. And he says the top speed is 150 mph; the Acela can go faster than 150, it just isn't permitted to. Overall, the show is good, but they need a new host.
Yeah, I guess I should have watched the whole show before posting. He did do better this time, but still, I don't know. He explained dynamic braking for the second time.
The third show was the best. Host better, but a long way from good. At the rate their going, episode 55 or 60 should be perfect!! I guess I WILL watch all episodes!!
I thought it ironic that on the episode about high speed rail, they didn't speed up the film of the train movements!It was also a little misleading to talk about the Park Avenue tunnel in the context of the NEC... it leads north out of Grand Central and has nothing to do with the NEC.I also noticed that the techs at Ivy City didn't let him get anywhere near anything that was important...And, the producers should be arrested by the continuity police when they left Philadelphia, stated they were about an hour from New York, then showed a SOUTHBOUND train crossing the Susquehanna River in Maryland!It would also have been appropriate to say a few more words about the PRR's electrification, and give more of a nod to the GG-1's. One fleeting image with narration about electrification starting in the 1920's was both inaccurate and out of context.... (GG-1's entered service in the mid 1930's).Oh well...But otherwise, yes, this was the best episode yet.Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
We have 9 pages about all that's wrong with the show and the host and whatnot... I think its time to give it a rest... On the railroad he's not a bad person, and he's just catering to the none railfan audience, and shouting over the roar of a locomotive at full throttle... >_<
I dunno, I think this was the best of the 3 shows so far and this weeks comments are fairly positive. I vote we dredge this thread up every week and comment on the show.(all in favor??)
Keep in mind that the show isn't aimed at railfans and model railroaders but at the general public, most of whom know next to nothing about railroad practices and safety. How many people on the street would have any idea how the seperation of the cantenary lines on the drawbridge worked? Not many. Overall I thought this third show was a lot better than than the previous two. If you have a gripe about how the show is done address it on the History Channel's site where it will do some good.
Well darn, I missed episode 3. Does the History channel have a second showing, maybe later in the week?
Jarrell
jeffrey-wimberly Keep in mind that the show isn't aimed at railfans and model railroaders but at the general public, most of whom know next to nothing about railroad practices and safety. How many people on the street would have any idea how the seperation of the cantenary lines on the drawbridge worked? Not many. Overall I thought this third show was a lot better than than the previous two. If you have a gripe about how the show is done address it on the History Channel's site where it will do some good.
I suspect they were expecting steam locomotives and rivet counting details instead of a show meant for the general public who knows very little about railroads.
Guys,As I mention before those that lack railroad experience doesn't understand to railroad men there isn't a GP38-2 early or late phase or who cares if CSX 136007 is a ACF boxcar that measures 50'6"? To railroad men its a GP38-2 locomotive(says so on the cab ) and CSXT 136007 is a loaded boxcar cosigned to Patterson Box Company in Delaware according to the paper work and needs switch out there..
"JOE,DID YOU CATCH THE OHIO -MICHIGAN GAME" asks the conductor over the noise of the GP40-2.
"NAW.ME AND THE OLD WOMEN WENT SHOPPING." replies the engineer.
ADVANCE APPROACH! Says the engineer
ADVANCE APPROACH! confirms the conductor.
WOW! How exciting!
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
jacon12 Well darn, I missed episode 3. Does the History channel have a second showing, maybe later in the week? Jarrell
They actually ran the show again at 2AM this morning - I missed the first half last night but wasn't inclined to get up at o-dark-hundred to watch it. The host seemed a little less animated - at least the 2nd half of the show that I saw. I'll keep watching - if I remember it's on.
jacon12 Well darn, I missed episode 3. Does the History channel have a second showing, maybe later in the week?Jarrell
Yeah, they repeat the showing at 2am EST. I don't get home from work until about 10:45 - so we DVR it.
I did see (during a Commercial-Skip) the season of DVD's for sale already!
Brakie,Most of the "old heads" that I've met don't even care if it's a GP38-whatever. They just called 'em by the number class. Old head: "Yeah, those 1200's were so nice riding, we called 'em Cadillacs. But the 2550's were real rough on the tailbone." Me: "You mean the GP9's & C-425's?" Old head: "Is that what they were called?" (or words to that effect)
Paul A. Cutler III*******************Weather Or No Go New Haven*******************
I watched about 5 minutes of the show last night before my sister called and rescued me....... By that time I was having serious vertigo from the silly camera angles and had had my fill for the evening of the host.............
I think I will pass on the rest of the series. There are a lot of great train videos out there that don't don't make me sick to my stomach when I watch them.
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Matt was finally not over the top!
- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
New Haven I-5Matt was finally not over the top!
I think that I would rather have a series on the History channel about trains than no series at all which is the case with me.
We receive our History Channel beamed out by satellite from Australia - so we get what they want to see in their country. So far no Trains programes have been advised but I am hoping to see it soon as I'm sure there are hundreds of Austrailian viewers who would like to see this show.
I know it can be a disapointing experience watching a show made for the general public with little or no railroad interest other than taking the train to work each morning - it's kind of like drinking low cal beer - the taste is there but not the flavour. In the case of a TV show it leaves you wanting a more technical version with not so much fluff. But then a TV show about a special interest that dosen't come up to expectations is better than no show at all.
Cheers
Bruce
To be honest I really don't find the host all that annoying. In his defense there's a good chance he acts the way he does because he probably has some producer or something in his ear feeding him directions and in the biz when the producer tells you to jump you don't say "How high?" you make like a kangaroo and be the bouncinest sonofagun that ever bounced.
Personally I do find it alot more entertaining than listening to some Ben Stein monotone spouting off longwinded techincal tomes and stats. The show isn't geared toward the hardcore traingeeks it's geared toward the general public and probably kids.
I loved this week. The cabrides were fun, and the sidebars were great. I wondered about how they serviced the Acelas, and how rivetting worked. But I would like to see another museum than Steamtown.
Oh, ad some footage on the HHP and how it differed from the Power car. Possibly the "joys" of fighting acela and freight.
Missed it this week. Maybe I can catch a rerun someday. I think I would have enjoyed it.
That is such a great show, to bad I missed the first one about coal trains.