HEADS UP !
While watching the History ch today they ran this ad,showed some eastern rwys smashing cars and stuff...Extreme Train, Tues.11-11-08 10/9 central...
I saw an ad for the show also, but it had more of a 'western' theme (UP, BNSF, etc).
It sure looks like a interesting program.
There is an episode that was filmed west of Boone iowa about the new high bridge just west of town they were here in late September to film the crews placing the new bridge sections in place Larry
Well, I know Im looking forward to watching,maybe it will be more than 1 episode...
Believe it's supposed to be a "Mini-Series".
Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!!
FWIW, on 11/7 History Channel's Modern Marvels is about "Worlds Biggest Machines", and there is a segment about steam locomotives.
locomutt Believe it's supposed to be a "Mini-Series".
I've heard it's 8 episodes, which would take it all the way to the end of December.
Reality TV is to reality, what Professional Wrestling is to Professional Brain Surgery.
Per my Cable Guide:
History Channel and History HD Tuesday Nov.11th at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time
"Series Premiere: "
"Episode: "Coal Train" Host Matt Bown, a rea-life Conductor, joins a coal train hauling its cargo from the mine to a power plant in Pennsylvania; ----also --- How *** tried to blow up U.S. train tracks during World War II"
Don U. TCA 73-5735
zardoz FWIW, on 11/7 History Channel's Modern Marvels is about "Worlds Biggest Machines", and there is a segment about steam locomotives.
Cool, I'll try to catch it !
08:00 PM EST tonight - Friday, Nov. 7, 2008, titled "Modern Marvels: More of the World's Biggest Machines."
The descriptive caption is: "On land, in the air, or on the sea--we examine some of the biggest machines ever built, including: . . . the Union Pacific's biggest steam locomotive, the "Big Boy" 4000 and GE's AC 6000;" - which is about in the middle of the paragraph, so your guess is as good as mine as to exactly when those segments will be on.
- Paul North.
DMUinCT Per my Cable Guide: History Channel and History HD Tuesday Nov.11th at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time "Series Premiere: " "Episode: "Coal Train" Host Matt Bown, a rea-life Conductor, joins a coal train hauling its cargo from the mine to a power plant in Pennsylvania; ----also --- How *** tried to blow up U.S. train tracks during World War II"
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Reminder - following is from the History Channel's program website for "Extreme Trains - Episode: Coal Train" at:
http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=381084
"Join train conductor and host Matt Bown as he joins the coal train hauling of a priceless cargo of coal through Pennsylvania from mine to power plant. Matt pitches in with the crew as they load up the train and also learns how the *** tried to blow the tracks during World War II. Discover the huge part that trains have played in shaping American history and how trains are vital to American life today." TVPG, 60 mins.
SCHEDULE: [Note: All of these times are Eastern Standard Time - PDN.]
Tuesday, November 11 - 10:00 PM
Wednesday, November 12 - 02:00 AM
Sunday, November 16 - 11:00 PM
Monday, November 17 - 03:00 AM
Saturday, November 29 - 02:00 PM
Then tonight (only), it is followed by:
"Modern Marvels - Episode: Bullet Trains" -
"Traveling between 135 and 190 miles per hour with an astonishingly high safety record, bullet trains can be found throughout Europe, Japan, and on the US eastern seaboard. How high-speed trains are propelled is rooted in fundamentals that haven't changed since the first electric trolleys appeared in the 19th century. We see how scientists are looking at new alternatives to electricity, including magnetic levitation that can move passenger trains 345 miles per hour and beyond!"
SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, November 11 - 11:00 PM
Wednesday, November 12 - 03:00 AM
See: http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=373076
Also: http://www.history.com/schedule.do
Here is the rundown we originally got at the network...
EXTREME TRAINS 1. Union Pacific 11/11/2008 2. Ringling Brothers Circus Train 11/18/2008 3. Norfolk / Southern 11/25/2008 4. Amtrak's Empire Builder 12/2/2008 5. BNSF Freight Train 12/9/2008 6. Union Pacific Refrigeration Train 12/16/2008 7. Amtrak Acela Train 12/23/2008 8. Union Pacific Steam Train 12/30/2008 Seems they may have switched things up a bit, and I beleive Episode 3 NS Coal Train is airing tonight.
The coal train segment was neat in a lot of aspects. I thought the perspective of the train crew was certainly interesting to see. About the only thing that 'struck' me was how excited the conductor/host guy seemed during many segments, particularily when he was on the helper units. Seemed a bit overdone but still neat to watch. The segment at Juniata was impressive to watch, in particular when they hoisted an entire engine up and moved it. I'd rate this episode as a B.
Dan
I'd give it fairly high marks, too. I didn't see any major gaffs and the technical detail seemed to be apropriate for general public consumption. The host was a little over the top, but then we railfans would be so laid back and cool if we got to ride the train. Riiight!!
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
"Over the top". Thanks, Jay--I was looking for the right way of describing him.
I only watched the first few minutes of it, but we've recorded it--and both of us wast to see the rest. With the railroader as a host, I would expect it to be free of misinformation--and I know a few conductors who wouldn't be able to pull that off.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
OK, I'll go with "Over the top" as well. A very polite way of saying almost anoying. I hope the rest of the episodes don't try to ham it up so much, but then this is American TV. Make something dangerous even if its just boring. They could have explained the dynamics of pusher operations better. Overall I thought the segment was good, Only a couple of times did they show another train rather than the one he was riding.
CShaveRR"Over the top". Thanks, Jay--I was looking for the right way of describing him. I only watched the first few minutes of it, but we've recorded it--and both of us wast to see the rest. With the railroader as a host, I would expect it to be free of misinformation--and I know a few conductors who wouldn't be able to pull that off.
"Over the top". Thanks, Jay--I was looking for the right way of describing him.
I only watched the first few minutes of it, but we've recorded it--and both of us wast to see the rest. With the railroader as a host, I would expect it to be free of misinformation--and I know a few conductors who wouldn't be able to pull that off.
Over the top is really true. I could only watch about the first 10-15 minutes of the show before I couldn't take any more.
Perhaps if they had winged the guy with a tranquilizer dart before rolling tape, it would have helped.
Pretty disappointing.
I'd give it only a C- - here's why:
Main reason: Absolutely no sense of the sound, power, and motion of a train or locomotive getting underway, or braking - either dynamic or air. This cab ride was kind of like being in an elevator that moves only sideways. They had lots of money for helicopter videos, but couldn't stand trackside, or put a microphone out on the walkways, to record the sound of the Dash-9 (I think) lead units chugging along, or the SD40-2 helper turbochargers winding up, or the dynamic brake whine, or the set and release of the air brakes ? What else is more typical of the run over Gallitzin summit ? No sense of the side-to-side rocking motion of the units (even on NS' excellent track), or the buff and pull of the train. The "seat" (of the pants) principle of train handling was mentioned, along with experience, but not really illustrated or brought to life. The word "slack" wasn't even mentioned, I believe - but what else is more critical to train handling and control ?
How many times did he use the word "danger" in connection with up the grade and down ? Sure, it can be risky, but let's not overstate it. And the steep "Slide" at the top of the eastbound descent towards Horse Shoe Curve - and its special speed restriction (are the klaxon horns still used there in the event of overspeed ?) wasn't even mentioned, although that would have been justified in that context.
Plus, a FRED was clearly visible when the helpers coupled on - but not even mentioned. Both types of control stands were seen, between the road power and the helpers, but not even explained.
I could go on, but will leave it to others. Nothing wrong - and a lot of other interesting stuff was shown - but even accepting that the TV people might want to hype this a bit to make it something other than a dry and boring documentary, they - and the supposedly informed host - really missed an opportunity to display the legitimate drama that is inherent in and the essence of this operation. Couldn't most of us have figured out a better way to show and convey that ?
But I'll watch the other episodes anyway !
HAHA sometimes I get a big kick out of this forum. Tough crowd. I actually enjoyed the episode last night--guess I was one of the few. Jamie
CLICK HERE FOR THE CSX DIXIE LINE BLOG
I watched it all and was disappointed there were so many aerial shots and the speeded up segments showing the train whipping around the curves reminded me of a model railroad layout with trains running far faster than scale speeds. I'd like to have seen some footage shot through the cab windows showing the trackage, signal aspects, crossovers, etc. Some may take offense at this but the host acted like a foamer rather than a real conductor. Hope the other segments in this series are better than this one.
Mark
ChuckCobleighCShaveRR "Over the top". Thanks, Jay--I was looking for the right way of describing him. I only watched the first few minutes of it, but we've recorded it--and both of us wast to see the rest. With the railroader as a host, I would expect it to be free of misinformation--and I know a few conductors who wouldn't be able to pull that off. Over the top is really true. I could only watch about the first 10-15 minutes of the show before I couldn't take any more. Perhaps if they had winged the guy with a tranquilizer dart before rolling tape, it would have helped. Pretty disappointing.
CShaveRR "Over the top". Thanks, Jay--I was looking for the right way of describing him. I only watched the first few minutes of it, but we've recorded it--and both of us wast to see the rest. With the railroader as a host, I would expect it to be free of misinformation--and I know a few conductors who wouldn't be able to pull that off.
Well, I liked it.
I thought the host's presentation was refreshing and enjoyable. He was enthusiastic and he didn't try to hide it. He was having fun and didn't try to hide that either. Both those things are "Good". Just sit back and enjoy it. This isn't a university seminar.
A TV show can be serious and informative - full of facts. I think they call those things "documentaries". Or it can be "fun" and informative - full of facts. I think they call those things "entertainment". This was entertainment, but it also informed a mass audiance and presented facts that a lot of the general population doesn't know.
If you want folks to learn, you've got to get them to watch. And there just ain't a lot of folks who will watch a railroading documentary.
What he got across was the importance of coal, both to the railroads and to the nation. That importance is going to be critical for people to know as our government plans to force the phase out of our use of coal on a rather rapid schedule.
Although I enjoyed the show am I the only one that noticed that the footage of the unit train that the host was riding was actually several different trains? This was particularly true of the aerial shots (which may very well have been done at a different time). The train pulled out of the loadout with 3 widecab EMD's on the head end and then was shown with 2 late model GE's. Still it was interesting and I particularly enjoyed the loadout and rotary car dumper segments....
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
Yeah, I also noticed the several different power sets and number of locos in each - both head-end and pushers. Next time I watch, it might be fun to keep track of which is which in each segment. Can't mistake the 1st set of helpers, though - the SD40-2's with the "porches" [maybe more properly "patios" ?] on each end !
OK, over lunch a "sound bite" that well describes this show came to me - this guy is "over the top", and so is kind of like the late -
Steve Irwin a/k/a/ the "Crocodile Hunter" of railroading !
Can't you just hear him saying about a locomotive: "Crikey - she's a beauty !"
Well, I liked watching Steve, too.
.....Host, Mike Brown {how to describe it}, almost made the program unwatchable. I doubt many of us were wanting to hear someone excitedly yelling into the microphone and almost "haming it up", with each description of what was going on...and much more, too many to point each one out....
Speeding up the {video}, action as it rounded Horseshoe making it really look phony....and on and on.
Believe most of the audience would have liked more serious data and info of what was really taking place as they wound up and down the Alleghenies. Gradient....speed restrictions.....what the engineer had to pay attention to, to ascend and decend the "hill"....{and I wonder too if the "horns" are still on the slide portion down the east side}.....The host was just too silly to give an interesting account of what it really took in skill and machines to raise the load up and down the mountains and so on.
Some of the photography was fine....Some very nice and revealing sights of Horseshoe from the air. Just too bad the clowning attitude of the host was presented as it was......
Horseshoe is in my original home {general}, area.....and I know it's a location of serious railroading.
Quentin
^
+1
Over the top ! To say the least ! I thot this Michael guy was a nut ! He stated at the beginning that he was a conductor for a smaller railroad company but to hear him talk and carry on about this coal train,you would have thot he was a kid ! He didnt say which RR he worked for but apparently they dont have any modern pwr..
I didnt like the way they portrayed the crew,you never seen them but once and he said they were BOTH Engineers,well maybe thats true but one had to be the conductor..Also,I dont think they went the entire trip w/out changing crews or meeting other trains..I didnt like the way they derailed the story talking about shops and the UP Bailey Yd and changing wheels out,that could have been another story in itself...I watched all of it and I watched High Speed Trains also(came on after extreme train) I hope the others are done better and the producer can get Michael to calm down some LOL !..Unless he's making his debut for the History Ch. I'll keep watching as long as it's about trains tho...
Over coffee this morning, Old Timer askes
Is he a conductor on the amusement park train?
spokyone Over coffee this morning, Old Timer askes Is he a conductor on the amusement park train?
I hadnt thot of that !
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