The 5511 is there in storage. and the 838 is slowly being cannibalized for parts....
RJ
"Something hidden, Go and find it. Go and look behind the ranges, Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go." The Explorers - Rudyard Kipling
http://sweetwater-photography.com/
jpwoodruff I was privileged to visit the Cheyenne roundhouse a couple years ago. The host - the steam engineer - said there is always a diesel in the consist every time they put the steam locomotive on the road. He said that assures the railroad that they will be able to clear the track in case the locomotive falters. When I was there, 844 and 3985 were both in residence. 844's trailing truck was lowered. 5511 and 838 were there too, 838 a shadow of her former self. John
I was privileged to visit the Cheyenne roundhouse a couple years ago. The host - the steam engineer - said there is always a diesel in the consist every time they put the steam locomotive on the road. He said that assures the railroad that they will be able to clear the track in case the locomotive falters.
When I was there, 844 and 3985 were both in residence. 844's trailing truck was lowered. 5511 and 838 were there too, 838 a shadow of her former self.
John
OK, I give! What are 5511 and 838? They're not listed as part of UP's Heritage fleet (in the listing I have anyway).
On the other subject, during 3985's tour to the Twin Cities this September, she was handling the 10-car steam special all by herself, at least from Mason City, IA to Saint Paul. I did see some footage taped during the Cheyenne to North Platte leg that showed 6936 Centennial in the consist with alot more than 10 cars. I wonder if 6936 returned to Cheyenne with the excess cars following the Railfest at North Platte with 3985 proceeding on to Saint Paul with the remainder?
Mike
The 5511 is a 2-10-2 type, that last I heard would take very little work (relatively speaking) to return to service. She has 63 inch drivers, which would keep her speed lower than UP would want out on the mainline, is the main reason that I have heard for her not being restored also.
The 838 is a 4-8-4 that is kept in the roundhouse in Cheyenne as a parts source for the 844.
During the 844's Portland Rose excursion to Seattle in 2007 she ran MANY miles solo all by herself, the only diseasels were on other trains for much of her trip. Talking to one of the crew while she was in La Grande, OR He said that the diesel they had with them at that point was NOT for protection, or to help power the train, but rather to provide dynamic braking through the Blue Mountains, which are serious mountain railroading by anyone's standard. By the time that she got to The Dalles, OR she was again on her own(probably dropped the diesel during her Hinkle, OR stop) and remained that way until she locked couplers with the 4449 in Portland for a double headed steam excursion to the Seattle area, and back to Portland approx two weeks later.
I beleive that it was 2006 when the 3985 last visited Portland, I personally saw her eastbound in the Columbia River Gorge also running solo without a diseasel in the consist. Maybe UP's attitude has changed (which I doubt) but in the last few years they have had enough faith in both of those wonderful machines to let them roam many miles without diesel protection in the consist. Often when diesels were in the consist it was for the advantage of dynamic braking when in Mountainous terrain.
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
Yes it has a lot of good information.
Yes that guy act like a 4 year old waking up on Christmas day. Many times the crew is laughing at him. Several time I seen one of the crew look at him and snicker and shake their head in disbelief.
The show starts jumping around. It looses continuity a lot of times.
There a lot of places where it drops off in the middle of the presentation.
A quick "heads-up" for those who are still interested in this series:
The next scheduled episode of Extreme Trains is "Overnight Traveler", to be broadcast at 10:00 PM tomorrow (Tuesday) night, 16 Dec. 2008 at 10:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, and again 4 hours later at 2:00 AM Weds. 17 Dec. 2008.
Description, from the History Channel's webpage for it at:
http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=389332
"The Amtrak Empire Builder runs from Chicago to Seattle and is the busiest passenger train in America. The route passes through America's longest tunnel, where host Matt Bown finds out how the railroad keeps passengers from choking to death and how to keep the tracks from flooding. In the Cascade Mountains, Matt finds out what it takes to the keep the rails clear of snow drifts over a dozen feet high! This episode covers how James J. Hill built the Great Northern Railroad; and the Wellington avalanche disaster. It features some of America's most beautiful scenery in the Montana's Glacier National Park." [emphasis added as "fair warning" - PDN]
- Paul North.
Ok, ok, ok...
Does Matt act like a little kid on way too much candy sometimes? Certainly he does.
But I'll bet a year's salary that anyone of us (well, any of us who don't work directly for a railroad for a living) who was given the chance to ride the cab of these trains wouldn't be creaming their jeans at the opportunity. I know it would be hard for me to contain the excitement and adrenalin if I could ride on 844 or for that matter - any of the trains shown so far.
It's a show, about trains - designed for the non-rail buff. I'm thankful the History Channel takes the time to put a show out that really is so specialized in audience.
Could there be improvements? Oh, by far. But we're not TV producers, we're not video editors.
Criticize all we want, but at least we do have a modern train show. ;)
My
SuperChip64 Criticize all we want, but at least we do have a modern train show. ;)
I'd say most of us agree {generally}, with you....It's just unfortunate while producing such a program, the host has to act in such a manner that is detracting from it's content.
Sure I believe we appreciate that a program is being produced {at all}, with the railroad theme for our consumption.
Quentin
Here's the link to the History Channel's own Forum on the Extreme Trains series:
http://boards.history.com/category/Extreme-Trains/520000014
From perusing it briefly, quite a few of the comments there are also related to the host and the camerawork and editing. The clear majority don't like it, but there are a few supporters, as well as a few interesting subject threads.
In tonight episode, they talk about the Amtrak Empire from Chicago to Seattle. Also, the cascade mountains. Very interesting information...
Got to watch the Empire Builder episode with my daughter & son-in-law....both non-railroaders. First question was about the host....Is he on drugs? Enough said.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I watched the Empire Builder episode last night. It was the first show for me. I enjoyed it. The host kinda reminded me of the guy that goes around remodeling houses for everyone (cant remember the name of the show because I dont watch it). He is a little excited at times, but overall it was a good show. I will watch it again.
ed
....Oops....I'll have to catch the rerun. Neglected to watch last night. The theme of filming the Empire Builder sounds interesting. Must try to not let the host bother me in watching it.
Many years ago I probably traveled that route {from Chicago} to Seattle for Uncle Sam and points beyond. Even then I enjoyed the run out across the plains and across the Rockies. Enjoyed the trip home much later...same route.
I have to agree with Chip. I'm just glad there is a show dedicated to the railfan. The host is often directed on how to act by the producer. So far all we know he is being told to act a little juiced up. But I think he's toned down some since the beginning. Just keep doing more shows!
Rob
"Texas & Pacific... MKT... FW&D... Cotton Belt ... Frisco"
It seems that the History Channel has lost its original intent of showing items of historical interest, and now gets the most loudmouthed, obnoxious show-offs and braggarts it can find to narrate shows of this type. There was another show of this type called Wild West Tech that had an equally obnoxious narrator for a show about railway technology.
Whatever happened to shows such as Trains Unlimited which showed actual film of railway action without the overbearing narrators and background noise that they laughingly call "music," which often drowns out even the narrators in the shows today.
All the History Channel needs is "A Fact Checker"!!!! Also a Volume Control would help.
From who built what rail line, the oldest operating steam locomotive 844 (what about the 8 year older Challenger in the next stall), Acela operations, and the constant DANGER of Wreck and Derailment. It was interesting last night to learn Trains have been hauling Passengers for over 200 years. Our friends in England may be upset as they invented locomotive hauled Trains about 185 years ago.
How can a Host from Maine be upset with deep Snow???
A Conductor from Maine, has anyone checked his Union Card?
Don U. TCA 73-5735
The 844 was never retired from service which makes it the oldest continuously operating steam locomotive. The Challengers were all retired. 3985 was brought back to life after sitting quietly for a couple of decades. It's not about age of the locomotives but rather continuous years of operation.
All the History Channel needs is "A Fact Checker"!!!!
I'll say!
OK,
I missed 1/2 of the show last night,didnt get to watch but the last half..Matt dug down to some old roadbed or tracks about 6' deep,kinda took the wind out of his sail so to speak.. He acted like he was tired,but that might be because he supposidly stayed up all night and worked as a Porter ! He was tolerable and what I saw of the Empire Builder was very interesting..I may have missed it but I thot they would have mentioned the ski lodge station stop in Montana I believe where its at...
BTW...Im wondering why they keep putting the clips of working on steam locos in every episode when they have nothing to do with episode subject manner?
DMUinCT All the History Channel needs is "A Fact Checker"!!!!
Same thing last week with the Gangplank! If they are gonna mention it, get it right!!!
miniwyo DMUinCT All the History Channel needs is "A Fact Checker"!!!! Same thing last week with the Gangplank! If they are gonna mention it, get it right!!!
amen and the host needs to learn not to yell at the camera!
This show was SPF 20, higher than most of them. That's not good.
SPF = Shaver "Pffft" Factor. That's how many times I went "Pffft" at something he said, or did.
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)
NEALNP All the History Channel needs is "A Fact Checker"!!!! I'll say!
He also said something like "Amtrak's Empire Builder has been hauling passengers for 100 years".
I didn't know Amtrak was founded in 1908. LOL
Reality TV is to reality, what Professional Wrestling is to Professional Brain Surgery.
fredswain The 844 was never retired from service which makes it the oldest continuously operating steam locomotive. The Challengers were all retired. 3985 was brought back to life after sitting quietly for a couple of decades. It's not about age of the locomotives but rather continuous years of operation.
Agree, but it might be "continuous on one railroad". There must be lots of locomotives that went from major railroads directly to branch lines before ending up on Tourist Railroads.
I watched the Empire Builder episode, and I have to say it was pretty good, even better than last week's. I was glad that they mentioned Marias Pass, I thought they might not mention them at all. Since they were going west, they couldn't show much, since I think a lot of the actual pass is in darkness. And, for once, Matt actually knows what type of diesel engine is pulling the train, and he even got their horsepower precisely right (4250 horsepower). In some of the shots, they showed Genesis #10, which I kind of got a kick out of since I had seen #10 in Quincy IL last Friday.
But, as always, they had to cram one of those steam engine segments in the show, and it's interesting, but it usually doesn't have much (or anything) to do with the topic of the show. And, apart from showing the train departing Chicago, going through the beginning of Marias Pass, the Cascades, and arriving in Seattle (which was shown for only a few brief seconds before the show abruptly ended), not much else of the train's actual route was featured (is North Dakota really that boring?). I liked the segment about the Cascade Tunnel and the mountain switchbacks, but IMO it seemed like it went on a little too long. And nothing was mentioned about the extra cars being split off in Spokane for the Portland section of the Empire Builder.
I liked the episode, but, like always, they left out a number of interesting subjects. Oh well, I guess.
Speaking of North Dakota, the fool also said "There are towns along here that are dependent on the railroad in order to reach the outside world. Some of these towns are as far as 200 miles from the nearest Interstate Highway."
How dumb is this guy????? DON'T THEY HAVE TWO LANE HIGHWAYS IN MAINE? If you don't live on an Interstate, you drive on the two lanes to get there. I live in SOUTH Dakota, and that's what we do.
I think they put the steam segments because the host is a huge steam fan and they have so much footage of him getting his butt kicked working on steam locomotives.
This week's / tomorrow night's - Tuesday, 23 Dec. 2008 - episode, at 10:00 PM Eastern (& 2:00 AM Weds. 24 Dec. 2008 - also 3:00 PM Sat. 03 Jan. 2009) from the History Channel's website:
http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=389244
Extreme Trains: Circus Train
"Hop aboard the longest privately owned train in the world, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's circus train. PT Barnum's circus train started in the 1870s; and the US military used circus loading techniques in World War I. Host Matt Bown and the circus must race against the clock to dismantle tons of equipment and get it on the rails. As they travel from Baltimore to the Washington, DC corridor in the dead of night, Matt discovers the less glamorous side to the greatest show on earth."
Brace yourself !
Somebody please clue me in: what does it mean to "travel from Baltimore to the Washington, DC corridor"?
Johnny
DeggestySomebody please clue me in: what does it mean to "travel from Baltimore to the Washington, DC corridor"?
I'll bet it's (a) awesome, (b) insane, and/or (c) scary!
If they laugh this guy off the railroad, he may have a career selling caulking tools or "Magic Mend-it".
Baltimore to Washington DC is the most southern section of the "Northeast Corridor". Two and three tracked, posted 135 mph. Is this what was ment?
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