# Extreme Trains



## WhoozOn1st (Oct 30, 2008)

Eight-part series premieres November 11:

Extreme Trains

EDIT: CSX is a sponsor.


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## dan72 (Nov 1, 2008)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Eight-part series premieres November 11:
> Extreme Trains
> 
> EDIT: CSX is a sponsor.


This sounds like a great series. According to Trains mag, the Acela will be a featured episode.

Dan


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## the_traveler (Nov 1, 2008)

Thanks for the info. I usually don't watch much TV, but this sounds like something I'll be sure to tune in for!


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## WhoozOn1st (Nov 13, 2008)

Did y'all watch the premiere the other night, with the Norfolk Southern coal train and horseshoe curve? I thought it perhaps a nice primer for rookies. Nice photography, light on facts, heavy on sensation. That host guy could use a straitjacket. His unceasing emphatic arm flailing was like watching Hitler working himself into a froth at a **** Party rally.


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## PetalumaLoco (Nov 13, 2008)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Did y'all watch the premiere the other night, with the Norfolk Southern coal train and horseshoe curve? I thought it perhaps a nice primer for rookies. Nice photography, light on facts, heavy on sensation. That host guy could use a straitjacket. His unceasing emphatic arm flailing was like watching Hitler working himself into a froth at a **** Party rally.


I watched it, and share your sentiments exactly!


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## the Other Mike (Nov 20, 2008)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Did y'all watch the premiere the other night, with the Norfolk Southern coal train and horseshoe curve? I thought it perhaps a nice primer for rookies. Nice photography, light on facts, heavy on sensation. That host guy could use a straitjacket. His unceasing emphatic arm flailing was like watching Hitler working himself into a froth at a **** Party rally.


Yes, I watched it and the guy drove me nuts. He is sorta like a cross between a bad infomercial salesman and Steve.......whatshisname with the animals that is with us no longer.......


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## WhoozOn1st (Nov 22, 2008)

Second episode was somewhat better, but I may be biased because it was more about my part of the country.

Liked the port stuff, and seeing how containers are tied down on stack trains. Getting views of the Alameda Corridor from above was pretty cool too, as was seeing the work involved in BNSF triple-tracking Cajon Pass (now completed and in use).

Still, that host clown... Sheesh!!

Did we really need to watch him try numerous times to smash a rock with a machine?

The sensationalism of the "Extreme Trains" approach really came into focus on Friday afternoon when I saw - on the History Channel - an installment of the Modern Marvels series titled "Locomotives." Low-key narration, interesting facts and photography, a number of aspects presented with decent perspective. And no screaming and arm waving. Far superior, in my view.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Nov 23, 2008)

> Still, that host clown... Sheesh!!


Agreed.

Though I find it very informative if you kinda tune him out in the back of your head.

I just laughed when you look at the cab engineers... and he's doing his thing and they sit there and hit their alterer and go 'Uhuh... uhuh...'


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## HP_Lovecraft (Nov 23, 2008)

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> I just laughed when you look at the cab engineers... and he's doing his thing and they sit there and hit their alterer and go 'Uhuh... uhuh...'


I've noticed he has said a couple times that he is glad that he is a CONDUCTOR not an engineer in Maine.

I didn't think that freight lines still had conductors? They just had engineers and assistant engineers?


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## AlanB (Nov 24, 2008)

HP_Lovecraft said:


> I didn't think that freight lines still had conductors? They just had engineers and assistant engineers?


You can't move a train, any train, without a conductor under FRA rules. Other than some special yard circumstances that is.

Most freight trains don't have asst engineers.


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## Crescent ATN & TCL (Nov 24, 2008)

HP_Lovecraft said:


> ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> 
> 
> > I just laughed when you look at the cab engineers... and he's doing his thing and they sit there and hit their alterer and go 'Uhuh... uhuh...'
> ...


Most freight RR conductors are also fully certified engineers to provide flexibility for the company.

I think the show should be re-named "Trains... With an Extreme Host" its a very good show though. At least he's better than most of the half-dead hosts on the history channel.


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## rtabern (Nov 24, 2008)

In 2007, while doing Trails & Rails at the Milwaukee station I ran into the crew shooting the Empire Builder episode... It looks like that one is going to air in a couple of weeks. The Milwaukee Road 261 was in the station at the same time, so that might make it in that episode if they actually show the entire route instead of just Glacier Park like I fear they are going to.

Check it out!!

Overnight TravelerTuesday, December 16 at 10PM ET/9C

This train running from Chicago to Seattle is the busiest passenger train in America. The route passes through America's longest tunnel where Matt finds out how the railroad keeps passengers from choking to death and how to keep the tracks from flooding. In the Cascade Mountains he learns 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 Montana's Glacier National Park.


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## WhoozOn1st (Nov 24, 2008)

Crescent ATN & TCL said:


> I think the show should be re-named "Trains... With an Extreme Host" its a very good show though. At least he's better than most of the half-dead hosts on the history channel.


I'll take the half-dead, thanks.

THEY DO THIS!! LOOK!! THEY DO THAT!! WATCH!! HEY, CAN I TRY THAT? WOW!! I'M DOING WHAT RAILROAD GUYS DO!!

Gimme a break.


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## tubaia (Nov 24, 2008)

I missed the first two episodes, but I've now set the DVR so I don't miss the rest.

For those who also missed the first episodes, History Channel will be running the first three this Saturday (November 29) starting at 2pm Eastern.


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## VentureForth (Nov 24, 2008)

Maybe some big TV Benefactor could come out and do an _*Extreme Makeover - Amtrak*_ show and spend money to refurb the fleet...


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## FriskyFL (Nov 24, 2008)

Crescent ATN & TCL said:


> HP_Lovecraft said:
> 
> 
> > ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> ...


Yeah, he should probably lay off the Pixie Sticks...but who can blame the guy? Why can't I find a job like that???


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## WhoozOn1st (Nov 25, 2008)

AlanB said:


> HP_Lovecraft said:
> 
> 
> > I didn't think that freight lines still had conductors? They just had engineers and assistant engineers?
> ...


I think what railroads no longer have is firemen. With dieselization firemen became somewhat superfluous, but kept working under union rules for quite awhile. IIRC, the railroads didn't like that at all, and there was a protracted controversy over "featherbedding." The railroads won that one, as they also were eventually successful in getting rid of cabeese (HA!) in favor of FREDs.


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## had8ley (Nov 25, 2008)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Did y'all watch the premiere the other night, with the Norfolk Southern coal train and horseshoe curve? I thought it perhaps a nice primer for rookies. Nice photography, light on facts, heavy on sensation. That host guy could use a straitjacket. His unceasing emphatic arm flailing was like watching Hitler working himself into a froth at a **** Party rally.


And just when were you at the last rally ???


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## WhoozOn1st (Nov 25, 2008)

had8ley said:


> WhoozOn1st said:
> 
> 
> > Did y'all watch the premiere the other night, with the Norfolk Southern coal train and horseshoe curve? I thought it perhaps a nice primer for rookies. Nice photography, light on facts, heavy on sensation. That host guy could use a straitjacket. His unceasing emphatic arm flailing was like watching Hitler working himself into a froth at a **** Party rally.
> ...


1936, Nuremburg. Why do you ask? "Little Joe" Goebbels was quite the cut-up, but totally hogged the keg. I'm older than you think. 

EDIT: Leni Riefenstahl was a pretty hot number back then. Dumb as a post, but a looker. Kept asking me for advice on camera angles.


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## the_traveler (Nov 25, 2008)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Leni Riefenstahl was a pretty hot number back then. Dumb as a post, but a looker. Kept asking me for advice on camera angles.


And I heard you had all the "angles" picked out in advance too! :lol:


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## WhoozOn1st (Nov 25, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> WhoozOn1st said:
> 
> 
> > Leni Riefenstahl was a pretty hot number back then. Dumb as a post, but a looker. Kept asking me for advice on camera angles.
> ...


What can I say? Leni had a great caboose.


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## WhoozOn1st (Dec 10, 2008)

Okay, I missed the Acela episode. I'll see it when it's shown again, and there's plenty of commentary elsewhere.

Last week's installment about the reefer train was fairly interesting, and shown on the heels of an issue of Trains Magazine which covered in detail the type of modern reefers shown on TV. If you really wanna know the deal, find a copy of Trains (January 2009, page 22).

This week it was steam, so no way I was gonna miss it. Not bad, and as usual for this series a primer. Interesting video views, but nothing we didn't already know. "This is called a coupler. Couplers hold the cars of a train together."

There was a bit aboard the train about railfans, whom host flailboy referred to as a pretty strange bunch. Ordinarily I wouldn't argue, but then presented as an example was a geek with a guitar - "Boxcar" - doing possibly history's lamest version of She'll be comin' 'round the mountain, with two kids - "Caboose" and "Flatcar" - and host flailboy howling YEE HA between lines.

Authentic railfans, huh? In fairness, there was also a scene with a guy who was recording train sounds to use with his HO scale model train layout at home. That was a little more like it, though apparently his tape will now include host flailboy hollering dumb questions at him.

What next?


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## ALC Rail Writer (Dec 10, 2008)

> What next?


He's on the Empire Builder...


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## PetalumaLoco (Dec 10, 2008)

WhoozOn1st said:


> ...There was a bit aboard the train about railfans, whom host flailboy referred to as a pretty strange bunch. Ordinarily I wouldn't argue, but then presented as an example was a geek with a guitar - "Boxcar" - doing possibly history's lamest version of She'll be comin' 'round the mountain, with two kids - "Caboose" and "Flatcar" - and host flailboy howling YEE HA between lines.


"She'll be coming round the mountain, with two kids" sounds like a song (and woman) I'd as soon miss.


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## the_traveler (Dec 10, 2008)

I guess I'll have to watch the lastest episode on my DVR in the next few days. I've been playing with the big trains the past 24 hours on a trip to nowhere!  (Literally 24 hours, left on #67 at 10:46 PM, throw in a ride on AE and will return on #67 at 10:46 PM. BTW, I passed through KIN at 142 MPH!  And no - I didn't try to get off! :lol: Although I've tried in the past to grab on as it went through!  )


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## MrFSS (Dec 29, 2008)

Anyone know how many episodes there are for this show?

Thanks!!


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## the_traveler (Dec 29, 2008)

Patrick said in his OP



> Eight-part series premieres November 11


but it seems like there have been that many "trips to Steamtown" already!


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## MrFSS (Dec 29, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> Patrick said in his OP


I never listen to anything Patrick says! :lol:


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## the_traveler (Dec 31, 2008)

Did anyone notice o last night's show on the UP overland route, there was *NO* "let's go to Steamtown" segment. (It was very noticeable by it's omission!) But they did go to the CSRM instead. And they did show Bailey Yard!


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## WhoozOn1st (Dec 31, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> Did anyone notice o last night's show on the UP overland route, there was *NO* "let's go to Steamtown" segment. (It was very noticeable by it's omission!) But they did go to the CSRM instead. And they did show Bailey Yard!


I was only sorta half-watching, but you're right. And I enjoyed the previous week's episode about the circus train. About a decade ago I was entertaining a visitor from France. Walking back from the beach at Ventura, at an ungated grade crossing the bells and lights started going. It was the circus train! Could hardly believe my eyes, and the girl was thrilled to pieces. She was convinced I'd planned the whole thing. "No no, I don't have that kind of power." "But you knew it was coming." "No! Total surprise to me." She would not be swayed. Then again this was a girl who, courtesy of me, is going through life thinking the plural of moose is "meese," and the plural of caboose is "cabeese." HAHA!!

I think the aerial shots of the circus train gave a pretty good idea: it's LONG.

BTW, when me and the French girl were together back east we'd pack a picnic meal on warm summer evenings, hike down to the Metro-North platform at Bronxville, NY, and eat sitting on the platform (full picnic regalia, including tablecloth as ground cover) while watching the rush hour trains. Our favorites were the expresses that jammed by at speed.


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## MrFSS (Dec 31, 2008)

Last time I rode the EB and we pulled into Everett here is what was next to us.







They had unloaded and the train was waiting for the circus to be over. Missed seeing all the animals by that much!


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## gswager (Dec 31, 2008)

I did watched the Extreme Trains. Sadly, I fell asleep. I really wanted to watch to see how the machines work when working with the trackbed. Unfortunately, it's not enough.

- Less than "awesome" guy


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## Rockracin (Feb 1, 2009)

i cought all the episodes of this thanks to my girlfriend finding it and setting the dvr. it wasnt a bad show over all, like many i thought the host was a little over the top but it was finally nice to see some trains on tv on a regular basis rather then the 3 episodes the history channel had before that had been on repeat forever and a day.


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