Extreme Train coming to the HISTORY ch.

[jeffhergert]

.

The biggest problem with this episode was that–in spite of their penchant for speeding things up, including grade-crossing signals–it takes 'way more than an hour to do this line justice. Back in 1995, Trains devoted its entire 55th-anniversary issue (greatly expanded) to the UP, concentrating on the line from Council Bluffs to North Platte. This was in the days before the triple track, before CNW was merged, and before the service meltdowns which would taint subsequent reports. One could have concentrated on the “extreme railroad” here instead of a fictitious “extreme train” and gotten a story that would still have taken well over an hour to do justice.

I asked if anyone else recognized the first conductor, Phil Tamisea, out of Council Bluffs. Carl has come across the reason I asked, even if he doesn’t realize it.

Mr. Tamisea was also the conductor on the manifest train, CBNP under the then current symbol, that was profiled in that anniversary issue.

Jeff

[spikejones52002]

I was very much surprised that they did not have a traction motor unit waiting in the pit.

Drop the first. As it moves out of the pit. The replacement is pull in and mounted in the truck.

They knew what engine and what type of traction motor is needed.

Time is lost money.

Yes immediatey thought that Matt did not know what he was talking about. Traction motors are to expensive to just one time use and dispose of. Minor things do take a motor out for the count.

[CShaveRR]

The biggest problem with this episode was that–in spite of their penchant for speeding things up, including grade-crossing signals–it takes 'way more than an hour to do this line justice. Back in 1995, Trains devoted its entire 55th-anniversary issue (greatly expanded) to the UP, concentrating on the line from Council Bluffs to North Platte. This was in the days before the triple track, before CNW was merged, and before the service meltdowns which would taint subsequent reports. One could have concentrated on the “extreme railroad” here instead of a fictitious “extreme train” and gotten a story that would still have taken well over an hour to do justice.

I asked if anyone else recognized the first conductor, Phil Tamisea, out of Council Bluffs. Carl has come across the reason I asked, even if he doesn’t realize it.

Mr. Tamisea was also the conductor on the manifest train, CBNP under the then current symbol, that was profiled in that anniversary issue.

Jeff

Gee, I’ll have to rub the Cosmoline off that issue and have a look!

[karldotcom]

Well, I liked the four episodes I have seen so far, and hope there is another season out there being filmed.

[BigJim]

A question for anyone who is far more familiar with dynamic braking than I am: would a traction motor generate 2000 amps when the dynamic brake is used?

Nope! Something in the 900 amp range is all you are going to get.

And while I have the podium;

It is hard for me to believe that the History Channel can allow a show such as Extreme Trains to get by passing along so much incorrect information. It ruins the credibility of everyone associated with the History Channel!

Not only that,
It is a disservice to us in the railroad industry, men and women alike, to produce a show like this that is so loaded with hype that they throw away the FACTS!

What is even more disturbing to me is that there are people out there in TV land that actually enjoy being lied to.

Seems to me like the History Channel needs to get the guys at “Mythbusters” to expose all of the myths that Matt has perpetrated on the American public.

[Deggesty]

A question for anyone who is far more familiar with dynamic braking than I am: would a traction motor generate 2000 amps when the dynamic brake is used?

Nope! Something in the 900 amp range is all you are going to get.

And while I have the podium;

It is hard for me to believe that the History Channel can allow a show such as Extreme Trains to get by passing along so much incorrect information. It ruins the credibility of everyone associated with the History Channel!

Not only that,
It is a disservice to us in the railroad industry, men and women alike, to produce a show like this that is so loaded with hype that they throw away the FACTS!

What is even more disturbing to me is that there are people out there in TV land that actually enjoy being lied to.

Seems to me like the History Channel needs to get the guys at “Mythbusters” to expose all of the myths that Matt has perpetrated on the American public.

Thanks, Big Jim. I really had my doubts about the 2000 amps.

I agree that the producers did extremely poorly in their research. Whom did they ask? Someone who knows little more than that railroads exist? Can we trust the people at the History Channel to be telling the truth about any of their subjects?

I watched only the last two episodes, and I do not regret having not seen the earlier ones.

Johnny

[miniwyo]

I enjoyed it, but was yet again disappointed that they did not show any of the trip across Wyoming. If they are so into steam, they could totaly talk about the rick coal reserves of southern wyoming that was the reason the railroad was built there. As well as the dozens of towns that died when they dieselized. One thing I know is that any type of theese shows tend to dumb things down or change thme just a bit to fit thier content and appeal to the watcher. So I always watch with a grain of salt…