Good show, wish I remember what Cable TV Channel or network but I don’t. Here is a link to some of the episodes though…
http://www.destinationamerica.com/tv-shows/railroad-alaska/railroad-alaska-videos/sneak-peek/
Interesting show, however, they ramp up the ‘drama’ versus the reality of situations and rules covering those situations.
You answered your own question with that link: Destination America is the channel that airs Railroad Alaska.
I believe History Channel carried it when it first aired.
Unfortunately, it became more about people living “off the grid” and less about trains. I also wished their sound editor didn’t feel the need to add a train horn every time they showed a locomotive.
I lasted about four episodes.
On our provider’s program guide it’s listed with the abbreviation, “DAM.”
I suppose it’s a good sign that you have too many channels when you’ve never even heard of Destination America. I’m on Comcast Xfinity and it’s on 221, not sure if that’s nation-wide or not. Doesn’t appear it’s available in HD either. BTW, DirecTV is 286 HD and Dish is 194 HD. No idea which channel package is required to get DA. I also looked on DA’s website to find the show and, oddly, it said the show wasn’t on the current schedule, however, it is airing on Wednesday, October 21, according to Comcast’s Guide. Season 2, episode 1 at 6p ET and episode 2 at 7p ET. DVR is set so I’ll give it a try.
II’ve watched it on the weather channel on comcast. Reality tv with hyped “situations” but it does highlight some interesting situations that ARR encounters that stateside RR’s don’t encounter. Yes, they do provide a lifeline to some but they also show unloading of the carferry barges at Whittier, and it unique route through the tunnel, the shooting of cannons to bring down potential avalances, some track work. Much of it gets exagerated for effect but still is an interesting show.
[?] I wonder if the folks that come out of the woods have to pay to ride to “town” or have the goods hauled? Is there a tree marked for for the folks to stand by for the train? Just curious.
Cannonball
People that ride their gas-powered snowmobiles to catch the state-supported train, so they can get their car at the station and go into town and spend their welfare checks to buy propane and food from the grocery store in town?
I’m more off the grid than they are.
I have AT&T UVerse (without the phone). I work at home almost 100%. So ordinarily I would not pay for full cable but since I do not have to drive to and from work and I am typically on flex time and my employer pays the INTERNET part of the bill. I can enjoy full cable during the day when I use flex time.
I believe the VIA Rail Skeena operates this way as well for part of it’s route. However, if you stand by the tracks and flag the train will stop. After a while the regularly assigned locomotive engineer knows who lives where…just like a school bus driver would.
I believe Alaska runs an all stops local (and flag stop) each way per day.
BTW, a good portion of Class I railroad freight trains will also stop if you flag them and your in a harsh weather environment in the middle of nowhere or will radio it in. Locomotive Engineers have empathy for someone in an emergency situation.[8D]
The “Hurricane Turn” operates Talkeetna to Hurricane Thursdays thru Monday during th summer. In winter, the Fairbanks train makes all stops, but it only runs once, and occasionally twice, per week.
http://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel/Transit/Schedules/tabid/98/Default.aspx#15647-summer
VIA Rail’s Jasper-Prince Rupert train (it no longer has a name) has many flag stops shown in its schedule. When I rode it (both ways) last September, we stopped at many of them; I do not recall any stops for passengers at places not listed in the public timetable. I do not doubt that it would stop for someone who obviously needed help. Eastbound, we did stop
The first run episodes were/are on the Animal Planet channel. We’ve discussed this before.
http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/p/228685/2553573.aspx
How soon we forget.[(-D] Maybe that says something about the show.
Jeff