Western Railroad Discussion > Is "Extreme Trains" bad PR for the industry?

I had some time today so I watched a couple of recent "Extreme Trains" that I recorded on the PVR. I have to admit that from a railfan standpoint the show is entertaining. Matt seems to have mellowed out and the last two episodes are quite entertaining. The constant reference to danger makes me wonder if this show is bad PR for the railroads? Is the show scaring the crap out of people that live near the railroad. I could see a railroad planning to raise its speed limits in a town only to find serious community opposition with people citing "Extreme Trains" as proof that railroading is dangerous.

Take the episode on coal. If you saw this show complete with onscreen graphics showing a train on a Six Flags roller coaster, and you knew nothing about railroading you would be petrified to live near a railroad grade. If that did not scare you I am sure the host freaking out, asking if the engineer was scared would. It seems throughout the episodes Matt is out there building up railroading like every voyage aboard a freight train is a ride to battle. I keep picturing a scene of Engineer Kong riding a flatcar bomb down Cajon Pass, waiving his engineer hat all the way down the mountain. I am waiting for him to ask an engineer if he has accidental death and dismemberment insurance.

I watched the Northeast Cooridor episode and Matt made a remark to the engineer that he must have "nerves of steel" to be an engineer on Acela. Would you want to be aboard a train where you imagine the engineer is upfront deciding if he is going to go postal because his job is like a ride to hell everyday?

I also noticed they tend to speed up the playback to make the trains appear they are on a wild ride. Some of them are hystical as you'll see a train rounding some curves at a fast forward speed of 100mph. I expect to see the crew diving off the locomotive as the runaway train rolls towards certain disaster.

It will be interesting to see if the show gets renewed next year and if the major railroads will continue to participate. I guess I will find out the answer to my question if the show comes back next year. As for now I will enjoy the ride watching this modern day version of "This is My Railroad."

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

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Trains are dangerous. Not to sound like a smart @$$ but they are really dangerous. What kind of experience does the host have being around trains? To be fair I haven't seen any of the episodes to see what they are doing, but as an engineer I have been scared on a train before. Especially as a new engineer when you get that train that just doesn't react like you think it should as your screeming down the big hill. I'm also afraid of the people who do live around grade crossings because you never know how they are going to approach a crossing or drive around the gates, or stop on the tracks in a crossing, or walk out in front of you or down the tracks in front of you. I bet I've had at least one of these situations happen to me everytime I go to work.
I would think that the railroads don't mind the show telling people how dangerous trains are.

iceweasel03 Wrote:
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> ".........What kind of experience does the host have being around trains?......."

He is a working conductor up in New England somewhere.


Bob

<<<<I watched the Northeast Cooridor episode and Matt made a remark to the engineer that he must have "nerves of steel" to be an engineer on Acela.>>>>>

When all is said and done, railroading is boring, tedious, hard work that is low pay for the number of hours worked. There are many jobs that pay far in excess of $100,000 for a fraction of the hours required. The show has to juice up the same old scenery.

mustraline Wrote:
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> <<<>>>>
>
> When all is said and done, railroading is boring,
> tedious, hard work that is low pay for the number
> of hours worked. There are many jobs that pay far
> in excess of $100,000 for a fraction of the hours
> required. The show has to juice up the same old
> scenery.


All I will say is the pay I am making working for the railroad all hours considered is far in excess of any other job I have worked from the range of UPS to custom home theater installations over the last 26 years. Sure, working the road at times on the same territory can be boring and tedious but in the yard I can work a different job nearly every day and not face that tedium. Nonetheless, I would be curious to hear what these 'many jobs' are that pay in excess of 100k without a college degree and for less hours. My wife has had a couple of the 100k jobs without the degree but the hours she worked were way worse than what I have faced. Last I checked, I have yet to work 80 to 90 hours a week unless I choose to take offered extra work.

As to the danger side, while it does appear to be somewhat played up on the show it definitely is a constant in this industry.

I think it will be difficult to come up with a second season's episodes that aren't functional rehashes of this season.

iceweasel03 Wrote:
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> To be fair I haven't seen any of the episodes to
> see what they are doing, but as an engineer I have
> been scared on a train before.

I think you need to see the show to understand the context.

I never thought of railroading as a "dangerous occupation" and neither does the Department of Labor: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/CFOI_Rates_2007.pdf

6.3 fatalities per 100,000 is not as bad as being a truck driver which is 26.4 fatalities per 100,000. According to the report a newspaper publisher is more likely to die in the line of duty than a railroader.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

I think if they didn't have the sillness of Matt and his producers and showed a more serious approach to the subject, it would be a very educational show. Railroading is down right dangerous
and the minute you let up, it bites you.

Matt Bown just needs to put down the meth pipe and report about trains as if you're not going to die every time you step in the cab. That boy is way too f*cking wired to work for a railroad.

CNW534 Wrote:
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> Matt Bown just needs to put down the meth pipe and
> report about trains as if you're not going to die
> every time you step in the cab. That boy is way
> too f*cking wired to work for a railroad.


We've been told several times that his "enthusiasm" was at the direction of the show's directors, and is not reflective of his typical behavior.

My guess is that it's attended to hold the attention of younger demographics with short attention spans. I find it a bit over-the-top, too, but then again, I don't need the hystrionics for trains to interest me.

As for whether the show is bad PR for the railroads, I don't think so. Though I agree that the "speed" scenes are idiotic, I don't think anybody with two firing neurons in their head is going to think coal trains go up (or down) hills at 120 mph just because the History Channel shows some sped-up footage.

"Extreme Trains" is entertaining and I have learned a few things. I think the good aspects of the show out-way the bad. I will continue to watch it. Hey, who wouldn't want to watch trains on TV?

I agree that the host's behavior is driven by the producers of the show.

Don't see a second season in my crystal ball though.

JMW

I dislike the use of time lapse video in this program. In Extreme Trains, it shows them moving much faster than they do in reality. But, the video is clear and sharp, so how is someone who knows nothing of railroad operations to know the difference? If you look for it, time lapse video is all the rage. I see it any documentary/reality programming that shows any type of large (or giant) commercial vehicle.

Curious the episode on Amtrak's NEC operations didn't mention Hell Gate. I would've like to have seen some up-close shots of the span from track level. I was amused when the Amtrak hogger make the comment that Amtrak is looking for engineers.

Where's the reality program detailing the story behind the story of the Good Morning America train? A reality show set at WMSR, Conway Scenic or another steam-running tourist line?

* JB *

They did the same thing to Ice Road Truckers, drama were there was none, the players are acting for the camera. Play your cards right and we might bring you back for a second Season, unless the ice melts.
Maybe I'm confused but I always thought an Extreme Train was 150 loads and one empty with a 3x5 set running SP WB off of Siskiyou Summit with the first flat spot being a town called Hilt.

Let's see.

What are the ratings for Extreme Trains?

Now, stick a standard Pentrex video on History Channel, and what will the ratings be?

I can just hear Pentrex's narrator saying, in his monotone voice, how exciting that the MPDCH climbing up a 2.4% grade at a whopping 7 MPH is...

Extreme Trains is not geared for the railfan. Frankly, the guy was a little enthusastic but it covered topics that you just won't find on your run-of-the-mill railfan video where I have to be told that the train is in dynamics each time it's going downhill.

I've found "Extreme Trains" interesting as has my wife. The histrionics can be distracting, but I understand the necessity to play to a younger generation used to video game "shoot 'em ups".

"According to the report a newspaper publisher is more likely to die in the line of duty than a railroader."

That is probably because a right wing wacko who had a house full of weapons knocked off a publisher in northern NH a decade or so ago.
Dick Eisfeller in near zero New Hampshire

I have to agree with the comment about Ice Road Truckers and other docu-ality shows like Axe Men and the like. They are dangerous jobs, true, but give me a break. They keep rehashing the dangers for every scene. It gets tedious very quickly and every episode just looks like the next. The same goes for Extreme Trains. It's not a bad show overall, but I don't think it will last past one season, because trains are actually boring (yeah, I said it). Now, as far as these types of shows go, I have to say that Deadliest Catch still manages to keep my attention. Maybe because that show doesn't have a giddy school-boy type hopping around asking people if they're scared all of the time.

OK..so, what network shows this program and when is it on?

Yet to see it,
Chico
http://www.heartlandrails.com

chico Wrote:
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> OK..so, what network shows this program and when
> is it on?
>
> Yet to see it,
> Chico
>


History Channel, tuesdays from 9:00 to 10:00pm CST.

Con

If it was bad PR, do you really think that they would have been allowed to set foot on the property after the first time they showed an episode to the brass for approval. No way they would have been allowed to broadcast an episode without the host RR being allowed to review and approve the product.