RAILROAD ALASKA REALITY TV SERIES

I posted the same darn thing but didn't see your post.  Looks good and I have my DVR set to record

I just watched about 30 minutes of the show. I'm recording the rerun of this Episode 1 at 1AM. Question, how many railroads still use jointed rail on mainlines that's not welded as they show in this show? I know NS, CSX, BNSF, & UP do, but I just ask. Also never seen a flatbed semi trailer with backhoe with railroad wheels motorized before. This show looks better then Extreme Trains. But Extreme Trains was good, but fast pase. I guess Railroad Alaska is 5 episodes, every episode on Saturday till December 14th.

I just found this show this past weekend. I really enjoyed the episodes & now I am in love with the Alaska colors. Never paid attention to them before. Looks like I know what my next purchases will be.

The Alaska Railroad show is worth watching, and I rate highly. I had no idea that the Alaska Railroad gave personal service to people along the right-of-way in the outback.

Beautiful scenery (filmed on a clear day) but I certainly cannot understand anyone wanting to live there in the outback away from any town as one of the fellas does. His mom came for a visit and requested a handle on the door of the outhouse…  OUTHOUSE?

Yes sir - and it's 20' or so from the 'regular house'!

Nuts….

There's probably no bigger Alaska RR fan on this forum than I am (about 30 ARR locomotives and still growing), but I don't have access to that TV channel.  If they make the series available on DVD, now or later on, I would appreciate it if someone would provide a link to the ordering address.

I've managed to see the first two programs, and I've enjoyed them very much. I think that Alaska livery on the locos is very attractive, and the program offers a lot of action shots and cab views, including MOW scenes. The folks that live along the ROW in the back country (where the RR is the only access to civilization) are truly a different breed, as are the railroaders that keep everything flowing in all kinds of weather. Missing a delivery of propane or generator gas can mean the difference between life and death. All in all, its a surprisingly excellent program, "surprisingly" because commercial television often misses the mark on railroad programs.

So far I think the show is ok... I wish they would spend more time talking about the trains themselves. Allan the possibilities are endless when it comes to modeling Alaska. Im surprised no one else on OGR models Alaska.

Watching the show sure gave me the bug to incorporate some Alaska RR into my layout. The show was even on in the hospital I've been in ... my roommate and I were kinda fascinated by it.

I never gave the ARR much notice, either. If Lionel does those big EMD units in Legacy, I'll sure be interested.

I wish the ARR had an interchange with CP to make it kinda prototypical for me, but what the heck. Some handsome engines for sure.

Jim

Here are some of the promo videos:

http://america.discovery.com/t...alaskan-railroad.htm

I really like it. There's a lot more to railroads than trains. I have met a lot of the

CSX track gang back here, a hard workin' bunch of guys. So I got a kick out of the

AAR's guys, with the avalance howizer, and bolting in a new section of rail.

E

ANYTHING would be better than Extreme Trains! That was without a doubt the worst show about railroading ever produced. A host on uppers, writers who had no clue what they were writing about and a frenetic producer that insisted on speeding up almost everything they shot on video.  Frankly I thought that show was an embarrassment to the industry and I'm glad it's gone.

Having said that, did anyone notice the factual error that crept into the script on this most recent episode? Here's a hint...it had to do with the fuel-laden tanker train.

The teasers look good but not had a chance to watch actual show.

I just hope that it doesn't take on the drama of most reality TV shows!

Dave

I enjoy the show.  You have to ignore their manufactured drama.  I also learned a new word: "offgridders."

I enjoyed it as well.   

I enjoyed the show. I thought they showed a lot about both the people living along thre track and the work being done on the RR.

Rich I am not sure what the error was but I heard them say that the tankers had come by barge and were 10 tons each. I though the 10 tons was not a correct weight for the suel. Maybe they ment 10K Gal per car?

Bobby I did not realize the individual service they offered the people along this route.

They sure carried all kind of supplies and parts to the people along the route. It seemed to me that the train crew knew the passengers so they must use it a lot just like a regular commuter.

C. SAM, Did you notice the son had the moms work list to get done before she got there lol. I wondered about the large pile of snow on top of the outhose naybe bring it down. lol Bill

I thought that it had some real life things that we don't get to see. Like the snow build up on the slope of the hills and firing the shell into the snow to cause it to all come down and then the amount of clean up that they were left with.

I also thought the ride with the large snow plow with the hydralic wings was really cool. Also thought them going thru the tunnel with the wings retracred and double checking them as they approached the entrance was real life.

I also like seeing the cracked rail and how that went about fixing it. Now that was really a COOL PIECE OF WORK THEY DID.

Interesting show.

You're on the right track...pun intended.

The narrator said the tank train carried 1,600 tons of fuel in the train. They left off a zero. 16,000 tons would be more like it. 1,600 tons is only about 20 cars. That train had a lot more than 20 cars!

Admittedly 16,000 tons is a BIG train, but 1,600 tons was way too small for that train.

Rich, Thanks.

I also thought the method they used for replacing a section of rail was intresting.

The scenery along the Alaska Railroad is awesome.

Bobby I agree but don't think I could hanfel all the snow and darkness.

boy its a struggle living the way they do up there.  the last episode with the people and the propane.  Run out and its a life death issue!  wow.  and the use of the Howitzer cannon!  to blow up a snow bank to avalanche!  and then hurry to clean up the snow 30 feet deep!  those guys work hard there!  the repair of the track was cool too.  great show!

Jointed rail?  Extream cold?  Easier to replace?

Dominic they had a crack in a rail that needed attention. It looked like they cut out about a 10 or 12 foot section and droped in a new section that they heated up to get it to expand amd then let it cool just in time as the regular run of trains were right on their heels. When the train crossed it the first time they knew it was a replaced rail and ran very slow across it. Those guys on the ARR really earn their money.

BillPas thanks for starting this thread. It is a very intresting new program with normal everyday events here in the lower 48 that can be a matter of life and death in Alask.

I have a question for the forum.Did alaska rr ever have standard steam locomotives?I am not thinking about white pass locomotives.

All,

The scenery on the Alaska Railroad is awesome.

Does anyone model the Alaska Railroad?

Bill

I think the railroad was started in 1909 and not sure think they are restoring a 2-8-0. 

I model the Alaska RR (or will be doing so if I ever get back to working on my layout), and here is their all-time locomotive roster.

You know, with the way these programs get edited, it is hard to say just what is going on. The passenger train has two engines on the head end here and next it only has one in the lead with another on the rear??? I don't think the freight was a solid tank train either from what I saw, so, 11-12 tank cars would be about 1,600 tons. Figure about 25-30 tons for the light weight of each car. 

From the way producers have to interject drama into these stories the way they do to make them the least bit interesting, it is easy to see why railroading has not yet turned into a major spectator sport. 

Allan,

Wow! The Alaska Railroad has over the last century,

employed an impressive roster of both steam and diesel

loco's.

Looks like a great opportunity for model railroaders.

Bill

I, too, enjoy the Alaska RR. The history, the geography, all of it. When I thought about modeling it, the sheer size of the proportions make it difficult. The Hurricane Gulch Bridge, built around 1908, I believe, crosses over a nearly 800ft gulch. That's the arch-under bridge that you see in the intro shots. The mountains dwarf everything. The Port of Whittier, which has been in the show, is what connects Alaska to Canada and the lower 48. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is 13,300 feet long. It's the only land connection.

Then there's the trees. You think that you never have enough trees on your layout, well...

There will be no scale modeling for me. An O scale Hurricane Gulch would be nearly 200ft with a scale Denali (Mt. McKinley) at 5000ft.

Canada and the US Rockies must be just as tough.

I am enjoying the show, even though it took the second episode for the editing to grow on me. I want more trains and railroaders and less locals.

John's Alaska Railroad Page has been a lot of fun for me.

Check out Million Dollar Curve.

The crew was with the ARR for nearly a year and they're still making mistakes as pointed out by Big Jim. The ARR staff are obviously on their good behavior.

They are leaving out the military bases. There's more track from Fairbanks, sort of S or SSW to a mining area and a joint Army\Air Force base.

All considered, I am glad it's being aired.  

Thanks allan.Man they had a lot of locomotives through the years.They must have really liked the mikes.Then again you could run freight and passnger trains.I like the look of there sd70s.