Didn't tell me anything I didn't know. Agree with the editing points. Sometimes the cars were loaded, sometimes they were empty. At this point, with only one show to judge, the series PBS did 20 years back is still better. Plus since it is 20 years old, watching vintage equipment is more interesting. The way the guy carried on, crossing the Alleghenies equated to climbing Pike's Peak. I guess I'll still pop in the PRR and RDG tapes from the 50's and 60's to get a good train fix. Looking at modern railroading leaves much to be desired. Feel sorry for the younger members of the hobby who only see COFC trains, unit trains, and mdse trains with strings of black tank cars, gray private covererd hoppers and non-descript sparsly, logo'd box cars. Only variety is in gons. What a lot of us would like to see is the local peddle run switching all the industries. But that's hardly sexy for the MTV/Short Attention Span segment everything is aimed at. It could get some fans of urban crime shows if they did one on a local serving industries in the more gritty area of a major city where the crew risks being shot at from buildings and overpasses, but that goes to PC considerations and I'm not talking Penn Central.
Overall, this a a very sad but true reflection on how the industry regards its viewing audience today - a bunch of semi idiots (check the rest of your TV listings if you doubt this!). Like it or not, the actual audience for this show is going largely to be railfans, model railroaders and perhaps some RR employees, not the general public. To have the host that comes off as being a full bubble off level, to a degree implies that we are all that way (well, yes, some I've met are but...). If they can't get a host that doesn't appear to be mentally unstable, then I've watched by first and last installment of this show. This says nothing regarding the awful editing job and gimmicks the show employed. If you watched with any care, you'll have noted that beside the dramatic speeding up of the tape in spots (to add excitement?), the train's motive power and pushers change back and forth in both type and number, some of the shots seemed to have been printed in reverse left to right and I'm not even sure if the train was always going west to east. Way too much splicing of separate and varying material together. In this supposed age of technical superiority and sound viewer informative material, this show doesn't deserve a rating higher than a C- on all counts. NYW&B
Frankly, I didn't pay too much attention to the narrator, as I was more interested in the content and the trains. I loved to watch the big diesels under construction. As a member of 4 N scale forums, it is pretty accepted everywhere the narrator was a jerk, and way too overzealous. But to many non-train people, trains are inconvenient and boring, just as things outside our interest agenda are boring to us. I think the producers wanted to try to present some form of excitement to the pastime but it came across as hype and spin. I will still continue to tape it and watch it. A few years ago, we had a local host of a train show produced on PBS channel. What he did was pose on some historical trains on display and introduce segments of Kalmbach videos. In real life he was a self indulgent jerk, but because he was an energetic type individual, generated a lot of interest in trains. Train shows had the largest attendance when he announced them on TV. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
I'll keep watching even if I have to mute the volume. The history channel is capable of putting on a great show and host aside, I enjoyed it. Have any of you seen History Channels Modern Marvels episode entitles "freight trains"? I have the 45-50 minute dvd and it's right down excellent IMO. It's hard to cover the entire history of freight trains in 45 minutes, but it's really good. I have viewed it with a few friends and family members who knew nothing about trains and it was right down educational. I picked mine up on ebay new for something like $5 shipped. Last time I checked they had plenty of them but that's been awhile. Edit: Here's the one I'm speaking of: http://cgi.ebay.com/MODERN-MARVELS-...14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318
Is it just me, or was Tuesday's show Nov 18 even worse than the first show? I couldn't even watch it.
I don't about the show. My comment is, I fell asleep after about five minutes. :tb-embarrassed: Was it the show or was it just me, don't know. I still say some trains is better than no trains. :tb-smile: See ya ron
I think the production company thinks this is boring. The over the top host, funky camera angles while he is talking, fast cuts, its as if they are struggling to make it more interesting. Thing is, it is interesting. They just need to tone it back and look at making a quality program. Spend more time talking to the people doing the work as well, other than asking them stupid questions. More Ax Men, less "extreme".
I hate to say it, but about 10 minutes is all I could stand and turned off the TV. It's saved on Tivo, so I can fast forward through it at will and mute it. I honestly cannot stand to listen to him. Cheers: Bill
what would have been more appropriate would be to explain the history of intermodal service ... how the stack trains came to be ... but not this crap. on the circus train episode ... what are they going to show us ... how to set up a trapeze?
My 2 y/o LOVES the show!! I liked the BNSF one better but the host has to calm down...or the editing needs help. You just have to keep in mind we are not the target audience!!
My impression of ET Great show but the host is too enthusiastic. Awesome footage and cab ride in second episode of the BNSF freight. The first was cool, loved the Juanita (sp) Shops diagram on the wall. jai
what's the demographic for this show "on the circus train episode ... what are they going to show us ... how to set up a trapeze? " LOL. That was great. I would have liked to seen more of the trip, more talk with the engineer and his thoughts on this trip. BTW--a 7000 foot train is not extreme, just common. Should not be titled Extreme Trains. An extreme train might be an all military train, a train hauling a Very Large Cargo like a transformer. BTw--the editing was not good. went from intermodal to another train several times. Felt sorry for the engineers who had to listen to the moronic host. Needed someone like guy from World's Toughest Fixes. Maybe a voice over show w/o a host and maybe some dialogue w/ the crews. I felt this show could have been 100x better w/ a different host and better editing. I know 10yr olds that would not watch it w/ the host they got. If people can sit through March of the Penguins w/o a host then they could have done this w/o a host.
The most annoying aspect is the "cutsey" camera angles while the host waves his arms. Many shots from the ground. I wondered if the camera man was a little person (Dwarf). The host doesn't need to be so obnoxious. He could talk like a normal person. The subject matter is quite interesting. The show is spoiled by really bad editing and a moronic host. I really looked forward to this show and it seems to be going down hill after a couple of episodes. That said, I would like to see the ratings. They are probably good.
The really sad part, IMHO, is that the series is already "in the can" and there isn't any hope of them improving it prior to airing the rest of the episodes. :tb-mad::thumbs_down:
With all of the negative reviews I've read thus far, if I were an executive at the History Channel reading this, this would be the last train program I'd ever produce. We should be lucky that there's even a program on TV about trains. Actually, you know what's more interesting? The latest and 1000th amateur DVD of a Class I action. Not. I can just see it now: Train enters picture, camera zooms, camera pans, camera cuts to next scene. Repeat ad nauseum.
The intent of this show is to make it more appealing to the general public, hence the host trying to "amp up" the excitement and the title. The History Channel probably figures (correctly) that people interested in railroads will watch the show regardless - the host/title/etc is there to try and draw in the general public. And while some of these things aren't necessarily "extreme" in the railroad community they are to the general public who is usually oblivious to what moves this country. People don't think about it - out of sight, out of mind. They think about the truck next to them on the highway and don't realize that 250 of them move on a single train. Or how 12,000 tons of coal gets to the powerplant - even though there are hundreds of coal trains moving across the country daily. I live in the northeast where there is very little bigtime railroading - remember the host said he maxes out at 40mph in Maine. After college I took a job with the UP at ICTF in the Port of LA/LB so I'm very familiar with the operation shown in this week's program. After a few months my folks (who don't know much about trains) came out for a visit and were totally blown away by the operation and the sheer volume. That kind of stuff is just unheard of where I grew up. So you'll probably see a lot of complaints about the show on most railroad-related boards, but don't expect much of a change if there is a new season of the series.
