Anyone else catch the new Modern Marvels - Locomotives last night? It was a good episode of the series. Some hightlights included the steam locos at Strassburg, the EMD plant in Ontario and the dockside locos at the Panama Canal. Pretty neat stuff.
Yes, I caught it. Came on at 9 PM out West. I "marveled" at the French TGV and what was that? 328 MPH!!! And did you notice the catenary looking as though it was going to be dragged along by the draft? And after all that speed, we go to the Strasburgh and a Decapod steaming right along. I always enjoy steam but I'm glad they didn't really get into Acela...especially after the show the French put on. Somebody over on this continent is afraid to say they we weren't "first" with HSR. Studies, studies, studies...that's all I ever hear about. 5 million or 10 million for studies. Let another administration install it. I have ridden trains in other countries and you have to try it. I got my experience in Japan and it was on rail that was only 3 feet 6 inches wide! Not as fast as the French but they've got the U.S. sucking wind. Whomever gets in there on the next election, I hope that they display a bit more common sense.
I caught it by accident... just turned on and there it was. When they were talking about early passenger diesels, there was an extremely brief clip of a Milwaukee Road Erie built. Olympian Hiawatha? Wow! My all time favorite train and that was the first and only time I have ever seen it on film. Very cool. Thought the show was very well done.
J.Star, they were a pleasure to see. I grew up in Seattle where the Hiawatha's would come in, observation car first and then run around for the trip out. I saw the Bi-Polars (and smelled them too - that ozone) and I want you to know, they could snatch a train out of Seattle's Union Station faster than any diesel. The Erie Builts of Milwaukee and also the Union Pacific, called at Union Station.
