"Extreme Trains" TV show on Acela

[access bob]

Well, they never called it a "bullet train"
And we only called it that because the 0 series looked like one:

That's not entirely true. The original project name for the Shinkansen (新幹線, meaning "New Trunk Line") was "daggan ressha" (弾丸列車, meaning "Bullet Train"), so named for both the appearance and the speed of the train. Since the "0" Series lasted for nearly 20 years without major modification, the moniker stuck. Almost all Shinkansen in Japan have an aerodynamic shaped nose. Most are now the duck nose. The 300 series "storm trooper" wasn't aerodynamic nor bullet shaped (oldest JR design in service). No one knows how that guy got into service... :huh:

Note on the de-nationalization of Japan's state-run rail service. As mentioned, only the 100-series Shinkansen was developed under the old JNR - nearly 20 years after Shinkansen started. Not gonna mention the 200, 'cause it has nearly the same shell as the "0". After privatization, now in its 20th year, JR has introduced 12 new models, and managed to turn a profit.

couple quick notes.

. last "0" series shinkansen was finally withdrawn from service on JR west just last week on 30 Nov 2008 (44 years of service!!!)

. the 300 series has what I think the nicest looking nose profile, not sure how "aerodynamic" it actually was but I liked it, sure beats the "pregnant guppy" MAX

. JR only turns a profit on opperations of the Shinkansen, the Gov still finances the capitol construction. (and when you conrsider the costs of competing services the high price is actually competitive) nothing like an old narrow guage train to actually save money though.. the trip from Tokyo-to (Ueano) to Takasaki (my most common trip) is less than half the cost on conventional as is on Shinkansen.

hope they eventually get the Shinkansen all the way to Sapporo thru the Sieken tunnel now that will be a trip.

Bob

 

[Steve4031]

Some day . . . Im gonna get over to Japan and ride all of the bullet train lines. I wonder what green class is like? When I last looked at rail pass prices, I would probably have gone for that.

 

[spacecadet]

Some day . . . Im gonna get over to Japan and ride all of the bullet train lines. I wonder what green class is like? When I last looked at rail pass prices, I would probably have gone for that.

Having looked in the cars (but not ridden one), they seem to be basically like Amtrak business class, but with a center arm rest. They do still have a real cloth hair protector thing, though.

Not all green cars are 2+1 like I said, though; in fact most may not be. I've seen them both ways but 2+2 seems more common. Still, there's a good amount of seat pitch.

Most Japanese I've talked to think green cars are not worth it - they always seem pretty lightly occupied when I've seen them. But I think the fairly small price difference on the rail pass (which is only available to foreigners) makes it more worth it.

 

[Steve4031]

That lightly occupied part is a key aspect. I don't like having people jammed up on me if I can avoid it. I know that Japan is crowded, and have no problem with that. A lightly filled train car allows the opportunity to move from one seat to another to check out the scenery.

 

[MattW]

I hope that host realizes he set railroading back a few years with that--
"Oh my God I can't believe how powerful this thing is!!"

You been working round trains your entire life-- I have a VERY had time believing you find any of what you're doing in the least bit surprising, impressed, maybe.

Although I have to admit it was a little funny to see him keep derailing in the simulator... heheh

The best I can tell the railroad he works on shuffles a few cars along at very low speeds with and outdated diesel that has maybe 2000hp so being in an Acela pulling 6 cars with 2 6000hp locos is probably very different to him, although I agree he's still over the top. At least he's not half-dead like most History Channel hosts.

Actually, I looked it up. He works on Pan Am Railways which is a class II like FEC, Montana Rail Link etc. More than a pair of 2000 horsepower diesels shuttling a few carloads back and forth every few days at low speeds.

 

[AAARGH!]

I don't mind the digressions to SteamTown as much, but heck, I would rather see an entire episode devoted to Steam Town. I get the idea they shot for more episodes than they ended up being asked to produce, so I think the SteamTown episode may have had to get chopped up and spread out. The series is great from the standpoint that we don't get series devoted to the topic much, but I can't help but think it could be done so it was a little more accessible and not as staccato in flow.
Rafi

I watched this week's episode on the UP Produce Express from Washington state to PA. Again they were at SteamTown. I agree; they were going to have an entire episode on steam trains, but ended up splitting it up as filler.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I don't mind the digressions to SteamTown as much, but heck, I would rather see an entire episode devoted to Steam Town. I get the idea they shot for more episodes than they ended up being asked to produce, so I think the SteamTown episode may have had to get chopped up and spread out. The series is great from the standpoint that we don't get series devoted to the topic much, but I can't help but think it could be done so it was a little more accessible and not as staccato in flow.
Rafi

I watched this week's episode on the UP Produce Express from Washington state to PA. Again they were at SteamTown. I agree; they were going to have an entire episode on steam trains, but ended up splitting it up as filler.

Though this episode I watched the credits and prieveiws very carefully- and I did see him standing at the front of a P42.. I assume that means he's gonna take a trip on a Superliner?

 

[MattW]

Yea, the Southwest Chief if I remember the show schedule correctly.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Yea, the Southwest Chief if I remember the show schedule correctly.

I would have preferred the EB, but I'll take what Amtrak can get.

No doubt the journey we have all made, collectivley, thousands of times will suddenly become EXTREMEEEEE!!!

 

[VentureForth]

Some day . . . Im gonna get over to Japan and ride all of the bullet train lines. I wonder what green class is like? When I last looked at rail pass prices, I would probably have gone for that.

Having looked in the cars (but not ridden one), they seem to be basically like Amtrak business class, but with a center arm rest. They do still have a real cloth hair protector thing, though.

Not all green cars are 2+1 like I said, though; in fact most may not be. I've seen them both ways but 2+2 seems more common. Still, there's a good amount of seat pitch.

Most Japanese I've talked to think green cars are not worth it - they always seem pretty lightly occupied when I've seen them. But I think the fairly small price difference on the rail pass (which is only available to foreigners) makes it more worth it.

I agree. The 100-series green car I rode was 2+2 with more pitch. But, frankly, the pitch for the average Japanese Joe-san is not that bad in coach. As far as I can remember, and I think it's still this way, reserved coach and unreserved coach on the Shinkansen is the same configuration. Note that reserved over there really means a reserved SEAT. Not just the promise for a seat. Unreserved means that you may or may not get a seat. Though technically, there are no provisions for standing on the shinkansen, it does happen - particularly in May and August during major holidays.

Sad to hear that the last "0" is gone. I actually remember a sort of cafe car on those old runs in the early 80s. I knew they had dining cars, too... I can't remember if those old, original trainsets had lavatories that opened up to the track. I know that the regular limited expresses did, but I can't remember the Shinkansen.

Any one have any idea what sort of rerun schedule Extreme Trains is going to have?

 

[spacecadet]

I agree. The 100-series green car I rode was 2+2 with more pitch. But, frankly, the pitch for the average Japanese Joe-san is not that bad in coach. As far as I can remember, and I think it's still this way, reserved coach and unreserved coach on the Shinkansen is the same configuration.

Maybe now it is; it didn't seem to be when I've compared them. When I rode unreserved in 2000 (the one time I've done it), my knees were pressed against the seat in front of me. When I've ridden reserved, I've had about 8 inches of free space in front of me.

Either that, or it's a difference between train types or service. The time I rode unreserved was on a 100 series Kodama train. I've ridden reserved on 300 and 700 series Nozomi trains. I could see Nozomi being treated more like a long-distance trains, with Kodama service being configured more for commuters.

Edit: according to byun byun shinkansen, the 100 series trains had shorter pitch originally, so maybe that was my experience. However, it does also say that some trains have 3+2 seating in non-reserved cars and 2+2 in reserved cars, so the configuration isn't always the same between them. The seat pitch is now apparently standardized at 1040mm, though, which Google tells me is 41 inches.

 

[had8ley]

The only thing I find extreme about this show is the host. Besides his booming voice, is he riding the high iron for the first time? I have NEVER, in over 40 years, seen a set of wheels, or trucks, changed underneath a main line train unless a bearing broke and the journal dropped but never any scalloped wheels until now. They make it look easy to do but the wheel change process takes a long time, delays a lot of other trains (especially in single track territory) and the track side conditions are not always as perfect as in the show. All in all, I would say that our host is what we called an 'accidental train buff"~ he just happened along at the right time to get a RR job.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

The only thing I find extreme about this show is the host. Besides his booming voice, is he riding the high iron for the first time? I have NEVER, in over 40 years, seen a set of wheels, or trucks, changed underneath a main line train unless a bearing broke and the journal dropped but never any scalloped wheels until now. They make it look easy to do but the wheel change process takes a long time, delays a lot of other trains (especially in single track territory) and the track side conditions are not always as perfect as in the show. All in all, I would say that our host is what we called an 'accidental train buff"~ he just happened along at the right time to get a RR job.

He said he's a conductor-- he sounds like he may be a decent conductor for something like a scenic RR.

I can't see any union would let that guy be a conductor.

 

[had8ley]

The only thing I find extreme about this show is the host. Besides his booming voice, is he riding the high iron for the first time? I have NEVER, in over 40 years, seen a set of wheels, or trucks, changed underneath a main line train unless a bearing broke and the journal dropped but never any scalloped wheels until now. They make it look easy to do but the wheel change process takes a long time, delays a lot of other trains (especially in single track territory) and the track side conditions are not always as perfect as in the show. All in all, I would say that our host is what we called an 'accidental train buff"~ he just happened along at the right time to get a RR job.

He said he's a conductor-- he sounds like he may be a decent conductor for something like a scenic RR.

I can't see any union would let that guy be a conductor.

I heard there's a vacancy for a conductor at the Baton Rouge zoo train. He just might fill the bill.

Unless something really "extreme" shows up I'll not tune in and IF I do the volume will be at 0.

 

[dan72]

Yea, the Southwest Chief if I remember the show schedule correctly.

I would have preferred the EB, but I'll take what Amtrak can get.

No doubt the journey we have all made, collectivley, thousands of times will suddenly become EXTREMEEEEE!!!

Yeah, I can just hear him now:

"This is Raton Pass...LOOK! It's Dick Wooton's Ranch! And the Colorado/New Mexico Border and the RATON TUNNEL!!!! This is AMAZING! And now, we're in Apache Canyon where the rock face is just INCHES form our windows. THIS IS EXTREEME!!" :blink:

His enthusiasm is nice, but he really needs to lay off the crack just a bit... :lol:

Dan

 

[dan72]

The only thing I find extreme about this show is the host. Besides his booming voice, is he riding the high iron for the first time? I have NEVER, in over 40 years, seen a set of wheels, or trucks, changed underneath a main line train unless a bearing broke and the journal dropped but never any scalloped wheels until now. They make it look easy to do but the wheel change process takes a long time, delays a lot of other trains (especially in single track territory) and the track side conditions are not always as perfect as in the show. All in all, I would say that our host is what we called an 'accidental train buff"~ he just happened along at the right time to get a RR job.

He said he's a conductor-- he sounds like he may be a decent conductor for something like a scenic RR.

I can't see any union would let that guy be a conductor.

If the looks the engineers are giving him on some of the trains he's ridden on are any indication, I would suspect most really want to SMACK him!

Dan

 

[chuljin]

I'm watching tonight's episode right now. It's about UP's Frontier Days train, pulled by the enormous 844, which, even for someone like me with no interest in steam trains, is most impressive. I especially like the water tank car behind the engine, and its 24 (? 28?) wheels.

Unusually for a passenger train, it's not having trouble with UP freight interference.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I'm watching tonight's episode right now. It's about UP's Frontier Days train, pulled by the enormous 844, which, even for someone like me with no interest in steam trains, is most impressive. I especially like the water tank car behind the engine, and its 24 (? 28?) wheels.
Unusually for a passenger train, it's not having trouble with UP freight interference.

I found him to be more annoying than ever in this episode.

"Three toots means move out of the way-- suckas..."

 

[HP_Lovecraft]

I especially like the water tank car behind the engine.

I thought that was the an oil tank? (runs on oil instead of coal).

I was a bit confused by the consist, so I looked it up:

UP 844

UPP 81x (auxiliary tender)

UP 6936 (World's coolest diesel helper)

UPP 6334 Art Lockman (tool & support car)

UPP 209 Howard Fogg (Generator car)

UPP 2066 (Generator car. Dig that hunchback! Holy cow!)

UPP 119 Kenefick (biz car)

UPP 100 St. Louis (biz car, platform forward)

UPP 7011 Missouri River Eagle (Dome Diner)

UPP 8004 Colorado Eagle (Dome Diner)

UPP 5486 City of Salina (Coach)

UPP 5473 Portland Rose (Coach)

UPP 5480 Sunshine Special (Coach)

UPP 7015 Challenger (Dome)

UPP 5818 Sherman Hill (Concession car)

UPP 5769 (baggage car with flag decal on side. Named Council Bluffs, but I didn’t see it)

UPP 5468 Katy Flyer (Coach)

UPP 5483 Texas Eagle (Coach)

UPP 7001 Columbine (Dome)

UPP 5011 City of Denver (Diner)

UPP 4808 City of Los Angeles (Diner)

UPP 8008 City of Portland (Dome Diner)

UPP 208 (Generator car)

UPP 9005 Walter Dean (Dome Lounge)

UPP 9009 City of San Francisco (Dome Lounge)

UPP 103 Cheyenne (Biz car)

 

[VT Hokie]

"Three toots means move out of the way-- suckas..."

LOL...I find it amusing! :lol:

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

As much as he likes to compare steam to diesel, I'm surprised he didn't talk about the DD40 "helper" and at least explain why is was there for the pedestrian viewer who might otherwise be confused. At least we got a quick walk through of some of the cars. I understand UP bends over backwards to make sure that fleet is PERFECT inside and out.

And the yellow tender originally ran with steam before being converted to a tender for one of the Gas Turbines.

 

[had8ley]

I understand UP bends over backwards to make sure that fleet is PERFECT inside and out.

Yeah, you're right~I've either been in or ridden on most of these cars. They are truly magnificent and are museum quality. For the volume of pax they deserve an A plus for keeping the cars in such excellent shape. You could eat off the floor of any one of them including the tool car; I have never seen the first sign of rust on any of this equipment. The domes may not get washed on the EB but they do every night on a UP biz train .

 

[sky12065]

I'm watching tonight's episode right now. It's about UP's Frontier Days train, pulled by the enormous 844, which, even for someone like me with no interest in steam trains, is most impressive. I especially like the water tank car behind the engine, and its 24 (? 28?) wheels.
Unusually for a passenger train, it's not having trouble with UP freight interference.

I found him to be more annoying than ever in this episode.

"Three toots means move out of the way-- suckas..."

And I always thought that three toots mean't too many baked beans the night before! :huh:

 

[dan72]

I see that next week is the EB to Seattle...

Yeah, I would like to have learned more about the diesel as part of the consist as well.

I have to give UP credit, they are second to none when it comes to historical preservation.

 

[sechs]

Maybe they could move past these historical tracks they run on....