I just saw an ad for a show called Railroad Alaska on the Destination America network. Anyone seen an episode?

It's not a bad show ,,just wish there were more trains on it. The show is more about how the people that live there are dependent on the railroad then the trains or railroad itself. Like most TV shows today, it jumps around between a few different stories in each episode instead of focusing on one story at a time. After speaking to someone at work that lived in that area for 30 years, he gave me a little insight on the folks that live there ( one he knew personally ), sadly, nothing he told me is fit to post in this forum. Still it's worth a peek at.

We don't get that channel on Direct TV in our area. Another show I miss is "Tracks Ahead" on PBS. Since we get our local PBS station, Direct won't allow us to subscribe to the national PBS. Our station carried two or three episodes over the summer as fill-ins and that's all I've ever seen. We do get "Trains and Locomotives" on RFDTV, but I'm afraid if Direct finds out what's on there, they may just drop that station just so I won't get any train shows to watch at all.

Don you can watch Tracks Ahead on Hulu on the net, it's free and they usually have 5 or 6 episodes on at a time.

Tyson Rayles Wrote:Don you can watch Tracks Ahead on Hulu on the net, it's free and they usually have 5 or 6 episodes on at a time.

Thanks Mike, I'll give that a shot. I know I can watch programming on Hulu from either my DVR or Blu-ray, but I've never done it. Both are connected to the Internet so I shouldn't have a problem doing it, I just have never thought that I had the need. I guess I should move up into today's way of doing things.

I'll let you know how well I do.

I've watched several Railroad Alaska episodes. In 2012 my wife and I rode Fairbanks-Seward, so naturally we were interested. There are a few interesting segments -- in one, a crew is using a backhoe on a flat to remove ice that's threatening to build up over the rails. However, most of the episodes aren't as good, and in fact they're often silly and condescending toward the off-gridders the line supposedly supports.

In one, a lady takes the (monthly) flag-stop train to visit a friend who's due to have a baby. The lady has her own 6-month baby along. OH, NO!!! She's forgotten BABY FORMULA, and the monthly flag stop train is due in an HOUR!! That's the only way she can get her baby formula, take the monthly train to Talkeetna! Will she make the train???? Oh, be still my heart!!!!! But when she gets to Talkeetna, she buys like two bottles and takes em home in a little paper bag!

Another episode: A 76 year old woman is living off grid with her 84 year old husband. The lady had a stroke last year. OH, NO!!!! She's running out of blood pressure meds!!! The monthly flag stop train is due in an hour!!! Will she make the train to get to Talkeetna to get her meds???? Oh, be still my heart!!!!

You'd think that serious off-gridders wouldn't suddenly run out of baby formula and meds and have to run to Talkeetna to pick up a couple bottles, huh?

There are occasional interesting tidbits of M of W activity, including a segment inside a Jordan spreader in operation.

You know, just about any of those "reality" shows have some sort of drama built in. Take, "Pawn Stars", one episode is about Rick's baldness, another about the Old Man getting a haircut, or Chumly and/or Cory getting in trouble for this or that. Yeah, they have interesting things come in the store, but I can do without the staged drama. They want you to think that Chumly doesn't have two nickles to rub together, but the real rality is that he drives around in a Bently with an entourage. Most everything else is designed to create interest and the drama. "American Pickers" can buy a ton of stuff, then make the next stop and the van is empty. Where does all that go? They have all sorts of trucks and equipment that you don't see. They are not alone, in one shot they panned around and I counted around a dozen people, cameramen, boom operators, lighting people, directors and producers. Hey, this is suppose to be a reality show, what the heck do you need a director or a producer for? :? They make the impression that they are hard pressed to keep the business running ("where are we going to get $20,000 to pay for this?"), but in fact each one is worth well over a million dollars, including the tattoo lady that minds the store.

jwb Wrote:I've watched several Railroad Alaska episodes.
In one, a lady takes the (monthly) flag-stop train to visit a friend who's due to have a baby. The lady has her own 6-month baby along. OH, NO!!! She's forgotten BABY FORMULA, and the monthly flag stop train is due in an HOUR!! That's the only way she can get her baby formula, take the monthly train to Talkeetna! Will she make the train???? Oh, be still my heart!!!!!
Another episode: A 76 year old woman is living off grid with her 84 year old husband. The lady had a stroke last year. OH, NO!!!! She's running out of blood pressure meds!!! The monthly flag stop train is due in an hour!!! Will she make the train to get to Talkeetna to get her meds???? Oh, be still my heart!!!!

( This deserves a "vomiting smilie" )

AND THAT, is why I try to avoid Television, and the unmitigated, mind corrupting, Corporate greed driven, CRAP, that Television was, is, and will always be ! :o
It's also the reason why I do love my hobbies!
There are a few exceptions, like, H2 occasionally has something interesting on. The key word here is "occasionally"

ezdays Wrote:You know, just about any of those "reality" shows have some sort of drama built in. Take, "Pawn Stars", one episode is about Rick's baldness, another about the Old Man getting a haircut, or Chumly and/or Cory getting in trouble for this or that. Yeah, they have interesting things come in the store, but I can do without the staged drama. They want you to think that Chumly doesn't have two nickles to rub together, but the real rality is that he drives around in a Bently with an entourage. Most everything else is designed to create interest and the drama. "American Pickers" can buy a ton of stuff, then make the next stop and the van is empty. Where does all that go? They have all sorts of trucks and equipment that you don't see. They are not alone, in one shot they panned around and I counted around a dozen people, cameramen, boom operators, lighting people, directors and producers. Hey, this is suppose to be a reality show, what the heck do you need a director or a producer for? :? They make the impression that they are hard pressed to keep the business running ("where are we going to get $20,000 to pay for this?"), but in fact each one is worth well over a million dollars, including the tattoo lady that minds the store.

That pretty much describes Storage Wars too

And some of them are better than others. I really enjoyed South Beach Tow and Operation Repo for several seasons, but they're getting repetitious. (How many screaming hookers trying to climb on a car to keep it from being towed can you have in one series?)

Thanks for the reviews from you guys who have seen the show. JWB you had me laughing out loud!

I like the show, but, like others, I wonder how much more you can elaborate on the quirky denizens along that line?

The camera work is pretty good and the Alaskan wilderness offers plenty of gob-smacking scenes albeit covered in thick layers of white on white most of the time.

There have been some decent MOW moments, but they reek of dramatic set-up.

I guess this is on par for most "reality" TV shows, however.

Been watching it, but it's too full of hype and manufactured "crises" to be very worthwhile.

I prefer to watch Trains and Locomotives, which is a documentary series shown weekly on the Farm Channel.

MountainMan Wrote:I prefer to watch Trains and Locomotives, which is a documentary series shown weekly on the Farm Channel.

Always watch that myself and record many of the video's. They've had some really good ones on there. Have tried a couple of times to watch the Railroad Alaska series, but both times quite half way through. Like all of these so-call reality shows, it's all contrived stuff to supposedly add interest. Some of them are so fake, it's a crime!

How about "Extreme Trains"? Pretty good show once you overlooked the host.

Pawn Stars and Storage Wars is two of my favorite "reality" shows.