Extreme Trains
Encyclopedia
Extreme Trains is a television program on The History Channel
that describes the daily operations of the railroads in the United States of America, from coal trains to passenger trains and famous routes. It is hosted by Matt Bown, a train conductor for Pan Am Railways
in Maine, whose interest is railways and the technology of them, in which Matt is living his lifelong dream.
The series was first aired in the United States
on November 11, 2008 and ran until December 30, 2008. The show has since been shown in the United Kingdom
in April 2009.
recommended the DVD set, with reviewer Lawrence Maxted commending Matt Bown's enthusiasm and "solid job of explaining rail operations." Maxted said the show featured "superb camerawork" and "dramatic background music", adding that the show would be "coveted by rail fans and of interest to general viewers". The Times
called the show "trainspotting for adrenaline junkies" giving railroading a "full-on, hyperbolic treatment". Writing for the Daily News (New York), David Hinckley said Extreme Trains was "not a bad show", but he criticized Bown's hosting style and the focus on technical details. Hinckley said that Bown "borders on self-parody" with his "dramatic inflection" describing "every move to the camera lens". He said the show would be better if Bown would "trust the trains" and not "frame a routine daily coal train run as a life-or-death drama", saying that Bown's tone makes it seem "a miracle any train completes its run at all".
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
that describes the daily operations of the railroads in the United States of America, from coal trains to passenger trains and famous routes. It is hosted by Matt Bown, a train conductor for Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
in Maine, whose interest is railways and the technology of them, in which Matt is living his lifelong dream.
The series was first aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on November 11, 2008 and ran until December 30, 2008. The show has since been shown in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in April 2009.
Conception and development
History Channel program executive said the show was developed to appeal to the channels core audience, who "love to be wowed by big machinery and fun facts". Bown was chosen to host the show after responding to an open-call audition. McKillop said Bown "has a sense of authenticity and a wonderful, boyish enthusiasm...when the camera's on him, he's infectious."Production
The show's producers occasionally had difficulty convincing railroads to participate in the show, due to the possibility of film crews disrupting crews and workers. The show's crew was required to take a special safety course before filming with Amtrak.Broadcast history
| Episode Number | Episode Name | Original Air Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coal Train | November 11, 2008 | Journey of a Norfolk Southern Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada... coal train from a coal mine to a PPL Electric PPL (utility) PPL, formerly known as PP&L or Pennsylvania Power and Light, is an energy company headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. It currently controls about 19,000 megawatts of electrical generating capacity in the United States, primarily in Pennsylvania and Montana, and delivers electricity to... power station in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
| 2 | Freight Train | November 18, 2008 | High priority freight train from Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... to Dallas/Fort Worth |
| 3 | High Speed Train | November 25, 2008 | Riding the Acela train from Union Station (Washington) to South Station South Station South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern... (Boston) |
| 4 | Ice Cold Express | December 2, 2008 | A look into refrigeration Refrigeration Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means... trains |
| 5 | Steam Train | December 9, 2008 | A journey with the Union Pacific 844 Union Pacific 844 Union Pacific 844 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive owned by Union Pacific Railroad. It was the last steam locomotive delivered to Union Pacific and is unique in that it is the only steam locomotive never retired by a North American Class I railroad.... steam locomotive Steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine... |
| 6 | Overnight Traveller | December 16, 2008 | Riding Amtrak's Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union... Empire Builder Empire Builder The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before... train from Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... to Seattle |
| 7 | Circus Train | December 23, 2008 | The circus train from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses... |
| 8 | Transcontinental | December 30, 2008 | The Union Pacific Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman.... Transcontinental First Transcontinental Railroad The First Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1863 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad that connected its statutory Eastern terminus at Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska The First... line from Omaha to Sacramento |
Reception
Extreme Trains received mixed reviews from critics. Library JournalLibrary Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
recommended the DVD set, with reviewer Lawrence Maxted commending Matt Bown's enthusiasm and "solid job of explaining rail operations." Maxted said the show featured "superb camerawork" and "dramatic background music", adding that the show would be "coveted by rail fans and of interest to general viewers". The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
called the show "trainspotting for adrenaline junkies" giving railroading a "full-on, hyperbolic treatment". Writing for the Daily News (New York), David Hinckley said Extreme Trains was "not a bad show", but he criticized Bown's hosting style and the focus on technical details. Hinckley said that Bown "borders on self-parody" with his "dramatic inflection" describing "every move to the camera lens". He said the show would be better if Bown would "trust the trains" and not "frame a routine daily coal train run as a life-or-death drama", saying that Bown's tone makes it seem "a miracle any train completes its run at all".