# Railroad Alaska on Destination America



## Drucifer

Who's watching _Railroad Alaska_?

I'm a train enthusiasts, so naturally I had to tune in to see if it was going to be any good.

Well while the Alaska train has a big spot in the weekly show, it is the people they serve that are the stars. Their normal everyday lives are something I would never try to attempt.


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## dpeters11

I didn't know about this one. It seems kind of like Flying Wild Alaska, in some ways. I'll have to check it out.


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## seern

Watched since the first episode and like the way that the interaction between the "off gridders" and the railroad is shown. Also how tough running a railroad in Alaska is overall. D Peters you could think of it as the land based "Flying Wild Alaska". I miss that show.


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## Herdfan

Watched one episode. Not enough trains and too many people who are train wrecks.

Wife and I were curious because when we were in Skagway, AK on display was a huge locomotive with a rotating snow cutter/thrower on the front of it. That is the kind of stuff I wanted to see. Now using the howitzer to start avalanches was cool, but I have seen that several times on IRT.

The couple who "just discovered" they were out of propane was a joke. How about you order some propane when you hook the last tank up, not when you randomly check on the day the camera is there and then freak out. Felt a little sorry for the 40 year old virgin though.


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## Drucifer

Herdfan said:


> Watched one episode. Not enough trains and too many people who are train wrecks.
> 
> Wife and I were curious because when we were in Skagway, AK on display was a huge locomotive with a rotating snow cutter/thrower on the front of it. That is the kind of stuff I wanted to see. Now using the howitzer to start avalanches was cool, but I have seen that several times on IRT.
> 
> *The couple who "just discovered" they were out of propane was a joke.* How about you order some propane when you hook the last tank up, not when you randomly check on the day the camera is there and then freak out. Felt a little sorry for the 40 year old virgin though.


That you can probably blame that on the director who wanted to put urgency into the script and changed the ordinary task to an emergency one. That's the difference between a reality and a documentary program. The director doesn't feel comfortable with ordinary hardships. They want life to be fill with drama moments.

To enjoy the show, you must learn to ignore the director foolishness of making a hard life even more unbelievable with fake emergencies.


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## Herdfan

Drucifer said:


> That you can probably blame that on the director who wanted to put urgency into the script and changed the ordinary task to an emergency one. T


Agreed. It would have been easy enough to create the urgency by simply stating their propane order was due to come that day and that was good because they were almost out. Don't create the stupid "oh I just checked and we better order some" nonsense.


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## dpeters11

I watched the most current episode. I do kind of wonder, how do the young off griders make money? Parents, their oil money from the state, state assistance (which generally can't be used for a lifestyle choice ). Living off grid isn't exactly free.

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## seern

Well, the spouse of the girl who just had the baby, works and is gone a lot during the week. In an earlier show, a friend came by to stay with her, this was before the baby was born.


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## dpeters11

seern said:


> Well, the spouse of the girl who just had the baby, works and is gone a lot during the week. In an earlier show, a friend came by to stay with her, this was before the baby was born.


Ok, nothing like that was in the episode I saw. That's one heck of a commute, even if it's not daily.


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## djlong

I have a dear friend who's considering moving away to Alaska with her high-school sweetheart whom she just reconnected with after 30+ years apart. Trying to tell her how *isolating* that situation can be seems to have no effect on her.


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## trh

All it would take with my wife is the footage of the outhouses most of the off-gridders seem to prefer on the show.


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## Drucifer

djlong said:


> I have a dear friend who's considering moving away to Alaska with her high-school sweetheart whom she just reconnected with after 30+ years apart. Trying to tell her how *isolating* that situation can be seems to have no effect on her.


I would think 98% of Alaskans live near towns and not along a railroad track.


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## Henry

Drucifer said:


> [...]
> 
> To enjoy the show, you must learn to ignore the director foolishness of making a hard life even more unbelievable with fake emergencies.


I agree. After watching Ice Road Truckers for a few seasons, it's easy to see when the directors take a lot of dramatic license. Little difference here. Nonetheless, and as you suggest, putting that in the back of your head, it's still fun and entertaining to watch this show.

I love railroading; I'm envious of off-gridders, and I love Alaskan life and its demanding wilderness. I get some of all of this with this series. Go get 'em, Animal!


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## dpeters11

djlong said:


> I have a dear friend who's considering moving away to Alaska with her high-school sweetheart whom she just reconnected with after 30+ years apart. Trying to tell her how *isolating* that situation can be seems to have no effect on her.


Where in Alaska? I mean, Anchorage has a population around 300,000. 40% of Alaskan residents live there. Plus they have roads that actually leave town and go somewhere. Can't get that in Juneau.


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## njblackberry

Of course you have to ignore the "drama" interjected by the production team. It is nonsense.
I do like this show (I like Railroad shows also). It was shot 8 months ago (a calendar with April was shown) - I wonder how it would play out in December.


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## dpeters11

The last episode was ridiculous on the manufactured drama. I cannot believe that someone could possibly not realize they were low on blood pressure medicine for an entire week.

Good result for the Road Master that was laid off.


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## TheRatPatrol

I wonder what the people who "live off the grid" do for a living, if anything, how do they get money to pay for the propane and diesel fuel? What do they do with their trash?

Insteresting show though.


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## Drucifer

dpeters11 said:


> The last episode was ridiculous on the manufactured drama. I cannot believe that someone could possibly not realize they were low on blood pressure medicine for an entire week.
> 
> Good result for the Road Master that was laid off.


That's possible. As I been there, done that. You go to the cabinet to get the next bottle and then realized you didn't order it. And I got the Internet and email to assist me.


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## gov

Didn't the 'low on propane' couple have wood heat? So the propane is for a generator or stove or something. They aren't going to freeze to death.


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## Carol VanDerMeer

*Will somebody please explain to me what these young "off the gridders" do for income??? Fuel, medical supplies, Machinery, all cost $$$......living the dream life off the grid still requires money....My first guess would be government assistance which kinda' takes the bloom off the rose for these glorified "brave pioneers" !!!!!*


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## dpeters11

If I remember right, the one young guy does go off working for a few weeks at a time.

It also helps that there is no state income or sales tax. Plus, everyone that has lived there for a full year generally gets about $1000+ from oil, including children.


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## Carol VanDerMeer

dpeters11 said:


> If I remember right, the one young guy does go off working for a few weeks at a time.
> 
> It also helps that there is no state income or sales tax. Plus, everyone that has lived there for a full year generally gets about $1000+ from oil, including children.


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## Carol VanDerMeer

Wow.. No state or sales tax.. Everybody gets$1,000. 00 pet year for doing nothing ... I guess Sarah Palin wasn't so dumb after all !!!'


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## sigma1914

They're also paid for the show.


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## Henry

Oh, let's see ... as sigma notes, there's the show money, but other possible sources are working when not filming, seasonal job income, selling fur and other wild things, personal wealth, inherited funds ... I'm sure there are other sources.


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## dpeters11

Carol VanDerMeer said:


> Wow.. No state or sales tax.. Everybody gets$1,000. 00 pet year for doing nothing ... I guess Sarah Palin wasn't so dumb after all !!!'


It's all because of oil. That and extremely large pieces of undeveloped land, very few paved roads outside of cities themselves. I mean, this is the only state in the country that you can't drive to, from anywhere.They used to have a high tax burden. Once the Trans Alaska Pipeline was built in the 70s, things changed.


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## TheRatPatrol

dpeters11 said:


> It's all because of oil. That and extremely large pieces of undeveloped land, very few paved roads outside of cities themselves. I mean, this is the only state in the country that you can't drive to, from anywhere.They used to have a high tax burden. Once the Trans Alaska Pipeline was built in the 70s, things changed.


Its a long a drive but you can drive to it, through Canada, I've done it a few times as I grew up in Alaska. The only place you can't drive to is the state capital.

Alaska Highway info > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Highway

Here is some info on the Permanent Fund program > http://www.apfc.org/home/Content/aboutFund/fundFAQ.cfm


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## dpeters11

Whoops, I missed a word, I meant to say capital. The state you can't drive to is a different one


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## Henry

dpeters11 said:


> Whoops, I missed a word, I meant to say capital. The state you can't drive to is a different one


Hawaii comes to mind.


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## dpeters11

Henry said:


> Hawaii comes to mind.


Yep, only one until Puerto Rico or some territory becomes a state. But roads in Alaska outside of cities are fairly limited.

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## Jaspear

Carol VanDerMeer said:


> Wow.. No state or sales tax.. Everybody gets$1,000. 00 pet year for doing nothing ... I guess Sarah Palin wasn't so dumb after all !!!'


No state sales tax, but many cities and boroughs (counties) have them. In Sarah Palin's Wasilla, the sales tax rate is 3%. The highest is in Kodiak and Wrangell at 7%.


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