Discovery on track with train docuseries
You might not be working on the railroad all the live long day, but those who do aren’t just there to pass the time away.
Some have deadly serious work to do, and television viewers can get an up-close look at the harrowing conditions on Rocky Mountain Railroad, a new docuseries debuting Monday on Discovery.
In it, the camera zooms in on a crew that battles avalanches, giant icicles, rockslides and dangerous wildlife to keep Canada’s critical freight and passenger trains chugging along during the long cold winter months.
The eight-part series features the coast-to-coast Canadian Pacific Railroad and the Ontario Northland Railroad. Below, some facts about the extreme art of wintertime railroad work.
Every day Canadian Pacific’s 12,000-plus employees work to keep their fleet of 1,000 freight trains going.
CP rail officers have the same power as Canadian police. They can arrest people and detain those who are a danger to themselves or the tracks.
Avalanches can take out whole swaths of forest. They can travel up to 300 km/ h.
One cubic metre of ice weighs nearly a ton, meaning ice columns next to a railroad could derail a train or break a rail.
British Columbia’s Connaught Tunnel was built after 50 workers died from an avalanche in the early 1900s. At 8 km long, it’s the longest tunnel in North America and cuts through Mount Mcdonald.
At -25 C, train lengths need to be shortened, so cold weather is actually more challenging than snow.
Ninety-five per cent of grain exports in Canada travel by rail. One cart of grain can be worth as much as $30,000.
Ontario Northland Railway is one of the last flag trains in Canada. This means it will pick up passengers that flag them down as they make their way to or from Moosonee, Ont. ONR transports people and cargo, including kittens, ATVs, construction materials, hunting gear and even coffins.
A broken-down locomotive can cause massive delays and cost thousands of dollars. Locomotive engines can hold up to 15,000 gallons of fuel.