Supertrain

[Mudkip Orange]

New York to Los Angeles... in only 36 hours!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Omp5-8vZY

[quinntopia]

Wow.  Painful on so many levels.....

[disturbman]

Ouch! That's a very bad movie. At the begining, I thought I was looking at a bad rail-spin-off of the Loveboat.

 

 

 

[bikkuri bahn]

Ouch! That's a very bad movie.

 

Very true.  But one of the first lines uttered in the movie is certainly (and sadly) true even now, some 30(!) years later:

"...the pitiful state of rail passenger travel in this country today..."

 

Unfortunately, I'm afraid a good number of Americans, being either ignorant or just plain provincial, associate HSR with this imaginary turkey- a superliner on steroids ("nuclear powered steam turbine") running on a track that makes the Great Western broad gauge look like the toonerville trolley. And don't get me started on train staff drinking on the job, sheesh...

[Mudkip Orange]

Ouch! That's a very bad movie.

 

Very true.  But one of the first lines uttered in the movie is certainly (and sadly) true even now, some 30(!) years later:

"...the pitiful state of rail passenger travel in this country today..."

 

Unfortunately, I'm afraid a good number of Americans, being either ignorant or just plain provincial, associate HSR with this imaginary turkey- a superliner on steroids ("nuclear powered steam turbine") running on a track that makes the Great Western broad gauge look like the toonerville trolley. And don't get me started on train staff drinking on the job, sheesh...

 

I will say this, neither Shinkansen nor ICE nor TGV has orange shag carpeting, leggy dancing girls, or a bangin' disco soundtrack. If Supertrain was real, I'd ride it....

[westfalen]

The CEO in his smoke filled, wood paneled boardroom looked like he could have been planning the Union Pacific in 1860, another railroad stereotype.

 

Most movies and TV shows about trains end up like this, a real railroading is so boring to most people it would keep the average viewers attention for two minutes.

[disturbman]

Maybe in the US, in France there is very popular show about trains... and their surroundings. In fact, it's mostly about travel but the story line is allways centered on an unbelievable train. Like the Trans-Canadian or the Train to Macu-Pichu.

[Mudkip Orange]

I think it has more to do with the limited imagination of Hollywood.

[Guest ___]

ee your Super train and up you one bus. One big bus.

 

[Guest ___]

I see your Super train and up you one bus. One big bus.

The prophecy has been fulfilled!

[Mudkip Orange]

Did you just misquote yourself... while replying... to yourself?

[Guest ___]

No, I added the real life version of the movie bus afterward.

[westfalen]

I think he means

 

ee your Super train and up you one bus. One big bus.

 

I see your Super train and up you one bus. One big bus.

 

Notice how the guys in the Big Bus clip are saluting like Japanese railroad workers.

[marknewton]

See your Super train and up you one bus. One big bus.

 

LOL! I'd forgotten about that. A very funny movie - I love the running gag about cannibalism. And Stockard Channing was HOT!

 

(Then again, she still is.  )

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[David]

No, I added the real life version of the movie bus afterward.

 

Except the Jumbocruiser doesn't need a nuclear power plant to drive it.

[marknewton]

Pah! If the Jumbocruiser isn't nuclear-powered, what good is it? 

 

Cheers,

 

(Glow-in -the-dark) Mark

[Mudkip Orange]

Pah! If the Jumbocruiser isn't nuclear-powered, what good is it?   

 

Cheers,

 

(Glow-in -the-dark) Mark

 

As long as it has a bangin' disco soundtrack it's good by me.

[Guest ___]

No, I added the real life version of the movie bus afterward.

 

Except the Jumbocruiser doesn't need a nuclear power plant to drive it.

 

With what gas costs these days, one might need to fund it with nuke power.

[KenS]

A large and increasing portion of Japan's electricity comes from nuclear power (I've seen numbers as high as 31% from Tokyo Electric (PDF) as of 2002, although Wikipedia is much more conservative). So you could say that Japan already has nuclear-powered trains. 

[disturbman]

France for sure allready has nuclear-powered trains. To say the least, with 78% of France's electricity coming nuclear power, french people are well know for using little radioactive atoms to sweeten their coffee. Yes, we glow in the dark. 

[marknewton]

As long as it has a bangin' disco soundtrack it's good by me.

 

I can't say I share your enthusiasm for a "bangin' disco soundtrack". I'm a pub rock sort of bloke. 

 

But in truth, I've always regarded buses as a very inferior form of travel, so no matter what the soundtrack I'd still rather travel by train.

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

[Mudkip Orange]

Yeah, I'd probably choose a train even if it was the "Rick Astley Express"

[marknewton]

 

You must be a glutton for punishment!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Guest ___]

LEt me restate by nuke-powered, but stating it carries it's power generation method on-board.

[Mudkip Orange]

This thread will never die...