Freight Trains: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver discusses freight trains and railroads, how they’ve put profits over safety, and, crucially, what shows he watched as a child that explain…everything.
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[@Linky609]

Freight conductor here, thank you for highlighting corporate greed's utter destruction of this once great job/industry. The railroads do everything they can to keep things in house and out of the public eye. Please people, with all the support for striking unions remember to support rail workers should we decide to walk out.

[@Merrsharr]

I may be misremembering, but I vaguely recall qualified rail workers (drivers, brake, signal and switch operators, etc.) to be on the list of professions that qualify for a Blue Card to immigrate to the EU more easily.

[@hypocritetrollbot7729]

Profits >>>>>>> Lives of the people

[@icantollie]

How are y'all going to walk out when y'all are required to schedule your time off on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays months in advance and in such a way that your time off is staggered between that of other conductors

[@Linky609]

@icantollie it's called a wildcat strike, the likelihood of it happening is incredibly slim as the union heads said they wouldn't support it.

[@kagitsune]

Didn't congress keep you from striking last year? The fact that John's team didn't even mention this is egregious!

[@heyheytaytay]

I love how the vast majority of problems highlighted by this show are a direct result of nothing but corporate greed.

[@Czechbound]

Well, it's really the personal greed and insecurity of the CEO. And they are usually the Chairman also, so there is nobody to put the brakes ( ahem ) on them.

[@poindextertunes]

in every fkn industry

[@spookeymo]

@@Czechboundits more of a systemic greed i think, most of those who climb a bit higher up the ladder stop caring about individuals and start thinking in numbers, deals and opportunities

[@Czechbound]

@@spookeymo Nope. A "system" isn't greedy. Only people are greedy. Peace and love

[@spookeymo]

@@Czechbound with peace and love, the entire system is built to encourage greed

[@VivaRevolucionDGS]

Topping it off with Matt Berry narrating a "Henry the Train" story....the mot juste. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

[@Blizzard-kf3qm]

If they would’ve got Ringo Starr to narrate, it would’ve been a masterpiece.

[@taimatsuko]

I adore Matt Berry

[@kristyandcowreact]

Omg I just wrote to ask if it was him! Lol I don't know how in the world I could have doubted it. 😂😂😂

[@Volvagia1927]

Late, but "Henry was so sad. Sir Topham Hatt had blood on his hands" is...amazing.

[@SajarErbraTerof]

I'm from Québec in Canada and the Mégantic accident was horrible. Thank you for talking about it in a respectful way. So many persons die, it happen at night... years later and they are still reluctant to move the track outside of the town. 😵

[@curpipe6]

That incident left a mark, quite literally. There's a before and after Lac Mégantic, all over the province.. For those unaware, the sketch pretty much sums up what happened there..

[@AD-df5tm]

Yeah, its actually even worse than he made it seem. Its absolutely horrific.

[@DB-gr7ch]

More lies. The governments of Canada and Quebec had jointly relaxed the operating rules specifically to assist the financailly dire MM&A to continue operating(*). They ran that train with the single crew member they were then allowed, and he had been working for 18 straight hours and didn't set the brakes adequately that night. ------------------ * fun coincidence: The Quebec provincial pension fund owned a 13% ownership stake in that very same, near-bankrupt railway when those operating rules were relaxed. Weird, hey?

[@bobzelley5100]

I watched the utube of this trai derailment when it first game out . The wheel bearing overheated , the handbrake wasn't on right , the finger pointing . The story about the couples in the brewpub

[@ihavegymnastics]

It was fucking awful.... :(

[@normanozwald]

As an avid Thomas fan, I cannot appreciate enough the immense amount of work your team did to bring us back the old Thomas style I remember watching as a kid. Bravo and well done!

[@Josbird]

It was so good

[@JBC352]

I especially liked the behind the scenes at the end

[@evanjs3117]

They did so well that at first I thought it was original show footage they just dubbed over. When it became clear they did it themselves I was blown away and couldn't believe how long it kept going.

[@GordonChil]

I love that it was narrated by Matt Berry.

[@TexRobNC]

Shout out to Matt Berry for a brilliant narration, and to whomever cast him

[@wesdogg_]

I will always appreciate how there's never a single advertisement for Last Week Tonight videos. Thank you!!

[@brandonayong5823]

If last week tonight was all there was on KZbin everyone would have KZbin prenium for free 😂

[@isaacbrown4506]

It's most likely permanent demonetization as soon as the channel was made

[@boondogglet132]

John oliver saying in the middle of his segment "this episode is brought to you by raid shadow legends. its a game i have been playing for a while now...."🤣

[@lizbrown6943]

Ads are if money is needed. HBO doesn't need ads. It wants clicks. That is how advertising works. Pay networks uses your payment for operations.

[@joostvhts]

​@@isaacbrown4506death penalty throwback

[@chriscmu2002]

My uncle died working for Burlington Northern (was crushed by train doors dropped on him). Much appreciated show John and crew.

[@michalandrejmolnar3715]

That's horrible! Hope you will see justice some day!

[@BornKafir]

​@@michalandrejmolnar3715lol ❤😂

[@alexhajnal107]

SAFETY PSA: If your car stalls on the tracks immediately call the phone number printed on the crossing gate box. That will connect you directly with the railroad dispatcher. They will be able to immediately set the signals to red. DO NOT call 911 first; that will only slow things down.

[@thebobbrom7176]

If your car stalls on the tracks I would have thought the first thing you should do is leave the car and go somewhere safe Unless there's a reason you can't do that in the US

[@dequavisjones4869]

Lol here in ks those little signs fall down and no one fixs them. Surely the non stop 50 mph wind won't tear shit apart

[@JohnSmithShields]

​@thebobbrom7176 unless you have the number on speeddial you'll have to get out to find out the number.

[@eragonawesome]

​@@thebobbrom7176 you get out of the car and call the number on the box to prevent a train from hitting your now-empty car

[@SilverMe2004]

@@thebobbrom7176 lol imagine if your car stalling on the tracks was so common that you have the number stored in your phone

[@Moyoanais]

The sheer amount of work that went into doing that last animation makes me once again feel amazed at the commitment of the team to produce high-quality work week after week. I love this.

[@Lodrik18]

stop motion capture...

[@dorongrossman-naples9207]

It was also an impressively faithful recreation of the writing style of the original Thomas the Tank Engine TV show.

[@amishrobots]

yeah, the whole time watching it, I was wondering what sort of clever editing, or cgi they used to make it look so good, only to find out what I should have guessed: they actually just did it the old school way, and that's awesome!

[@frostfang1]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the Scranton train thing. I'm sure being on his team has to be thrilling and terrifying in equal measures, really no idea what kind of diverse projects you are gonna be working on.

[@danbsports6760]

And so great to show the people and their effort that went in to making it. Very nice ending.

[@n3rdi3n82]

As a conductor they don't mention the fatigue, lack of appropriate accommodations, poor working conditions, and just how dangerous it is for the employee. Not to mention Class 1 railroads mass hire and mass layoff every 2 to 4 months

[@livingcorpse5664]

That means the problem is even worse than what they were saying and there is too much to cover. They might even revisit this issue like they have with others.

[@chealsem]

Yes! I'm sick of crappy hotels infested with bedbugs and roaches. I'm sick of sitting in that crappy hotel for 40hours! And how about those van drivers?! That's the most dangerous part of the job. Well ... That and the noobies that didn't get enough training and were accepted with felony records.

[@KLondike5]

The amount of companies that rely on intentional turnover as a strategy really needs to be fixed as there seems to be no job category that doesn't suffer from this these days. Problem one always seems to be that we allowed companies to get way too big.

[@dannydaw59]

Are you covered by a union? If so that's a weak corrupt union.

[@AC-ro6ib]

@@chealsem I worked for UP. I remember staying in hotels with roaches, rats, mold, prostitutes, beds that smelled like urine, and front-desk girls who would offer their "services". One of my buddies got stung by a scorpion while sleeping in one of the hotels. A f*cking scorpion.

[@demonicdragon09]

Grown Up Thomas Fandom member here. That skit was amazing. I knew Thomas was going to get mentioned at some point, but I was not expecting the full model skit at the end. Amazing work as always John. If this ever gets animated by someone in the Thomas fan story youtube community (and the video isn't taken down by HBO or Mattel), that would be absolutely amazing.

[@KCH55]

As dark as I was as a child I would have loved this. I still do. It gives me a robot chicken but smarter vibes.

[@Whiteythereaper]

​@KCH55 I was about to say the same lmao, really hit the Robot Chicken vibe with the derailment. Reminded me of the Thomas gets hijacked one

[@tristanexists1806]

The Thomas Fandom aren't grown up, they act like annoying little brats

[@demonicdragon09]

@@tristanexists1806 Really? How so?

[@martinst-louis5475]

Merci d'avoir parlé de Lac-Mégantic. Ce fut un immense drame et on va s'en rappeler toujours.

[@girafarig7859]

That thomas style short at the end was actuallu really incredible. Shout out to the people who made all those little sets, especially the crash site at the end. The attention to detail was amazing

[@brandonwei2430]

Pretty sure this was 3d rendered

[@radekchrabota]

​@@brandonwei2430you can literally see them making the sets at the end???

[@haniyasu8236]

Yeah, I was gonna say... seems like they custom 3D-printed the faces (and maybe the models too), really high effort for such a small part of an episode

[@haniyasu8236]

@@brandonwei2430 You can see the layer lines on Henry's face at 25:00. Definitely custom 3D printed and painted.

[@SilverFeet]

I would like to point out that they did let that train out on the next episode

[@DolphinInvasion]

As a railway worker in the US, thank you for this absolutely well done story and bringing more attention to how far our industry is falling.

[@frankgrabasse4642]

They didn't even mention the large number of hazmat cars they can carry before it becomes "hazardous"

[@scopie49]

@@frankgrabasse4642 As much as any talk show or podcast discusses how bad the railroad has become it NEVER goes far enough to really hammer home the problems. The problem is that even this video was 27 minutes long and barely scratched the surface. You could spend a few hours documenting just the most recent train derailments. Could spend days or weeks discussing the nuance and the examples. Could have months worth of interviews with railroad employees because for every one that makes it into a late night show like this there are a thousand more stories to be told.

[@bperk3253]

​@@scopie49@dolphininvasion we had a 212 car UP train coming to pass us as we were sitting in a siding. They had a hot bearing on a detector so my conductor offered to check it for them. They told us their paperwork said empty flat car. It was a fucking loaded TIH car. Dispatcher ended up telling them to keep going to the yard 30 miles down the road maximum authorized track speed.

[@scopie49]

@@bperk3253 Is TIH inhalation hazard? Because I deal with those and they're scary as hell to be around even when they're empty cars. Blasting an extreme hazmat car on mainline at trackspeed is just death waiting to happen. And I've been saying it for over a decade. The ONLY reason the railroad hasn't killed more people is solely due to luck. That's it. In the last year we've had at least two close calls in my area where had one thing been slightly different we'd have 4 dead crew members on trains. Pure luck. Had multiple catastrophic derailments that landed in like a desert or something where no one got hurt. One just a couple months ago killed a driver on the highway. Crushed him. "How many people will die before we enact change?" The real question is how many people have already died and we've done nothing so far.

[@bperk3253]

@@scopie49 yes toxic inhalation hazard. I think they told the DS it was empty but we thought for sure it was loaded. It raised the question of why don't they have the paperwork on it. This was like a week after e Palestine and people at the crossing were honking.. little did they know we were doing what that e pal crew didn't due to detectors

[@bagle02]

I loved seeing the conditions the freight railroad workers are under being brought to light. My mom has worked for the railroad since i was 4 years old, and the “choosing between work and their families” was something very relevant in my childhood. It gives for a pretty unstable home life when a parent is constantly exhausted and miserable. They deserve better. Thank you for doing a piece on this.

[@user-wh5ir4fo4r]

I never had any idea. My grandfather worked on the railroads but that was at least 70 years ago. Maybe the Greatest Gen just saw that as normal after the war. Their kids and grandkids have woken up to the dangers of burnout.

[@ArcaneSnowflake]

i remember being stunned to silence when i saw videos of the Lac-mégantic disaster. it was terrifying. still makes me tear up thinking about the devastation that day

[@KhordLizardMage]

I think the staff had WAY too much fun making their version of Henry the Bomb Train and I LOVED it!!!!!!!

[@puppykitty6100]

Their "skits" are usually the worst part with their "star-studded" (yawn) cast. But this, this was creative comedic platinum.

[@mattconw]

And Matthew Berry too!

[@Theology.101]

@@puppykitty6100this is the most bot comment im ever seen

[@wuzittooya]

​@@puppykitty6100 Who the fuck writes out (yawn) and expects to be taken seriously 💀💀💀

[@canuckdave3397]

As a retired locomotive engineer with over 36 years of experience, I can say this video is 100 % accurate. During the last 3 years of my career, the evil overlord Hunter took over CP, where I worked. It is absolutely astounding how one person could cause so much misery all over Canada and the US. I wish that the video was full exaggeration, but it isn't. In fact, it isn't long enough to cover all things that need to be addressed. I will summarize by saying that after 36 years of operating trains, you couldn't give me a free home alongside a railway right of way. Thanks, John, for telling the truth about the industry and what my brothers and sisters who are still working endure . The public should be actively trying to change things for their own safety.

[@moroteseoinage]

Hunter Harrison was the best thing that happened to railroads. Before there was so much waste. There still is. In Australia there are unmanned trains. And most mechanical, signal, and track work could be done by contractors instead of ineffective/inefficient union “workers.” Unions and the NTSB/FRA have been holding back the profitability for far too long.

[@Enderc14]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@moroteseoinagethe point of those agencies is to protect people you are quite literally saying we should sacrifice uncountable lives just for a slight profit.

[@jonathangwynne1917]

​@moroteseoinage , attitudes like yours are are not just "part of the problem"... they are the very source of the problem . The naivete of assuming that regulations and unions are part of the problem and that for-profit corporations have the best interests of the public at heart is dangerous.

[@moroteseoinage]

@@jonathangwynne1917 found the communist

[@johnchambers8528]

Thanks for such an entertaining video exposing the safety issues on today’s railroads. While I would not like to see the railroads go back to the old regulated days. The government seems like they have gone too much in the other direction. Letting the railroad do what it wants. If they just want to increase profits let’s run longer trains without proper safety inspections. They even seem to ignore their own safety equipment. In the case you showed of the Ohio derailment the crew did get a warning about an overheated wheel but the dispatcher told them it wasn’t bad enough to have them stop and inspect the train. Till the top officials get fined or lose their jobs without big payouts nothing will change on the safety issues.

[@edumaker-alexgibson]

As a GenX Brit, I'm grateful for the cathartic acknowledgment of the most disturbing cliff-hanger ending to any children's TV show, and hat tip to the sheer quality of every aspect of the ending skit. The choice of narrator was inspired.

[@user-cr6qv1bn2u]

Stop this bs, that episode is always paired with him getting released in the next episode.

[@edumaker-alexgibson]

@@user-cr6qv1bn2u Tell me you weren't there watching it live on first broadcast aged 6, without telling me you weren't there.

[@hiccuphufflepuff176]

In Canada I grew up watching Shining Time Station, so I got to experience the Island of Sodor as a cutaway fever dream narrated by a tiny George Carlin who lived in the walls and came out to talk to a bunch of random kids who for some reason spent every afternoon in a train station... The 90's were weird.

[@andrewollmann304]

I remember Shining Time Station too. That show had a villain whose mame was Mr. Schemer.

[@FayeVert]

That show was delightful, from the WPA style murals inside the station to the puppets in the jukebox, and of course both of the Mr Conductors - I knew who Ringo Starr was when I was a kid because my mom was a Beatles fan, but when I grew up and found out who George Carlin was - haha!

[@wherefancytakesme]

In case anyone wanted to know, I checked and Henry is eventually let out of the tunnel in a later episode of the original series. But only because they needed extra strength for a job, and it is not specified how long he was in there.

[@Toonrick12]

According to the original book in which the story was based on, they actually built a whole another tunnel beside the one he was blocking up. So at least a few months. Probably reduced to a few weeks in the TV series.

[@tabaxikhajit4541]

Let's also remember, a train is not a person.

[@SomewhatSlightlyBored]

@@tabaxikhajit4541 in real life yes. within the context of thomas the tank engine, they may as well be.

[@byrninggirl]

I thought about adding a note that Henry did eventually get out! hahaha I grew up watching this show & still love it

[@roygumpel8415]

thank you!! I will sleep tonight.

[@brushdogart]

Bonus points for the stop-motion team at the end. They did a great job and I'm glad they got some screen time.

[@lordmortarius538]

And for getting Matthew Berry to narrate lol

[@neophobicnyctophile8264]

@@lordmortarius538 I WAS JUST GONNA SAY!!!!

[@alumpyhorse]

was looking for this comment

[@SplittingProductions]

Technically not stop motion, but yes, hooray for this.

[@dieSpinnt]

Yeah, they did a great job. But I am not proud of me, laughing through this horrible disaster!

[@donmcmillan4388]

I’m a retired conductor in Canada and everything John says is absolutely true. I retired early bc it was getting so unsafe and harassment from management was out of control.

[@audreyh6628]

Ok the Thomas episode recreation was absolutely brilliant. Perfectly done. One of the best of these ever. Well done art department!

[@thisisaaron]

The production that went into the Thomas skit is amazing! And love that you got Matt Berry to narrate.

[@holycowitsdave]

it's funny, I heard the voice and thought I recognised it... but it wasn't until he swore for the first time that I figured out who it was

[@luckycatOG]

Matt Berry is just the best. No contest. Toast of London is worth it for his presence alone (ok and Clem Fandango too) XD

[@DocOverlord]

Very cool to see the behind the scenes on the making of the skit.

[@MnementhBronze]

@@luckycatOG Hello Stephen can you hear me? XD

[@dominikkin2588]

@@holycowitsdave Exactly! As soon as I heard "What's the fucking hold up train?" I knew it was Toast

[@sportsfreakize]

7:14 LWT and John missed a golden opportunity to tie in a mini PSA about who you should actually call in that situation. Every crossing (at least ones with lights and a gate) has a blue sign that has a phone number you can call and a crossing ID number you can provide to alert the railroad that you are stuck on the tracks or if the crossing guard equipment has malfunctioned.

[@Bulldogs117]

This deserves more likes

[@alexradke7597]

Signal boosting!

[@austinknight5881]

That's still hoping the next train is far enough away to brake, and that the company doesn't hold you liable for a delay. Absolutely important, but not good enough

[@juresichj]

I did not know this.

[@theBestElliephant]

​​@@austinknight5881 It's wild to me that in the world of automation we live in, that there isn't any kind of sensor at most intersections indicating a blocked rail. The shareholders take home billions in profit while people die because we leave busy intersections up to the honor system. Absolutely wild.

[@mollyspencer1360]

Big Profit/Greed has had such a negative impact on the bulk of humanity and the planet. It boggles the mind how we keep people in offices that vote for the things that protect the companies who do this! Thank you, John for highlighting in a sad/funny way the crazy situations we have placed ourselves in! I have not felt good about the train industry since a strike in my childhood that ended the use of cabooses. On summer driving vacations, waving to the caboose was such a joy!

[@ashleyd9310]

i loved that we got to see the behind the scenes of the skit at the end. model making and stop motion are both incredible arts.

[@Yak9741]

Railroad track inspector here. He’s spot on in just about everything he’s said, though i’ve never heard “bomb train” before. Some of the dangerous track conditions we are allowed to operate over are frankly terrifying, and when an inspector tries to make things safer, he’s met with pressure not to report defects, or to enforce appropriate remedial action. Railroads are the way to more economic and environmentally friendly shipping, but not in the current state of affairs.

[@frostfang1]

It certainly makes you appreciate that we don't have more consumer trains in the US than we do. Sounds like the solution is really start from scratch and build up, and building the infrastructure from the ground up, regardless of if it is used for transporting materials by private companies, or if it is for public transportation.

[@matrixinterface]

well, yeah, you'ver never heard anyone use the words bomb train because no one does. Have you ever heard of the publication he's quoting? It's got as much credibility as Alex Jones. Pretty sure his staff just googled those words and took them from whatever source they could find.

[@Iason29]

if you inspect only 1% of the national rail network its not strange you haven't heard it. You probably haven't come around to the bomb tracks yet like the Hudson.

[@bperk3253]

We say bomb train in TYE but it's usually specifically referring to ethanol or gasoline fuel trains not crude oil

[@RayasNegroOvejas]

I see you have a mission in these comments and I won't get in your way - you're doing fine without my help. but the article is by reporters covering railroad safety, and its pretty comprehensive for an article; there are many other pages they could've gone with on google, but I can't argue with your brilliant instinct, of being "pretty sure" about them taking it from "whatever source". however, the full quote is "On July 31, 2017, CSX assembled Train Q38831 in a rail yard in Chicago, destined for a city outside of Hyndman. It had five locomotives at the front and 136 cars trailing behind, about half hauling hazardous material: propane, isobutane, ethyl alcohol, phosphoric acid and molten sulfur heated to 235 degrees Fahrenheit. It was a bomb train, as some workers refer to them, given its combustible cargo. When it left the yard and traveled east, the train grew. In Lordstown, Ohio, workers added 28 cars. In New Castle, Pennsylvania, they added 14. Now the train was 2 miles long." @@matrixinterface

[@Dominion69420]

The fact the crew made a high quality thomas episode just to summarize the current problems with freight rail is why John Oliver is the only late night show I actually enjoy. The amount of passion John and the crew put into discussing topics that need to be addressed while others dont or cover it up helps me cling onto the little faith I have with mainstream media.

[@matrixinterface]

the fact that you don't understand this is a comedy show and don't notice the way he cherry picks his facts and quotes (there's a reason you only see 3 or 4 words out of an entire article) has made me give up any hope for this country as a whole.

[@andrewkearsley5977]

And I think it's safe to say that I lose hope with this country everytime I hear that it's more important than a mentally ill 18 year old has a 'right' to legally own a semi-automatic rifle than it is for children to come home alive from a day at school.

[@andrewkearsley5977]

...but to stay on topic. Have you literally read ANY of the replies on here? People that have actually worked in this industry that are validating the topics discussed on here? Not only that, but it appears this is merely the tip of an iceberg?Or do you just cherry pick from segments your hero Alex Jones & Tucker Carlson spew out? Or maybe your just bitter from the twisted ankle you suffered on Jan 6th still?

[@chichan8424]

​@@matrixinterfacetell the people of East Palestine that the railways are fine.

[@joerionis5902]

​@@clariteyM, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

[@bikerdude221]

John, THANK YOU for mentioning the Lac Megantic disaster!!!

[@Benjadaka]

That train animation at the end is just the greatest example of why this show keeps winning awards! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

[@netherslayer3561]

I can't imagine how much fun they must have had making that little short with Henry. Pretty well made too, I might add.

[@gimmethegepgun]

I'd like to see more of a Making Of for that than just what was shown at the end.

[@Vyzard]

I was blown away on how much effort that must have taken

[@dashmeetsingh9679]

That type of animation is very time consuming and takes lot of hardwork. Kudos to team for keeping top notch quality.

[@drunkpervertedmonk]

Matt Berry! 👏 and yes, FREE HENRY

[@Qq-xs1fz]

Free Henry!

[@RinFaust]

My mothe was an engineer for Northfolk Southern for 15 years with no problems. No problems until she started reporting brake failures and saftey issues. The Railroad board fired her. She was so distraught and depressed. No concrete reason was given other than "belligerent and insubordination". Watching this, I can see why. Northfolk Southern must have thought my mother was too bothersome. Screw them.

[@daniel-cr2je]

Fired for beeing professional and dooing her job.If you mother was a nitwitt,or just played along...Really unfair.

[@destituteanddecadent9106]

While she doesn't have to work in a potentially life threatening position anymore, with the way NS handled it they probably didn't address the problems at all and got some other engineer working under the same conditions... One question, do rail strikes not happen anymore? I feel like rail workers have such great leveraging power when it comes to striking.

[@kellbyb]

@@destituteanddecadent9106 There was a big one last year, I feel like it was all over the news in October/November.

[@brandonbates6048]

@@destituteanddecadent9106 No the Government passed the Railway Labor Act, which essentially lets the Government step in as a mediator and force through an agreement. Usually to the benefit of the Railroad Carriers.

[@CoalCreekCroft]

I was fired from a hospital I worked in for years after refusing to enter the Punishment Charges this one ER doc put on people he didn't like or thought was too much a bother. "We've got to teach these people a lesson." Actual quote. (His hassle was non-critical emergencies; usually people with no insurance or nowhere else to go. Standard!). His bonus trick was falsely claiming AMA after treatment so their insurance wouldn't cover it. Total evil SOB. Ended years of ER work for me, probably felt as bad as your mom for YEARS but as over 20 years have passed since, I regret the hassles it caused but would do the same thing today. Your mother may well have saved lives.

[@walshwil]

I remember the Lac-Mégantic incident. I was on a school trip in the area with easily half of everyone in my program the year prior. We were extra shocked knowing that where we went had blown up

[@TheHobatron]

Love hearing UK treasures get some love across the pond. John Oliver himself of course, but in this particular case, the wonderful Matt Berry!

[@hilupianoservice]

As a former KCS assistant trainmaster, it was disgusting listening to the weekly managers' meeting call as they discussed whether or not an incident was FRA reportable, and they were constantly splitting hairs, trying to find an excuse to avoid reporting them. I can say with the confidence of firsthand experience that derailments and other incidents are underreported, mostly preventable, and that middle management views the FRA and the unions as the enemy.

[@Praisethesunson]

Middle management was created so the top guys can say they didn't do or know the decisions they have delegated to middle management.

[@daniel-cr2je]

Regulated.Polically I understand that less goverment is good..But...honestly?Freight trains filled of liquid gas and another explosive fuel tipes.Cars have more intervention.Try to fill your trunk with a hazerdous material and being stopped by the police...

[@aw3299]

​@@daniel-cr2je This is why less government is NOT GOOD.

[@ClementinesmWTF]

It’s about time we re-nationalize the freight rail industry and bring back ConRail

[@aoilpe]

@@ClementinesmWTF Nationalize all the railways !

[@Protomorfid]

As a railroader's daughter whose dad has been an engineer for as long as I can remember it's vindicating to know how much more aware the public is going to be of things like PSR and the push to reduce crews to one member. Thank you John!

[@Fieryone233]

PSR should be banned federally and the FRA given the same amount of power as the FAA

[@haroldfarthington7492]

I love watching these. In hs, my favorite english teacher back in my hs years would gush over Oliver's stuff, she was a big fan. It's nice watching these, remembering that class and how she genuinely enjoyed showing clips of Oliver's stuff. Can't remember what year, maybe 2018. I didn't appreciate it back then, but this dude is really funny.

[@janicefortney590]

Your choice of subject, research, and presentation are always spot on. The fact you can manage to throw humor into these somewhat gruesome stories is what makes it stick in your head. Love your show.

[@kensingtonchapp4819]

..... as I'm currently sitting in my hotel room as a locomotive engineer waiting to take my call, I watched this and couldn't help but think how no one else has so thoroughly nailed these issues. Corporate greed is absolutely wrecking this industry and the safety of its workers and the public. Don't get me started on the things we're required to do while fatigued after a 12 hour trip and their discplinarian mentality when we try to take a day off on "high impact days" like Christmas. I run these trains out of Los Angeles through Cajon Pass, and when they build them over 16,000 feet long, it's not possible to avoid blocking road crossings. As an engineer on "normal sized trains" I used to be able to plan my stops so that I'm not blocking roads, but now it's just not possible. Let's also not forget that once I get moving, I'm running a 3 mile long train up and down a mountain that's 30 miles of twists, horseshoe curves, and one continuous steep grade. These long trains can and do derail on the mountain, but it's rarely exposed to the public because this area is not populated. Anyway, John nailed the issue with PSR.

[@jedimindtrix2142]

Why don't all the engineers and conductors across the Industry get in touch with each other and organize a strike. You guys hold ALL the cards. Unlike factory jobs and low skilled labor they can't just get scab workers to replace you guys. If it's truly as bad as it seems and I know it's probably worse then you guys really have a responsibility to act to not only protect others safety but your own as well. Seriously think about this and consider getting it started. I know a vast majority of the citizenry would overwhmingly support you guys once they found out how bad it is and the word is getting out. Do it man!!!!!

[@The_Real_Mier]

Since ‘16,000 feet’ doesn’t give most metric system users a good sense or idea of how long this train actually is: 16000 feet = 4876,80 meter…. 4,8 KILOMETER OF TRAIN!! Now THAT gives us a good picture of the truly shocking length of this train! (Since I am now intrigued by this (to me !!) unimaginable long train, I looked it up and found that the longest length allowed for a freight train is: 8 kilometers!! (5 miles) !!!! according to an article on the site of the New Scientist. According to Wikipedia the actual longest freight train ever was 18,000 feet = 5486,40 meter (so nearly 5,5 kilometers) I have worked daily as a ticket inspector (in Dutch: treinconducteur; not to be confused with the English word ‘conductor’, for that refers to the driver of the train (Dutch: de machinist) inside passenger trains for well over a decade, years ago, throughout the Netherlands. (Hence by fascination 😉) I just cannot grasp the concept of a train of such a length!! In our tiny country there are actual train stations that are less than 8 kilometers from each other! No need to even move the train! Just walk through the train to the other side lol! (Yes, I know: cargo vs passenger…)

[@amys9417]

Railway worker strikes have been broken up by 2 presidents in the US. One was very recent. Biden sent them back to work without a deal, but I heard he did actually get them their sick time. John Oliver even mentions that the scheduled sick time isn't a thing anymore at pnsf. Nevertheless, I really hate the idea that ANY worker can be ordered back to work. I wish they had all been able to just quit. FUCK these mega corps.

[@carolyn8740]

Dude, did you not listen to the news a year ago? Railroad unions tried that. Congress settled it to prevent a strike because fucking up supply chains costs billions to the economy. And this is what they have AFTER that.@@jedimindtrix2142

[@jimig399]

I live in the area you work in. I fly drones. I think everyone underestimates the impact the railroads have on air quality. I see the pollution in the air when I fly my drone. It's always most concentrated around railyards and the tracks. The fact that this is not even a part of the discussion is troubling to me. I can see the changing air quality in real time. I can't be the only one. You must see this. Speak out against it please or our kids won't be able to play outside in just a few short years.

[@Amethystasheryn]

Getting Matt Berry to narrate the Thomas story at the end was genius.

[@phero2]

I knew I recognized that voice from somewhere

[@ndawn90]

*chefskiss* Sheer perfection!

[@WastedTalent-]

Human form!

[@kinda_chaotically_shey3945]

Best person they could have possibly got! I know that glorious man’s voice anywhere!

[@RankorWrathborn]

I KNEW IT

[@mathieumorin1614]

I love this show, but as a resident from Quebec who was shook by the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, I found the clip at the end to be unsavourily similar to the actual events… It’s obvious that the people in charge of making the clip looked at pictures from the Lac-Mégantic explosion… It sent shivers down my spine and I can imagine it triggering PTSD among locals who experienced it first hand.

[@CatianaKeys]

The production quality on Henry the Train's story was INSANE!

[@reybenesmisasi8017]

The best part about that little Thomas segment, as an American Zoomer who grew up watching that show semi religiously, is that the lore of that series only gets darker. Especially once you turn to the books! According to Percy, when a train outlives their usefulness, they are sent to the scrapyard, where they’re essentially killed. It’s a nightmare location illustrated to look like hell, and it certainly makes that whole “desire to be the most useful engine” thing a bit less cute.

[@tylerhackner9731]

As a fellow American zoomer, same

[@l3gacyb3ta21]

@@tylerhackner9731 glad to see how many of us were raised on this show lol

[@destituteanddecadent9106]

I have no idea why, but Thomas the Tank Engine was randomly huge in Japan as well. It's very rare for a foreign kids' show to be dubbed and aired at all, and yet TtTE had a whole merch ecosystem of toddler t-shirts, lunch boxes, backpacks, you name it. Your comment reminded me about how puzzling it was 😂

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

@@destituteanddecadent9106given how prevalent trains are in Japan, that doesn’t sound too surprising that Thomas would be really popular there.

[@generalhorse493]

*Disclaimer*: The percy passage you're describing is from the Stepney book, and the steam engines weren't scrapped for being not useful anymore, they were scrapped because they were on the "other (British) railway", and said railway wanted to replace them with new Diesel engines. On Sodor the old engines just get rebuilt when they get worn down, most noteably: Edward, Skarloey and Duke.

[@diabeetus9023]

I remember the potential railroad strikes last year and one thing you forgot to mention was how the news media covered it horrendously. The workers wanted sick pay, vacation days, and better working conditions, however, the media portrayed the workers as “selfish” especially highlighting how this strike would affect consumers for Christmas time. They basically shamed the workers because of the looming strike being in close proximation to the holidays.

[@scopie49]

Not to mention it only got to that point because the railroads dragged it out for 3 years past when the agreement was *supposed* to have already happened. By the time it was ratified it's almost time to start negotiations for the next one.

[@ferinzz]

I wish it were just scare mongering and hyperbole, but the media is controlled by corporate interests.

[@macavitythemysterycat]

UK gets railroad strikes almost every month. Yes it fucks over commuters, but it's necessary to force companies to improve working conditions.

[@aurelien5747]

@@macavitythemysterycatfucked me over once but I just took a train the next day at no cost so I can’t complain too much

[@MegaLokopo]

@@macavitythemysterycat If only we could get rid of unions, so you didn't have to ask permission to strike, maybe they would happen more often.

[@Michael.Darling]

4:18 "...keep flirting with danger, keep flirting with disaster, as long as people are getting rich" could basically be the tagline for this show, since it's the fundamental problem underlining nearly EVERY episode.

[@rhymeswithsomethingy4766]

Brilliant work team LWT!👏🙌 I remember back in the '70s & '80s, my dad was on call to transport train crews, because after reaching a certain number of hours, train crews would have to stop and wait for a replacement crew. There were at least 3 people on each crew, trains were carefully inspected, and the industry was heavily regulated. Even under those circumstances, working for the railroad was considered a high risk job. In a town of 12,000-15,000, we knew many who were permanently disabled on the job. Can only imagine how much worse it is now..😮

[@christopheraddison945]

Former Railroader here, just wanted to add some info that I think is important for people to know. If you ever find yourself stuck at a rail crossing, look for a silver/metal shed beside the tracks. There's a number on it that you can call in the event of emergencies with all the information you need on the box itself. Explain the situation, give them the info, and they'll stop train traffic to help prevent you from being hit. I also just want to point out the standard dropping from 2 people to 1 person, it's noteworthy that there was a standard (though not for all trains) to run a 3 person crew: a conductor for communication, engineer for driving, brakeman for tying/untying brakes, external train problems, and any other utility functions. Great episode John, thank you.

[@remingtonn_]

i desperately wish there were more, better railroading jobs. i adore trains, and would love to work on one but with the few shitty jobs available, i honestly don't think i could.

[@mm-qd1ho]

Thanks for the info!

[@kubton]

Before that it was 5 men crew with a caboose. 3 on head and and to on the rear.

[@bsfunk44]

​@@remingtonn_ cpkc is always hiring. Start at $49 an hour.

[@LinkRocks]

Thanks so much for the info about the silver/metal box. I had no idea about that.

[@williamferguson8543]

As a dad who sat through countless episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine, that piece at the end was spot on. Well done, LWT.

[@graciespaceycakes3714]

I immediately texted my own dad, who used to watch the original Thomas and Friends with me and had very strong opinions on the quality of the miniatures.

[@lizzyblitz07]

​@@graciespaceycakes3714 I'm excited to hear what he thought about this

[@d1boundkj]

It’s finally completed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGPLgJd7Zpl2rrssi=zvKhYkcEbCrZmxPW

[@grindcoreninja6527]

I was born in 93' and loved the OG Thomas the Tank Engine.

[@13thsonata]

Hearing Matt Berry be the narrator was just perfect as well. It's always the way he says the F word

[@TeaGarrison]

I was a huge Thomas The Tank Engine fan as a kid and I watched that episode about Henry's punishment many times on VHS, but I haven't thought about it since. I didn't remember it being so melancholy. Fantastic episode, once again. And that skit at the end was well worth the effort. Thanks for the brief BTS.

[@michaelf7053]

Is that Matt Berry narrating the short close to the end 🤣? Legend :)

[@parsnipguy2986]

Matt Berry provided some absolutely killer narration for the beautiful end animation, well done Lazlo Cravensworth

[@caladougjo]

knew i recognized the voice

[@davidcatts7251]

I just made a comment about this. Then I started scrolling to find more Laszlo fans.

[@Carnifextube]

I thought that was him.

[@mikehawks4741]

@parsnipguy2986 It sounds very similar to Matt Berry but I believe the train is being voiced by Jackie Daytona, normal human narrator.

[@bucketsofglory]

Stephen, can you hear me?

[@polishfinnish3066]

For those who are confused why the Engineer didn’t move his train when the police asked. If he went past a red signal that would trigger a railroad led investigation. Which includes a drug test, potential unpaid time off and a grilling by managers.

[@toddr2265]

As an Engineer I can confirm this. I'd like to add that we do everything in our power to not block crossings if at all possible but the makeup of the trains can make that very difficult at times. We live in the communities we run our trains through so we don't like inconveniencing our neighbors.

[@swissfreek]

@@toddr2265 Gotta figure the level crossings are wherever they need to be, not spaced for any particular length of train, whether it's 10 feet or 10 miles. At some point I'm sure there's only so much you can do.

[@stinkinlincoln926]

And law enforcement overrules that. Considering they direct and control traffic as well.

[@Alblaka]

Like, rolling up the window might have been the wrong move, but I can't hold the train engineer responsible for saying "No, I physically cannot move the train off the crossing, because I'm not allowed to move past that red light and the train is just way too long for this track route to begin with." It's not their fault the government is getting rail companies away with this level of blatant disregard for safety.

[@toddr2265]

@@stinkinlincoln926 Local law enforcement is powerless to do anything about trains blocking crossings. They have no jurisdiction on railroads. Railroads have their own law enforcement agencies. Don’t believe me? call your local PD and ask them

[@grahamgregory8363]

Thanks for bringing the memory of my childhood back. Now i remember why i always go to work no matter the weather

[@tunzofunzo7936]

Matt Berry is a fucking treasure. Him narrating the train story made my soul smile.

[@Racist_Railfan_Productions]

Antoher thing I'd like to add about PSR is that it's also the reason why Amtrak passenger trains are always late. Yes, the freight trains are supposed to stop in the siding and let the higher-priority passenger train pass, but since they've gotten so long they physically cannot do that anymore, so now the Amtrak is forced to stop and wait for them. Also, that ending scene was brilliant. I've never seen anyone outside of the Thomas the Tank Engine online fandom put this much effort into a parody episode. Props to whoever made that O scale Henry

[@AssBlasster]

So many other problems like Amtrak's million+ minutes in travel delays did not even get mentioned here...I experienced a 10 hr delay once on an 8 hr train trip. Amtrak gave me a full refund though!

[@thezukii7258]

⁠​⁠@@AssBlassterI love trains but really don’t love getting stuck in the same spot for 40+ minutes, especially when I had plans for the rest of that day. Recently was supposed to be on a train that left at 12 and got there at 3. Ended up getting on at 2 and getting off at 6. Barely made it to pick up my runners bib lol. The length of those freight trains also becomes very obvious when your in a pretty area and one half of the view is blocked for an almost comically long time. I can’t imagine going from NY to LA, or Seattle to chicago (that’s the one I most often get a ride on the tail end). Think I’d go crazy if I had to spend an hour on some boring dusty plain in Wyoming, running on shitty Amtrak food and only using those horror story esque bathrooms.

[@DeepFriedDave]

No one with even a modicum of dignity should EVER ride on Amtrak

[@railscenes4959]

In my 40+ years working for the Santa Fe Ry & BNSF Ry from 1965 to 2007 they fired me 2 times for being Henry the engine in this animation. Excellent characterization of how the Railway industry needs stronger regulation. As a conductor I did not close the window to the cops. Instead before the cops showed up I’d walk back to the crossing and cut the train to open the crossing. Something I learned as a young brakeman working with real railroaders who said “what if an ambulance showed up with lights flashing?” So I’d take off walking as fast as I could (running was against the rules) to get to the crossing. Sometimes a county deputy sheriff showed up to help me. One deputy got to know me by name! Imagine that! Meanwhile in my time off for good behavior I drove a semi truck over the road. Guess what the trucking industry was the same! “What do you mean you stopped to take 8 hours rest after 10 hours driving? You were behind schedule!” Yes, I was late because the shipper delayed loading the truck. Thank God for my Union for getting my RR job back. As they say in England John “You are spot on!” with your commentary. Truly, Steve Rippeteau

[@anarchy_79]

"Yeah I was behind schedule, there was a fucking train blocking the way!"

[@jasondenomme5177]

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo oI I need a good good ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oh ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo😢o😢😢😢😢😢😢oh😢😢I😢😢😢😢o

[@rd264]

you were probably a strong Trump supporter. Typically Trump people hate regs and also complain when dereg destroys their health care and makes food prices soar and ruins their union that fought for and backed safer working conditions ....

[@gordon7478]

​@@jasondenomme5177You good?

[@troykinakinjason194]

I'm sorry those two industries are so employee destroying ... They'll both be AI driven soon and there won't be any human even though for obvious reasons there should be . I used to feel bad for truck drivers until I drove across Canada and was almost murdered by them a few times and then they parked they're lazy asses in Ottawa to protest something I have no idea what but they were being pricks and now they wanna revolt because a criminal and rapist was ordered to pay an amount of money that only exists because people like them live the consumer vs employee driven rat race to begin with .... Sorry my point is you sound like a good conductor my first wife's dad was too different breed type gents . Thanks also that america has been turned into this industriel consumer driven ATM for the wealthy one percent and they can suck it .

[@hawkeye1776]

i find it so amazing that he can tackle serious.....serious news, be serious and at the same time add so much humor that it makes it palatable.

[@user-vc4uo9sq7i]

Thank you for your voice and for speaking about what few do, and in a brilliant and funny way too! ❤

[@joefoss2493]

I am a railroad worker and this episode is spot on. Great episode. Thanks for getting the word out.

[@Toneloke-3000]

@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist1 Only a God driven by his ego would need any of our insignificant worship to get through his day. Get a life before it's over

[@osvaldomedina173]

@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist1 trains...we are talking about trains...

[@AmazingMusicalArts]

My dad was a conductor for decades. He nearly had a his body ripped apart from a derailment. Thank you for your coverage on this.

[@Cika044]

Post pictures

[@AmazingMusicalArts]

@@Cika044 Did you mean to post this? That’s embarrassing.

[@trademarksmoto]

​@@Cika044I began laughing out loud 😂

[@Cika044]

@@AmazingMusicalArts I apologize 😔

[@radarlockeify]

Matt Berry nails it again.

[@theGhoulman]

@8:56 every Canadian remembered the train on the hill at Lac-Mégantic. Bad brakes, the train rolled down the hill then into town and exploded. Because, that happens now. There's a lot of controversy over the gases in those cars. Thx JO

[@DreadEmpath69]

As a Railroad worker... watching that little girl climb under the train caused my heart to race. I inspect trains for a living, and we are tasked with inspecting trains after a fatality. We have to make sure there were no defects that would cause the company to be liable for the fatality. I hope she and other kids ALWAYS remain safe.

[@TLKjoe]

Same. I'm an engineer and seeing that, my heart fell through my stomach.

[@rmdodsonbills]

I just want to underline what you say here: inspections happen *after* a fatality, hoping to prove that there wasn't a defect that could be used against them in court action, instead of *before* a fatality, hoping to catch defects that could cause a fatality and fix them so they don't.

[@ayceod]

@@rmdodsonbills And just imagine what the company does (or doesn't do) if they do find a defect that caused a fatality... I'm guessing they NEVER find that the company was at fault. And, @DreadEmpath69, I'm not saying that's your fault. I'm sure you report your findings as you see them, and then the company buries it, makes you sign gag orders under threat, etc, when the findings show they are at fault.

[@KOKO-uu7yd]

😢😢

[@GEM4sta]

​@@rmdodsonbillsI'll just say, this is a bit unfair, surely both inspections should be made.

[@marts4169]

This was an amazing episode. That Thomas bit was unbelievably good (thank you for leaving the credits in). Great performance from Matt Berry.

[@TaylorMcRae]

I knew it sounded like Matt! That's glorious and absolutely fitting.

[@WorldDirt]

@@TaylorMcRae I thought he sounded familiar. Brilliant.

[@savethezombies]

That IS him, isn't it?

[@bmogs1720]

Love the train show at the end. Mathew Berry as voice was excellent. The "Oh shit!" and the child crawling under the train!! "F off!" Brilliant. 😂😂😂❤

[@davidarbuckle7236]

Love John Oliver. Can't get enough of his humor. He makes my day.

[@codydaily3807]

The ending skit for this episode has been the best of the last several seasons well done!

[@johnjuiceshipper4963]

Matt Berry’s narration is always amazing.

[@iluvcamaros1912]

I feel like it had to be expensive as they don't even make Thomas the Tank Engine like that anymore. It's just CGI.

[@RooneyMac]

If we still had Carlin, it would've been the perfect time for him to resume his role as Mr. Conductor. And you know he would've!

[@gmoderki]

This is as funny as the time they got Danny DeVito to talk about PFAS.

[@RooneyMac]

​@@iluvcamaros1912totally worth it. You know the tech crew had soooo much fun with this one! Hope there's a "Making Of" video of that to come out later

[@kernjames]

As a retired BNSF Conductor, this video is one of the best and most accurate videos on the reality of the Rail situation, that I have ever seen. I am so thankful, I don't work there anymore.

[@traildude7538]

I forget what year it was, but I was about to buy some BN stock. My stock guy told me it was soon going to be BNSF and for some reason I decided not to buy. I was impressed by BN's track improvements and safety but I think I was leery of what would happen with safety with a big merger. Then by the time I thought about it again it had been taken private.

[@kernjames]

@@traildude7538 I did the same. Actually its stock went up in the 2000s. I probably ought to have bought some. But like you say, who knows. One big train wreck and I am sure it would crash, big time.

[@thorn6809]

This behaviour is part of the problem. Corporate greed means for a big part to create revenue for the stock holders.

[@spiritedaway99]

the day I came across this channel,my life changed,you revived the cranky old lady Johnny thank youuuu💕💕💕💕

[@Scott-wf9kp]

I gotta say that train animation they did went much longer than I thought it would and I am so grateful that it did because it was amazing. Fantastic job to the team who worked on it.

[@user-qf2so2nq8w]

That Engine sequence ate 90% of this episode's budget. 👏👏👏

[@xhagast]

And it was worth it.

[@Randytherumbler]

Yeah. And then the corporate overlords railroad companies charged even more than what they supposed to. Egyptian style!😮

[@DamienPalmer]

And statistically also both employed AND made a lot of middle aged dads very happy to do.

[@kokkolintu3528]

And we wouldn't have it any other way! 😂

[@pixlification]

easily

[@rbesfe]

The end bit on this was phenomenal, hats off to the builders for really putting in the effort. It shows.

[@myglockgopoppoppop]

Too bad they couldn't fork over the cash for Ringo to do the voice over! Sheesh talk about low budget crap! /s

[@RPGreg2600]

That was epic!

[@UnrealZii]

I read your comment before I got to the end. However, I was NOT expecting that! It was amazing.

[@AnHourOfWolves]

I agree, and also the whole story of the show before the end part is so extremely well told. This is one of the best political shows I’ve seen in recent years, and also one of the most entertaining shows overall I’ve seen. People who work on this show, know that you absolutely killed it with this one!

[@RailRoad188]

Really nice to see the RR modelers getting their work out to a broader audience.

[@KTKomedy2813]

The Thomas parody is so magnificent, especially the model work.

[@hawkeye1776]

"the town part of that town, is gone." lmfao!

[@AC-ro6ib]

As a former freight conductor, locomotive engineer, and manager, seeing that little girl crossing under that train broke my heart. Also, cutting the train crew down to one person is by far one of the dumbest things the railroads have ever considered. Anyone who has ever sat across a locomotive cab and seen your conductor or engineer struggling to stay awake and alert because they are sick, exhausted, and heavily overworked knows exactly what I mean.

[@amberandrews6842]

Happens all the time in small towns. I grew up that way.

[@misterjt961]

wow ok I guess you just dont care about the shareholders? the little guys of America

[@marquisdelafayette1929]

Where is the CEOs bonus money going to come from? You honestly expect them to live on *ONLY* a salary?! Are you a sadist?

[@arcanondrum6543]

@@misterjt961 I was hired at a Tech Startup and was awarded 40,000 Stock Options and a nice salary. Musk owns more than a billion shares of Tesla and that's not counting SpaceX.

[@misterjt961]

@@arcanondrum6543 ok? Congrats?

[@32a34a]

My father who was an Inspector for over 30 years used to sign Blue Sheets that would show he not only inspected the cars but also showed whatever repairs would be needed. My father kept all of his blue sheets and when I asked him why he told me the Foreman or the president sometimes would overwrite his name or sign off the repairs needed. For example trains wheels should not have more than I believe a quarter inch crack and when my dad would write up that it was a bigger crack sometimes they would sign over my dad's name and let that train back into service. My dad would tell me having these would be his protection against any actions by his Foreman or the president and leave him protected. When he died my mom had thousands of these blue sheets that my dad kept to protect himself.

[@Haggismydog]

😊

[@stodgysine4424]

Smart man

[@121Greenthumb]

I mean that should tell you all you need to know about the industry.

[@lizzyblitz07]

Wow. The worst part is, I assume he only kept the sheets they overrode him on. Those execs didn't choose danger over profits in a portion of those thousands of sheets. They chose danger in all of the thousands.

[@cessman8054]

@@lizzyblitz07without saying too much, when you work in a position of this responsibility and know you are being undermined by forces up the chain of command.. you keep everything. Because you never know what will be weaponized against in the future.

[@LTADrocks]

as a Québécoise I was just waiting for Lac-Mégantic to be mentioned

[@BadgerOff32]

I could legit watch an expletive-laden version of Thomas the Tank Engine narrated by Matt Berry for hours! That was so good!

[@TheBombDiggity69420]

If Matthew Berry wants to narrate an adult version of Thomas the Tank Engine I'm here for it.

[@MG-dl3cg]

Thank you! I knew I recognized the voice.

[@Mainyehc]

Too bad George Carlin is no longer alive, because having him on the role again would’ve been insane!

[@deweygumdrops]

YESSSSSS! i could listen to him all day!

[@florete2310]

I bet the prop master had a lot of fun with that bit, too😂

[@mattcarberry368]

he could play the part of the very randy narrator

[@darksideofthemood]

We often compliment writers and their humor but the stop motion crew killed it. It was such a fresh moment, so well put together I could have kept watching for hours. Congrats to the team!!

[@H.P.Loveshack]

And that Matt Berry narrated it is magnificent.

[@Widdekuu91]

Absolutely wonderful, that was amazing.

[@Richardblue1963]

That isn't stop motion.

[@Widdekuu91]

@@Richardblue1963 I already wondered why it didn't "trigger" (non-trauma trigger) me, because I hate stop motion, especially if it is slow, like Wallace and Gromit, with non-fluid movements. Maybe I'm insane, but it makes me sick to my stomach to watch stop motion.

[@matthewmoser1284]

Ive been a truck driver for almost a decade. I WANT more trains to take my jobs.

[@JohnnyNumber11]

I love that u put the making of of the tank engine part into rhe show, it shows, how hard u guys work and how much passion went into it😊

[@bicyclist2]

I used to drive railroad workers to trains. We had to be on call for 12 hours. The corrupt CEO's of the vast majority of companies are blatant psychopaths. We the People need to stand up and demand change. Thanks.

[@mzaite]

So this is always the question, why did you say yes? We really do seem to have a problem of people not thinking through job offers out of necessity. There's a deeper problem with bad jobs, in that, someone always seems to keep taking them.

[@hew195050]

Problem is people are becoming more asleep. One issue is social media and staring at the boob-phone.

[@neverendingstudent]

People aren't always in a place of financial security that they can afford to say no. I've been there, and suffered for it. Plenty of others have too. That situation, in and of itself, is very worthy of discussion since it is reasonable to assert that it is an intentionally engineered situation to keep a large portion of the workforce in.@@mzaite

[@philgamesh5731]

@@mzaite Sadly, not everyone can afford to not work, even for a little while ^^" Sometimes you need money now and don't have another choice.

[@liesel16]

​@@hew195050what? The problems now aren't because of phones! These problems like workers rights, consumer safety, and working conditions have been a problem for years. These things got worse cause of several things. The Taft Hartley act that hurt unions. Deregulation like happened in the 70's and beyond. And Austerity that has cut government oversight and inspection. The last things were helped alone cause of people like Supreme Court judge Lewis Powell who killed the consumer movement in the 70's and saved the corporate lobby industry by sending a letter to US chamber of commerce because he despiseed Ralph Nader work with advocating for seatbelts.

[@enigmaforlorn]

That Henry skit at the end was a beautiful piece of art, and I am so damn glad they got Matt Berry for it. Also, $1M for anyone that manages to put that into children's programming!

[@Mikebumpful]

Dang, I was combing the comments to find out why the narrator sounded so familiar! Thank you! FaTHEEEERRR✊

[@Patmax17]

It starts at 22:51, if anyone wants the time mark :D

[@matwang1]

Goddamn! No wonder he sounded familiar.

[@enigmaforlorn]

The man has a natural talent for comedy. He's got the deadpan timing of Leslie Nielsen wrapped up in an exaggerated posh accent that makes him sound like the first choice in a Shakespearian rendition of Airplane!

[@jedimindtrix2142]

​@@enigmaforlornnow I want to hear a Shakespearian rendition of Airplane....damn it man.

[@niiakwei33]

Thank John for making the time to do this video! Things need to change with this company’s. We need more safety, safety, safety, safety, safety over profit.

[@skelepuns8781]

I live less than 20ft from a commonly used track, and this is crazy eye opening

[@davidrhode7019]

There's an account from the earlier days of the train industry, somewhere in the late 1800's to the early 1900's, which I believe I read in Howard Zinn's "People's History of the United States." So the older train car couplings had a nasty habit of snapping workers' fingers off. The workers would continue with this job in spite of the mutilation until they didn't have enough fingers to work the coupler. In the infinite benevolence of the train companies, they would then be allowed to serve as signal men, because all you had to do was hook your wrist stump through the handle on the lamp. The kicker is that new coupling technology had been out for years, and it was simply cheaper to mutilate their workers than upgrade or replace the train cars with safer equipment.

[@BonafideJas]

Oh my gosh I love when people bring up "A Peoples History of the United States"! One of the best gifts I ever received!

[@bellyjellybean248]

"Safety first!"

[@d1boundkj]

It’s finally completed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGPLgJd7Zpl2rrssi=zvKhYkcEbCrZmxPW

[@jeanneganrude8549]

And the grift continues ~

[@felixkaranja4526]

Honestly one of the best Last Week Tonight episodes of the year 🙌🏽

[@ReseRain-xq9uo]

Father worked as a tower operator early 80's. He made complaints about new procedures, less men in yards, and watched a few men in yard cut in half between cars. He fought to retire early to get away from the deterioration of regulation and safety. Even legislatures' responses to his letters were grim.

[@SwordLily4]

I've heard stories of guys getting coupled and even though it's not heard of nearly at all now, it was a big fear of mine that my husband would be when working in the yard.

[@jimo199966]

I have a friend who, until recently, worked for a major class 1 railroad. The number of grisly accidents in the yards or switching is very under reported.

[@ReseRain-xq9uo]

@SwordLily4 One of my earliest memories was my dad coming home late and sobbing uncontrollably. I was maybe 3 or 4 and he was rambling in shock. He was so descriptive. I was afraid to walk behind the vehicles in our driveway until someone told me he meant train cars. It took him several years to handle flashbacks after he left that job. For several generations, the men in our family worked in the yards. The deregulation in 80's and lack of corrective actions scared everyone in family. No one returned to RR occupations.

[@ReseRain-xq9uo]

@jimo199966 If they report, the blacklisting is very real. No senator or congressman will touch RR's. Dad spent nearly a decade fighting for retirement while being a single dad to 3 young girls. Decades of service from my dad and grandpa, but their voice was taken away and many lives lost.

[@jimo199966]

@ReseRain-xq9uo I'm not surprised. My wife's ex worked for Sante Fe as an engineer. When they wanted you out, you were out. It's going to be up to Congress and the WH to decide when enough is enough. Hopefully before a major population center isn't wiped out. The clock is ticking.

[@deanebuckingham7241]

The end of this video makes me so happy and smile so much, it hurts.

[@Ivalene]

If that’s the voice of Matt Berry who plays laszlo from what we do in the shadows then I need more narrations from him IMMEDIATELY

[@neur0ness]

This show should get an award for that animation sequence at the end! The story telling was 🤌

[@Pallomember]

Anything Matt Berry narrates is instant gold

[@chewylouie1569]

I worked on the rails. Everything John is saying is very accurate. Its that bad if not actually worse. Only thing he didn't touch on is how dangerous the job is for employees.

[@EmpyreanLightASMR]

It's an information piece; unfortunately, there's nothing to be gained from this video other than awareness.

[@benas_st]

⁠@@EmpyreanLightASMRyes and no. the John Oliver effect is very much real

[@BerrylProd]

Well, with safety not even getting on the podium among the priorities, I'd say that spells quite clearly how (un)safe this job must be...

[@Randytherumbler]

Ahhhhhhhh. The green liners on them fake American flags. Just like the blue liners. Or what happened in Uvalde, Texas. Where the origin of the yellow liners came from. The green liners doesn't represent prosperity,success,and goodwill to all good employees and their employers. It represents corporate greed. AND train wrecks!

[@kokkolintu3528]

I can only imagine 😬

[@travelinjones9730]

It gets worse than you imagine. When I worked for CP Rail in Canada, three men died when a parked train ran away due to losing air pressure for brakes in extreme cold. The departing crew had been told not to secure the train with handbrakes to save time. The arriving crew boarded, the train began moving, and they couldn't stop it. It fell 200 feet off a curved bridge into a riverbed. Not only was CPR entitled to investigate itself, they didn't even do THAT! The CPR policeman conducting the investigation quit and went public about the fact they wouldn't cooperate with his investigation. So yeah....they'll let you die on the job, then refuse to wonder why.

[@user-cr6qv1bn2u]

Tay immigrants

[@gamtngirl3655]

Thank you, John, for bringing this horrible deregulation to light. We are a Corporatocracy and it’s got to stop.

[@dridadbunkerphd6523]

I feel I need to correct something in your post: It's the 'Kleptocratic Kakistocracy of KKKorporati'.

[@thomasjones4570]

Biden and Democrats forced an end to the union strike that would have made companies end this.

[@Heathcoatman]

Without constantly cutting costs and increasing prices, the wall street fat cats wont get their dividends and splits and profits for doing nothing. We cant have that, can we? We need to make sure a very select few keep living the 'Kardashian lifestyle' while everyone else struggles to just get by living a meager, exploding train in your neighborhood lifestyle.

[@wolfbyte3171]

it's too late. Citizens United made sure of that.

[@moremerry57]

⁠, Citizens United was enacted; it can be struck down.

[@DrakiniteOfficial]

This show is hands-down the best show on TV, and 100% deserves the Emmy award every year. I honestly don't understand how HBO is letting you upload this for free on KZbin. I'm honestly considering getting an HBO subscription for a few months just to show my support for the show. I don't know of any other way to support it.

[@Kevlin0069]

It would seem that somebody, somewhere, is benevolent enough to realize that this show is a HUGE public service that should not be locked behind a paywall.

[@kobresia9]

You could donate to the causes they tell about in the show

[@davidmeyer4506]

The jokes are bad but the topics are important

[@G-BONE]

Once again money talks and bullshit takes the bus...or should I say the train😢

[@rawx485]

In case of emergency or in the event of a very long stop, can they not just disconnect 1 car, breaking the train up and pull forward enough to open the intersection?

[@desertdaisymarie6951]

Going to show my son this, he loves trains and is a real safety nut.. Viva Australia 🇦🇺 we do things the RIGHT way!!

[@arrowguy173]

12:20 even before PSR practice, the busiest stretch of railroad in the US (Union Pacific across Nebraska) has several pedestrian bridges in towns which is both great for residents and train crews who have enough to focus on without worrying about idiots who trespass or cross when they shouldn’t.

[@adriansandlin556]

A recurring theme in these segments is often that many industries/companies are so loosely regulated that the regulations might as well not exist, thus they can get away with endangering the health and safety of the public, threatening employees into silence, lying, and general negligence and stupidity.

[@irtwiaos]

Privatize the gains and socialize the loss. The American dream right there.

[@adriansandlin556]

@@irtwiaos As Carlin said, "...you have to be asleep to believe it".

[@SnarkyZazu]

you can make a bingo card out of how predictable the themes have become

[@realroadrunnr]

You are right. And I find it horrifying how many people still believe politicians when they talk about government interference and deregulation and how something is supposed to have effect A which in turn is supposed to trigger effect B which will then have effect C as a result and thus everybody wins (e.g. trickle down economics). Shouldn't we somehow have learned our lesson by now? And it's not just the "stupid Americans". I am from Germany and things are different here, but not entirely and it often feels like we're just lagging behind but ultimately end up in the same general direction.

[@lostbutfreesoul]

They do exist for a reason... the paperwork itself. Silly for us to think they would read the paperwork and implement changes, but that isn't it's purpose. This way criminal executives can point to the existence of the paperwork itself as having 'done something!' For it isn't important what some experts have said needs to be done, just having a piece of paper protects the company from any criticism. After all, there was a policy, so it is clearly some lowly worker to blame!