# Monster Garage - Dodge Train - Did Jesse take a fall?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-garage-dodge-train-did-jesse-take-a-fall/252934>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 30, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-garage-dodge-train-did-jesse-take-a-fall/252934 "2004-06-30T19:51:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-garage-dodge-train-did-jesse-take-a-fall/252934/1 "2004-06-30T19:51:22Z")

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First off, JJ’s appendix burst? Ouch. I’m sure that threw a wrench into the shooting schedule. At least the build team was self-running - “Anyone seen Jesse today? No? Well, let’s keep going on this” then “Big Schwag” pops in with the news.

A side question - other than the “play by play” commentary at the end of the show, what does “Big Schwag” do?

Back to the episode - My suspicion is that Jesse intentionally derailed the truck so he could say (roughly) “Don’t be silly. No car can beat a train” - sort of a freebie subliminal public safety message.

As to the build itself - what was the real challenge? They turned a something (would you call that a sports station wagon, or a small SUV?) into a high-railer. (Actual trademark is [Hy-Rail](http://www.fairmonttamper.com/hy-rail.htm)) Whoopie. These are not much more than bolt-on wheel assemblies and steering wheel locks (ever see a steering wheel on a train?), so this wasn’t a huge challenge. I was surprised at the difficulty they had finding track wheels, though. And when the freight people found only three wheels, why didn’t they go back to that junkyard and re-swipe the wheels they’d already swiped and returned? Instead, they took the challenge of machining a big slug of steel into a wheel, but Jesse’s own shop foreman at West Coast Choppers tossed them out at 5:00? Think they’re still employed?

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-garage-dodge-train-did-jesse-take-a-fall/252934/2 "2004-06-30T20:32:23Z")

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> [@gotpasswords](#):
>
> As to the build itself - what was the real challenge?

Point of order, Monster Garage has never had a “real” challenge.