Great American Railroad Journeys Season 2 Episodes

Episode 1

St Louis, Missouri

Michael presents his second American rail route using the Appleton's guide, this time along a great axis of the pioneers follow-up west of the Appalachians, across the great barrier stream Mississippi. For long, the main city westward apart from Chicago was its central port Saint Louis, the Western metropolis supplying cowboy country. It prospered, growing into a real great city, flouting old and new monuments, including the 1874 engineering pioneer bridge named after US architect Eads and iconic arch which has a train inside instead of a lift.

Episode 2

St Louis to Jefferson City, Missouri

Documentary- Michael Portillo visits The gateway Arch in St. Louis, replica of the original keel boat used for historic expedition, we see corn pipes made in Washington, MO, and a fortified building that was the jail for the entire Wild West. He visits Hermann, MO and wineries and we hear how the outbreak of WW2 practically killed off the German language in the area, but many people have German heritage.

Episode 3

Sedalia to Kansas City, Missouri

Episode 4

Kansas City to St Joseph, Missouri

Episode 5

Lawrence to Topeka, Kansas

Michael is in Lawrence, a fast-grown city in the Bleeding Kansas era of pioneers establishing a territory of Kansas and claiming statehood during the the slavery conflict escalating into the Civil war of Secession. Its home to a rare Indian school -founded to gruesomely assimilate natives from tribes from many states- turned college, where he enjoys an Indian prairie grouse dance in 'full regalia', and the proud birthplace of regulation basketball at Kansas University. A private tourist line keeps the steam train experience alive.

Episode 6

Dodge City to Lamar, Colorado

Episode 7

La Junta, Colorado to Pueblo, New Mexico

Episode 8

Canon City, Colorado, to Colorado Springs

Episode 9

Santa Fe to Acoma, New Mexico

Episode 10

Albuquerque, New Mexico to the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Episode 11

The Twin Cities, St Paul

Episode 12

The Twin Cities, Minneapolis

Episode 13

Red Wing, Minnesota to La Crosse, Wisconsin

Episode 14

Tomah to Portage, Wisconsin

Episode 15

Milwaukee to Racine, Wisconsin

Episode 16

Chicago, the Windy City

Episode 17

Chicago, US Rail Hub

Episode 18

Homewood to Champaign, Illinois

Episode 19

Mattoon, Illinois to Columbus, Kentucky

Episode 20

Memphis, Tennessee