Trains that Changed the World
This series looks at the iconic trains that have done the most to change history. Each train is an engineering marvel, each one a leap forward in the history of trains and railways. But more than this, these are the trains that made the modern world. These are the trains that unify nations and open up continents, that miraculously shrink distance and create a global economy, changing how we trade, what we buy and make and sell. They change how we live and even how we think, speeding up our lives and expanding our horizons. These are the machines that made us modern. Each episode features one iconic train and describes its impact on railway history and on history in general, combining archive and expert testimony with actuality and hands-on engineering demonstrations.
- 2018-2018
- 1 season
- Documentary
This series looks at the iconic trains that have done the most to change history. Each train is an engineering marvel, each one a leap forward in the history of trains and railways. But more than this, these are the trains that made the modern world. These are the trains that unify nations and open up continents, that miraculously shrink distance and create a global economy, changing how we trade, what we buy and make and sell. They change how we live and even how we think, speeding up our lives and expanding our horizons. These are the machines that made us modern. Each episode features one iconic train and describes its impact on railway history and on history in general, combining archive and expert testimony with actuality and hands-on engineering demonstrations.
Season 1 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2018
Episode 1
First Impact
A look at the origins of rail transport during the Industrial Revolution.
Episode 2
Age of Freedom
A look at how the railroad ended slavery in the United States, whilst the British Empire used them to oppress and enslave people under their rule in India and Africa.
Episode 3
Brave New World
The steam train reached its zenith in the Old World, and in the New World trains like the Burlington Zephyr were part pf the race for modernity.
Episode 4
Metal Monsters
The fast advancement of freight trains, that can haul heavy weights across thousands of miles, and are the leviathan that keep the world on track.
Episode 5
World on the Move
Travelling between cities around the world becomes easier, and the solution in the United Kingdom became steam that ran under the city - the London Underground.
Episode 6
The Supertrains
The modern supertrains of Mainland China.