Documentary that tells the surprising story of how Britain entered a new age of steam railways after the Second World War and why it quickly came to an end.
The surprising story of how Britain entered a new age of steam railways after the Second World War and why it quickly came to an end.
After the war, the largely destroyed railways of Europe were rebuilt to carry more modern diesel and electric trains. Britain, however, chose to build thousands of brand new steam locomotives. Did we stay with steam because coal was seen as the most reliable power source, or were the railways run by men who couldn't bear to let go of their beloved steam trains?
The new British locomotives were designed to stay in service well into the 1970s, but in some cases they were taken off the railways and scrapped within just five years. When Dr Richard Beeching took over British Railways in the 1960s the writing was on the wall, and in 1968 the last steam passenger train blew its whistle.
But while steam use declined, steam enthusiasm grew. As many steam engines lay rusting in scrapyards around Britain, enthusiasts raised funds to buy, restore and return them to their former glory. In 2008, the first brand new steam locomotive to be built in Britain in nearly 50 years rolled off the line, proving our enduring love of these machines.
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
-
![]()
00:17The Ethiopians
Engine 54
-
![]()
00:38The Ethiopians
Train To Skaville
-
![]()
00:39Quantic
Time Is The Enemy
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Producer | George Chan |
| Director | George Chan |
| Producer | John Das |
| Writer | Ian Marchant |
Broadcasts
- Thu 16 Oct 2008 21:00
- Fri 17 Oct 2008 00:50
- Fri 17 Oct 2008 02:50
- Mon 20 Oct 2008 19:30
- Tue 21 Oct 2008 01:50
- Thu 20 Nov 2008 21:00
Mon 8 Dec 2008 19:00麻豆社 Two except Wales & Yorkshire- Mon 22 Dec 2008 10:00麻豆社 Two except Yorkshire
- Tue 23 Dec 2008 23:00
- Christmas Eve 2008 03:10
- Wed 21 Dec 2011 19:00
- Wed 21 Dec 2011 23:00
- Wed 18 Jan 2012 20:00
- Thu 5 Apr 2012 20:00
- Fri 6 Apr 2012 01:30
- Wed 20 Jun 2012 20:00
- Thu 21 Jun 2012 01:30
- Sun 18 Nov 2012 19:00
- Wed 11 Nov 2015 20:00
- Thu 24 Mar 2016 20:00
- Tue 29 Mar 2016 23:00
- Wed 2 Nov 2016 20:00
- Thu 3 Nov 2016 00:30
- Sat 5 Nov 2016 19:00
- Sun 21 May 2017 20:00
- Tue 23 May 2017 01:30
- Wed 18 Apr 2018 23:00
- Thu 19 Apr 2018 02:50
- Tue 4 Dec 2018 00:00
- Wed 14 Aug 2019 23:45
- Wed 21 Oct 2020 22:00
- Wed 23 Jun 2021 20:00
- Thu 24 Jun 2021 01:30