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Episode 5

Episode 5 of 6

Series exploring the expansion of railways in the Victorian era. The team visit the South Devon Railway to explore the life of the branch line before the Beeching cuts of the 60s.

It is full steam ahead for historians Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn as they bring back to life the golden age of steam and explore how the Victorian railways created modern Britain.

In this episode, the team head to the South Devon Railway to explore the life of the branch line before the Beeching cuts of the 1960s. Ruth hand-milks a local breed of cow and discovers how the railways came to the rescue when a deadly disease wiped out almost the entire stock of London cattle.

After undergoing an eyesight test, Victorian-style, Peter joins the footplate crew on the South Devon line. But it is not all plain sailing when it comes to driving the milk train through the night. We meet Dave Knowling, a steam-engine driver of 63 years' experience, who shows Peter how it is done and why it is so important to keep one eye closed when shovelling coal. Working on the Victorian railways was dangerous - 500 lost their lives and 16,000 were injured in one year alone. Ruth discovers those who lost a limb on the Great Western Railway were catered for by a special prosthetic limbs workshop.

Alex and Peter take a trip to Strathspey Railway and find out about one of Scotland's most lucrative exports, while at the Gwili Line, Ruth finds out why a young, Welsh entrepreneur became the first person to introduce mail order catalogues - thanks to the railways.

59 minutes

Last on

Sun 21 Feb 2021 02:50

Clip

Music Played

  • James Curd

    Got To Have

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Ruth Goodman
Presenter Alex Langlands
Presenter Peter Ginn
Production Company Lion Television
Series Producer Stuart Elliott
Director Stuart Elliott
Executive Producer Nick Catliff
Production Manager Claire Smith
Producer Emma Randle-Caprez
Producer Georgina Stewart
Production Coordinator Rachael Pagett
Sound Recordist Tim Hodge
Camera Operator Tom Pilbeam
Editor Guy Scutter
Researcher Fjolla Iberhysaj
Participant Sandra Fry
Participant Jim Jeffrey
Participant Dave Knowling
Participant Alan Taylor
Participant Barbara Turner
Participant Alasdair Page
Participant Mike Esbester
Participant Brian Robinson
Participant Alan Johnson
Participant Darren Robinson
Participant John Brodribb
Participant Jeremy John
Participant Marc Lucas

Broadcasts

Download a free Railways poster from The Open University

Discover how the railways transformed the British Isles during the 19th Century.

Archive Collection: Steam Railways

Programmes from the 麻豆社 archives celebrating the beauty of steam locomotives