Trains That Changed the World

PG2018

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.

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Language

Status

Ended

First Aired

October 17, 2018

Last Aired

November 21, 2018

Networks

U&Yesterday

Where to Watch

Region US · Lang EN

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Seasons & Episodes

Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.

Season

First Impact

Air date: 2018-10-17

The stories behind the most important trains in history and their impact on the world, beginning with a look at the first locomotives during the Industrial Revolution.

Age of Freedom

Air date: 2018-10-24

The railroads ended slavery in the USA, but trains can be agents of oppression too. The British Empire built railways to rule the world, enabling it to control the empire.

Brave New World

Air date: 2018-10-31

The steam train reached its zenith in the Old World, and in the New World, trains like the Burlington Zephyr were part of the race for modernity

Metal Monsters

Air date: 2018-11-07

Advanced freight trains can haul the weight of 170 Boeing 747s across thousands of miles. The freight train is the leviathan that keeps the world on track.

World on the Move

Air date: 2018-11-14

As travelling between cities became easier, crossing them was impossible. The solution was steam train that ran under the city - the London Underground.

The Supertrains

Air date: 2018-11-21

China is the champion of high-speed rail and 75 million people now live within an hour's commute of Shanghai - more than the entire population of the UK.