Mark Williams On The Rails

Season 1

2004 · 10 episodes · 3h 50m in all

Episodes

1. 

   1. Cornish Steam Giant

   1 Apr 2004 · 23 min

   Mark Williams celebrates two hundred years of trains, charting the development of the first locomotive by Richard Trevithick in 1804.

2. 

   2. Rocket Men

   8 Apr 2004 · 23 min

   Mark Williams celebrates two hundred years of trains, tracking the creation of railways in the North East by George Stephenson and son.

3. 

   3. Brunel

   15 Apr 2004 · 23 min

   The creation of the Great Western Railway under the control of a single engineer I.K. Brunel

4. 

   4. Moving Mountains

   22 Apr 2004 · 23 min

   Mark Williams discovers how a curious engine used to transport slate down the Welsh mountains inspired an amazing railway through the Rocky Mountains.

5. 

   5. Carriage Kings

   29 Apr 2004 · 23 min

   Mark Williams explores how the introduction of railways affected society. He rides in an old third-class carriage before travelling in style on the Orient Express

6. 

   6. Death on the Tracks

   6 May 2004 · 23 min

   In this edition, Mark Williams learns how, during the early days of train travel, death on the tracks was tragically common.

7. 

   7. Big Country

   13 May 2004 · 23 min

   Mark Williams rides the American railroad to explore how the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad linked the east and west coasts of America.

8. 

   8. Speed and Power

   20 May 2004 · 23 min

   Mark Williams explains how the race for speed during the 1920s and 1930s led to locomotives setting records that are still a match for modern rail travel.

9. 

   9. Going Underground

   27 May 2004 · 23 min

   Mark Williams gets to grips with the oldest subterranean train network in the world, London's Underground, and travels through an early tunnel under the Thames.

10. 

    10. Diesel Generation

    3 Jun 2004 · 23 min

    Mark Williams explores the introduction of diesel electric systems in 1953 and drives a Class 31 complete with hot plate, windscreen wiper and ashtrays.