BBC - Full Steam Ahead (2016) Part 5

Full Steam Ahead

The Age of Steam was an era of extraordinary change which utterly transformed every aspect of British life – from trade and transportation to health and recreation. This series reveals how the world we live in today was entirely shaped by the railways, charting the glorious evolution of rail transportation and how it left its mark on our lives, landscape and culture. Hop aboard an old-fashioned locomotive and set off down the line to a new part of the country with the established stars of the BBC Two Farm series, Peter Ginn, Alex Langlands and Ruth Goodman who have immersed themselves in the story of how the railways made us what we are today. Our team of experts also get their hands dirty - driving the train, working in the station, manning the signal box and learning how to run every aspect of a 19th and early 20th century railway. This is a trip not to be missed.

Part 5

The historians explore the life of the South Devon branch line before the Beeching cuts of the 1960s. Peter Ginn joins a footplate crew and receives coal-shovelling tips from a veteran steam engine driver of 63 years' experience, and with Alex he learns about one of Scotland's most lucrative exports. Ruth Goodman finds out about the dangers involved in working on the Victorian railways, and how those who lost limbs were catered for by a dedicated prosthetics workshop. She also discovers how the railways came to the rescue when a deadly disease wiped out almost the entire stock of London cattle.

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