Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. Immortalized by Judy Garland in MGM's classic The Harvey Girls, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe began in the dreams of one man who saw the future of transcontinental transportation and its impact on countless cities across its 11,000 miles of track.
Built for Speed
At the inception of railways, trains moved about as fast as a horse; but as speeds increased, so did man's pursuit of even faster trains! We'll examine the train's evolution from the steam to the diesel and electrical age
The Caboose
For over 150 years, a caboose followed at the end of almost every freight train. Along the way, the red cupola-topped caboose became office, warehouse, and home for the conductor and brakemen. Most held the stove and cookware for a crew far from home. Life aboard a "crummy" was filled with good times, good food, and hazardous duty!
The Circus Train
When the circus came to town, the town took a break. And in the days before movies, radio and TV, when circuses were America's favorite form of entertainment, they traveled the country on some of the most colorful trains ever built. The whistle of the circus train meant an unofficial holiday.
THE CIRCUS TRAIN is a nostalgic look at a largely-vanished icon, from the specialized cars that carried the animals to the culture that grew up around the travelling circus. See how the train made it possible to do everything from set-up to take-down in a single day. Extensive footage captures the glory day of the circus trains, when they criss-crossed the nation bringing entertainment to big cities and out-of-the-way towns alike. Discover why they disappeared in 1956, and why the "Greatest Show on Earth" returned to the rails just four years later. Meet the folks who make the modern train go, and hear from veterans of the old-time travelling circuses.
The Engineers
A profile of the "captains of the tracks", the men and women who pilot some of the most powerful machines ever built. We'll talk to locomotive engineers about the railroad's romantic past, watch them guide today's sleek super liners, and take a peek at their future.
Grand Central
New York's Grand Central has been revolutionary since Cornelius Vanderbilt first envisioned it. Combining architectural beauty with functionality, it changed the face of Manhattan, spurring mid-town development in an area then called "the end of the world." And it won a pivotal Supreme Court case to prevent its destruction!
Great Railroad Visionaries
Railroads built America into a world power, making legendary figures out of entrepreneurial men. Meet the robber barons, engineers, and inventors who made transportation history in the "Gilded Age". And, ride the rails with some of the most loved and hated men of their age--financiers Vanderbilt, Gould, and Morgan.
The rise of the American railroads is one of the great stories of innovation and industry in the history of the world. And at the center of the saga are men of vision and passion, innovators and inventors, businessmen and blowhards whose personalities helped shape one of the greatest accomplishments of the industrial age.
GREAT RAILROAD VISIONARIES tells the tales of these storied individuals, from the dream of Henry Flagler, who helped transform Florida into a vacation destination, to James J. Hill, who brought the rails to the American Northwest. Filled with period accounts, rare footage and interviews with railroad historians and experts like Bill Withuhn of the Smithsonian Institution, this is a fascinating introduction to the characters and personalities who shaped America's first and most important transportation empire.
Great Train Disasters
Throughout railroad history, disasters lay at the heart of progress, since expansion and profit proved the main goals of management. In 1875 alone, an average of 22 train accidents happened daily. We'll examine how safety, once a secondary consideration, became a primary goal.
In the early days of the railroads, as robber barons rushed to lay more track than their rivals and the lure of commerce pushed the rails further into the wilderness, accidents were commonplace. In 1890 alone, over 6,000 people were killed and 35,000 injured in train accidents. Today, rail travel is much safer, but a surprising number of train trips still end in disaster. GREAT TRAIN DISASTERS is a riveting, disturbing journey through the dark side of rail travel. Period reports and photographs detail the many problems that dogged railroads in their infancy, from exploding boilers to washed-out track. See stunning footage of more modern accidents and their aftermath, and explore what can be done to make trains safer with officials and experts. And hear harrowing tales of disaster from those lucky enough to survive.
Great Train Robberies
As railroads evolved into the chief means of transporting mail and payroll, gold and silver, a flashy and deadly criminal emerged, etching his way into the annals of transportation mythology. From America's James Gang to a London heist that netted over $5,000,000
The Locomotive
For the early engineer, the locomotive boasted an open seat, a few control arms, and an insatiable appetite for coal. Today, it's the cockpit of a computerized high-speed missile. From the Industrial Revolution's Rocket to the SD-90 poised to pull trains into the 21st century, we'll track the evolution of the locomotive
Model Railroads
Model railroads first appeared in the mid-1800s--steam-powered miniature trains fueled by alcohol and water. But Joshua Lionel Cowen changed childhood forever when he made his first electric train at the turn of the 20th century. Track the evolution of model railroads, from cast iron push-toys to today's digital masterpieces.
The New York Central: The Water Level Route
The 20th Century Limited is just a memory now. The halls of New York City's Grand Central Terminal no longer echo with cross-country travelers. We'll go back in time to the days when the New York Central battled its cross-town rival, the Pennsylvania Railroad.
History embraces some of the most famous names in the history of American railroading Cornelius Vanderbilt, Grand Central Terminal, The 20th Century Limited. Like many other legendary lines, The New York Central is now just a memory. But for a century, the line founded by Erastus Corning and transformed by Vanderbilt was the standard by which others were measured.
THE NEW YORK CENTRAL is an authoritative tour through the history and legacy of this storied line. Archival footage brings to life its glory days, when the red carpet and cool elegance of the Henry Dreyfuss design made the Limited the last word in railroading elegance. See how the Central grew from a union of many smaller railroads into a huge network with tens of thousands of miles of track and six daily runs from New York to Chicago. And trace its decline after World War II, when even a merger with its arch-rival, The Pennsylvania Railroad, could not stave off the inevitable end.
Pennsylvania Station: Manhattan Gateway
Early in the 20th century, the most powerful rail company, the Pennsylvania Railroad, built the largest monument a corporation ever built to itself. Manhattan's Penn Station had a vaulted hall with masonry derived from the Hermae of Rome. Tragically torn down in 1965, in its 50 years it symbolized U.S. railroading's grandeur.
Power & Speed: Diesel Locomotives
Since their inception in the 1920s, diesel locomotives drove trains as electric power generated by diesel engines displaced "King Steam" in the landscape of modern railroading. We'll track the evolution of the diesel's success and look at recent innovations.
POWER AND SPEED: DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES uses extensive archival footage, interviews with railroaders and engineers and tours of many important engines to show how diesel power came to dominate the world's railroads. Trace the innovations that led to the perfection of the diesel-electric powerplant which almost all modern locomotives employ, and get an up-close look at the most powerful engines ever built, the revolutionary gas-turbines run by the Union Pacific. See how standardization was a key to their success, yet how diesels developed their own distinct personalities, including the vibrant paint schemes like the Santa Fe's "war bonnet" design. And climb into the cab for a firsthand look at these mighty engines in action.
Presidential Trains
Jump onboard these vehicles of hope and promise, and sometime bearers of death and despair. Ride the rails as the chief executive journeys into America's heartland. From Andrew Jackson's 13-mile joy ride to the solemn processionals of the assassinated Lincoln and Kennedy, travel with the U.S. White House on Wheels.
Railway Marvels
Though steam-powered trains were a significant invention, they couldn't move without railroads. Historians, civil engineers, and train buffs accompany us as we track the ways of the rail--from America's transcontinental railroads to the Chunnel buried 131 feet beneath the English Channel.
RAILWAY MARVELS tells the story of the race to build the railways that transformed America. Incredible footage and photos capture the struggles and triumphs, innovation and effort that combined to create the quarter million mile network of tracks that crossed the nation by 1920. From the backbreaking tunneling that spawned the legend of John Henry to the technical innovations and engineering breakthroughs that overcame nature's formidable obstacles, RAILWAY MARVELS introduces the people and inventions at the heart of the railroads' remarkable expansion. Stunning photos, expert interviews and footage of some of the most impressive engineering feats ever attempted make this a riveting look at the men and machines that changed America.
Railroad Police
Ride shotgun along with the folks who protect trains, passengers, and cargo on American railways. From the gunfighters in the mid-19th century, the Civil War's Pinkerton Detective Agency, to today's special agents with federal authority, they pursue the bad guys who would derail the system.
In the lawless wilds of the Old West, trains were an inviting target for outlaws. After many were held up by people like Jesse James and Butch Cassidy, the railroads responded by hiring security companies (and occasional freelance gunfighters). Soon, the Pinkertons were a household word, their battles against renegades and outlaws a recurring theme in the early days of rail travel.
While the Pinkertons' glory days have long passed, the problem of keeping trains and their passengers and freight safe remains. RAILROAD POLICE tells the story of security on the American rails, from the colorful days of horse-bound gangsters to the high-tech systems that guard against terrorism and vandalism today. Railroad historians share incredible stories of heists and schemes, and tell how the hobo culture forever changed life on the rails. And security experts show some of the latest developments in the never-ending battle to keep America's railroads safe.
Steam Trains
Until the diesel age, trains were powered by steam, and we'll trace the steam train's 160-year history. We travel to Steamtown National Park to see these 19th-century technological wonders in action; and, visit Union Pacific's Steam Operations Division to profile #3985, the largest operating steam locomotive in the world.
Stokin' The Fire: What Makes Trains Go
From the first tiny locomotive in 1825 to the nationwide rail network that moves countless tons of freight and millions of passengers daily, this is an enthralling ride through the history of the American railroads. The railroads took a young nation and helped it grow into an international power. They helped win the West, they tamed the vast distances of the continental country, and they became an essential part of America's commerce, economy and folklore. STOKIN' THE FIRE is the definitive history of America's railroads. From their role in the Civil War to the heyday of the Pullman Car to today, follow the growth of the railroads through dramatic footage, rare photos, and interviews with the people who have made their livelihood from them. Trace the evolution of the steam engine from the tiny Tom Thumb to the mighty Big Boy the largest and most powerful steamer ever built and see how diesels took over after World War II. Go onboard some of the most luxurious trains of all, and climb aboard for a ride in a modern locomotive.
Toy Trains
Model railroads first appeared in the mid-1800s--steam-powered miniature trains fueled by alcohol and water. But Joshua Lionel Cowen changed childhood forever when he made his first electric train at the turn of the 20th century. Track the evolution of model railroads, from cast iron push-toys to today's digital masterpieces
Trans-Canadian Railway
The golden spike of the Trans-Continental Railway was driven in 1869, linking America's coasts and paving the way for massive expansion of the young nation. Years later, the drama was replayed in Canada, and the vast expanses of the Canadian plains and western coast were finally accessible.
THE TRANS-CANADIAN RAILWAY tells the remarkable story of one of the most important engineering projects in history. See dramatic footage of the work crews mostly manned by immigrant laborers as they forged their way across the wilderness, conquering the towering Rockies and the vast emptiness of the Plains. Historians reveal how the growth of Canada is inextricably tied to the history of the Canadian Pacific Railway, while contemporary accounts capture the hardships, struggles and eventual triumph of THE TRANS-CANADIAN RAILWAY.
Trains in War
Examines how the great 19th-century peacetime invention developed into a powerful war machine, forever altering how, when, where, and why battles were fought. Also looks at the brave men and women who kept the military Iron Horses running, often at their own peril.
TRAINS IN WAR is the definitive examination of how the great peacetime creation of the 19th century forever changed the way nations wage war. From the storied Civil War saga of The General to the trains that sent millions of Hitler's innocent victims to the death camps, explore the fascinating stories and varied missions of military trains. See rare footage of trains in action during the World Wars, and meet some of the men and women who kept them running, often under life threatening conditions. It's a riveting exploration of an often-overlooked aspect of warfare, and an explosive chapter in the history of the world's railroads.
Urban Trains
On October 27, 1904, the mayor of New York City switched on the city's first subway car, unexpectedly took over the controls, and scared diplomats and dignitaries alike with his high-speed tour under Manhattan! Before World War I, Los Angeles had the greatest trolley system in the world, but it was intentionally dismantled by a holding company representing Firestone, Standard Oil and General Motors.
URBAN TRAINS is an illuminating ride through the history of the trolleys, subways and light rail systems that serve America's cities. Go deep beneath New York to see how the city was literally turned inside-out to build the subways, and how the system grew into one of the world's largest and most successful. And in San Francisco, where Cable Cars were the only way to deal with that city's famous hills, the BART system points the way for the urban trains of the future. From the golden age of the trolley to the rebirth of light rail today, this is a comprehensive look at URBAN TRAINS.
The Wabash Cannon Ball
It is one of the most famous names in railroading, but the story of the Wabash line is much more than the tale of one fast train. The Wabash was built and broken by John Jay Gould, one of the most notorious Wall Street traders of the 19th century. Gould dreamed of creating a transcontinental rail empire, but poor decisions and bad luck denied him his vision. THE WABASH CANNONBALL tells the complete tale behind one of the most storied and famous railroads in America. Discover how, when the depression of 1884 forced Gould to put the Wabash into receivership, he actually convinced the government to give it back to him! See extensive footage from the glory days of steam, when the Wabash's habit of running their luxurious passenger trains and fast freights at breakneck speeds led to the "Cannonball" nickname. But it would be decades before the Wabash officially adopted the moniker, and by then, the seeds of its demise had already been sown.
When Giants Roamed: The Golden Age of Steam
Weighing over 600 tons, carrying over 28 tons of coal and over 25,000 gallons of water, giant steam locomotives pulled mile-long trains and did the work of three regular steam engines. Before the last days of America's golden age of steam, the mournful cry of the whistle would sing from the largest beasts ever to roam the earth!
From the first Iron Horse until the coming of the diesel in the late 1940s, trains and steam power were synonymous. Even today, when only a handful of steam locomotives remain, the allure of these majestic machines is undeniable.
STEAM TRAINS is the definitive history of the most celebrated and perhaps the most important vehicles in history. Get up-close with some of the survivors from the glory days of the railroads, including Union Pacific locomotive #3985, the largest operating steamer in the world, and see extensive footage from the golden age of steam. Go into the cab and under their steel skin to see how these massive machines work, and see stunning photographs from renowned railroad photographer O. Winston Link, whose images of ""big steam"" capture the romance and majesty of these vanished giants. And railroad historians detail the many factors that combined to bring the age of steam to an end.
WHEN GIANTS ROAMED journeys back to the golden age of steam for an up-close look at these legendary locos. See the Union Pacific's famed Big Boy in action and ride the rails of the Chesapeake & Ohio and Norfolk & Western, eastern coal-hauling railroads with an unquenchable thirst for power. Meet the men who drove engines like the Allegheny and Yellowstone, and visit the museums and yards where the largest steamers ever built are preserved today.