RAILDATE 2023.08.18

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Sorry, Raildate skipped a week ... but there's a double edition this week.

Your editor's holiday last week

I spent the week in Zell-am-See, Austria. It's a great spot for an active holiday - hiking, cycling, running, swimming etc - which we did.

The Summer Card for people staying in the local hotels is extraordinary value. Our tourist tax of €2.05 per day paid for use of all buses, local trains, cable cars etc.

And ... the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn is fully included

Sadly, 22km of the 53km line - a 760mm gauge classic - was washed away in 2021 - on top of similar disasters in 2005 and 2014. About 30% is operating again. There's a half-hourly service during the week, with every other train connecting with a replacement bus to the railhead at Krimml. Another 30% - from Niedersill to Mittersill - is being comprehensively rebuilt. Which leaves 40% to Krimml where no work has started.

The devastation at Krimml can only be imagined. The station has been cleared of rubble but was utterly buried when the Krimml Waterfalls - Europe's longest series of waterfalls - had to deal a whole valley-full of meltwater. We walked the lovely upper valley in summer conditions, and enjoyed tea and schnapps at a mountain hut; so benign.

Here's a photo of Krimml in happier times. Photo by Kevin Hughes [RCTS Collection]. Class 2095 NG Diesel Hydraulic No. 2095.002 at Krimml 1996.06.01. Note the dedicated cycle wagon.

The bus replacement service is really very good. It is just as quick. So, a question must be: Is it worth rebuilding the railway fully?

Answer: The railway is used to handling one-way cyclists who can turn-up-and-go . The car-free cycle path up the valley to Krimml has thousands of cyclists using the wonderful off-road Tauern Radweg. Their ability to link up with the railway is a great touristic asset for the region. The bus copes, but requires a booking. The railway (with its cycle capacity on every train) simply shrugs - and absorbs the demand.

Rebuilding in progress

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Thank you to this week's contributors.

The Weekly Poser: Where is this?

We see a Peak (Class 44, 45 or 46) departing from - where? And heading in which direction?

Last week's Where is this?

The map shows railways electrified under various voltages. Blue=3Kv DC, Green=15Kv AC, Red=25Kv AC, Black=Unelectrified. Placenames have been removed, but can you work out which major city is circled in yellow?

Answer: Vienna. Congratulations are due to the following for their correct answers: Richard Fleming, Paul Hopper, Andrew Treves, Dave Goodyear, Jeremy Harrison, and Simon Wass.

With national boundaries reinstated on the map, it becomes clear why the voltage changes take place where they do. With one glaring exception: Czechia and Slovakia adopted the 3Kv DC standard of Poland in the north and 25Kv AC in the south. A slow process of switching to 25Kv is in progress but thank goodness for multi-voltage locos.

TELEVISION

UK television listings with a transport theme for the next eight days

Click me to open/close [Online only, not in the weekly email]

Abandoned Engineering -:- An abandoned railway station near a town in Spain that is home to just 500 people and a record-breaking Arctic facility that goes deep below the surface

A Bullet for the General (1966) -:- An American traveller finds himself drawn into all manner of violent adventures when he ill-advisedly heads for Mexico. His train is held up by bandits who are collecting weapons and money for revolutionary activities, and he ends up joining them - but a dark secret looks set to place him in serious danger. Spaghetti Western, starring Klaus Kinski, Gian Maria Volonte and Lou Castel. In Italian

A League of Their Own US Road Trip -:- James Corden, Jamie Redknapp, Jack Whitehall and Andrew Flintoff go on another adventure across America, competing in a series of challenges as they travel from Los Angeles to New York. In the first episode, Jamie loses his temper when he's left injured following a hot-dog eating competition, and all four of them train with the Californian State Lifeguards

'Allo 'Allo! -:- Rene reluctantly assists the Resistance as they set out to blow up a railway line, but the mission is jeopardised when Edith mistakes the explosives for gin. Meanwhile, a plane from London supposedly transporting German uniforms turns out to contain a tailor

Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks -:- When Alvin and Eleanor train to be lifeguards, Theodore is passed over but later manages to save the day.

American Outlaws (2001) -:- The residents of a small town in the American Midwest are horrified to discover a conniving businessman has bought the leases of all their homes to make way for a railroad. Luckily, legendary outlaw Jesse James is prepared to help put things right. Western, starring Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, Timothy Dalton, Kathy Bates and Ali Larter

American Pickers -:- The guys make off with a bulging bounty of cool signs when they pick an old train caboose in the Californian mountains

Bakugan Legends -:- As the Awesome Brawlers train for the Battle Judgement, they learn of a new Core - the Nova Core! Dan and Drago use its mysterious new powers against an unexpected opponent.

Bandidos (1967) -:- A famous gunman is travelling on a train when it is help up by an outlaw gang led by one of his former students, and while the younger man gets the upper hand this time, he lives to regret crossing his old teacher. Western, starring Enrico Maria Salerno, Venantino Venantini, Terry Jenkins and Maria Martin

Britain's Greatest Machines with Chris Barrie -:- Chris Barrie assesses how trains have changed British society since they were invented in the 1820s

Britain's Scenic Railways -:- A magical winter journey through some of the country's most festive railways, including the sparkling illuminations of Steam in Lights at the Severn Valley Railway, a steam train carrying Santa through the Yorkshire Moors, a stunning helicopter flight checking for snow drifts in the wild Scottish Highlands, and the Cairngorms reindeer herd on a day trip to the Strathspey steam railway

Britain's Scenic Railways -:- A steam train ride through the Yorkshire Moors reveals how the Bronte sisters became railway revolutionaries, and artist Leo du Feu takes a Highland journey to Thurso in the footsteps of the Jellicoe Express. Plus, the hero who rescued the crumbling Ribblehead Viaduct. Narrated by Bill Paterson

Britain's Scenic Railways -:- The documentary celebrates the 50th anniversary of classic movie The Railway Children with a steam train ride through the Yorkshire moors and recalls the winter storms that washed away the south Devon railway

Britain's Scenic Railways -:- The documentary follows the route of the Hogwarts Express to Glenfinnan station, where a piece of railway history is up for sale. A Highlands helicopter ride reveals how climate change is threatening the line, and cameras follow efforts to restore a cherished steam locomotive to the Strathspey Railway

Caught Red Handed -:- A woman catches a carer stealing her money on camera, then encounters the same deceit a few weeks later with a different employee. Plus, Network Rail share footage of people endangering their lives on the train tracks, and reveal their efforts to stop those involved. Presented by Dominic Littlewood

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris sets out on a mission to cross three former Soviet republics entirely by rail in just one week, travelling through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and uncovering amazing stories and dark secrets from the region's past. He begins in Narva, Estonia, before heading to the capital Tallinn on the country's oldest railway, built by German nobles to connect the Russian imperial capital St Petersburg with Estonia's ports, then travelling through Latvia and Lithuania and heading to the Russian border on a revolutionary new line

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris Tarrant explores five countries that were part of Yugoslavia, which had an extensive state-run railway network before its break-up in the 1990s and the Balkan Wars of Independence that followed. From Slovenia, Chris heads east along an old Austro-Hungarian railway that was once used by the Orient Express, pays a visit to a very unusual railway-related battlefield in Bosnia and rides on one of the world's great mountain railways on his way to the Serbian capital Belgrade before finishing his journey in Montenegro

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris travels through the Middle East to explore what remains of the colonial railways, which were built there more than 100 years ago. In the Wadi Rum valley, Chris boards a steam train along one of the few bits of the Hejaz railway that remains in working use, following the route through Jordan, before crossing the border into Israel as he heads for Jerusalem, which is sacred to more than half of the world's population. Along the way, Chris visits the ancient city of Petra, as well as Haifa and Tel Aviva

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- The broadcaster travels from the west of Morocco to the east, heading into the desert on a mission to find out whether a railway line once crossed the Sahara all the way to Timbuktu in Mali. He begins in Marrakesh, taking in Casablanca and Fez before visiting a town that he is convinced has been named in his honour

Click -:- Marc Cieslak finds out how technology is helping train British Army troops, while Lara Lewington puts artificial intelligence fitness instructors to the test.

Coastal Railways with Julie Walters -:- The actress travels from Newcastle to Edinburgh by high speed train. Along the way, she stops off at the coastal town of Alnmouth, discovers where the phrase Keep Calm and Carry On originated, visits the world's biggest gannet colony, and goes out to sea with a lobster breeder. When she reaches her destination, she discovers the connection between the railway and the famous Balmoral Hotel

Criminals: Caught on Camera -:- Journalist Nick Wallis joins police forces around the nation to discover how CCTV is helping to bring criminals using weapons to justice. A CCTV operator's instincts lead him to keep an eye on a man acting suspiciously on a train station platform and who then takes a knife out of his pocket and threatens a woman coming towards him. There is also footage of a raid on a west London jewellery shop, with the gang spraying bleach in the eyes of security guards and smashing down the doors with pickaxes while the terrified staff cower inside

Derelict Rescue -:- From crumbling railway stations to abandoned RAF bases, enthusiastic families across the UK are turning neglected relics into a unique place to live

Destroyed in Seconds -:- Clips of a fire at a chemical plant, a racing driver trapped in a burning car, a pilot tipped from a hot air balloon during a show, a train derailment and a stunt jump gone awry

Destroyed in Seconds -:- Footage of a train accident that led to huge explosions, a wall collapsing on top of firefighters, planes colliding on an aircraft carrier, a race-car crash and a sinking pier

Emergency -:- Eighty-four-year-old Ralph heads in to a surgery with a 50-50 chance of survival. After being crushed against metal railings then thrown into the basement of a Mayfair property, 33-year-old Zoltan had his leg amputated and now needs an operation on his pelvis to give him any chance of walking on a prosthetic leg. Kent Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance bring 42-year-old Karl into King's Major Trauma Centre after a collision on the M25. Thirteen-year-old Alicia is about to have surgery after her accident with a lamp post and an E-scooter

Escape to the Perfect Town -:- Nicki Chapman visits the seaside town of Ayr, combing through its good-looking property stock and popular culture haunts. With £400,000 in their pocket, her buyers have pinpointed Ayr as a potential perfect town because it puts them a walk from the beach and a train ride from the buzz of Glasgow. They soon discover it's a real gem of a place, with a multi-generational crowd thanks to its university campus and lively theatre scene, as well as award-winning local seafood on the waterfront

Flog It! -:- Paul Martin presents from Powderham Castle in Devon, which dating back to the 14th century, is the long-standing home of the Courtenay family. Antiques experts Claire Rawle and Mark Stacey find great treasures among hundreds of visitors to the stately home. Claire meets a steam train fan with a great collection of memorabilia, and Mark gets a surprise when an art deco Spanish bracelet goes under the hammer. Paul also delves into the history of the Met Office

Four in a Bed -:- The final day of the competition sees the B&B owners meet for the last time to find out what they've been paid and settle some scores. The Ship Inn is up first, with managers James Tindall and Jessica Walton wanting to let off steam about the surprise comments that made their visit a heated affair

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo begins a new journey on the tracks of the Ocean line to explore Canada's maritime provinces, en route to Quebec City. Along the way he dons a kilt and sporran to join in the recreation of an 18th-century Scottish Highland regiment and learns of a catastrophic explosion in Halifax harbour in 1917, which killed 2,000 people and left 25,000 homeless

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues his journey to Quebec City, beginning by boarding the train from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick. Along the way he investigates the world's biggest tide at Hopewell Rocks and admires its dramatic rock formations and caves. He also appears to defy gravity on a magnetic hill in a 1965 Pontiac Bonneville, before joining the Elsipogtog First Nation to learn about quilting and traditional dress. He also goes fishing for oysters and helps quarry 150-year-old sandstone

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo explores the Province of Quebec, taking the Charlevoix train along the north bank of the St Lawrence River to La Malbaie. Along the way he flies over the Laurentian Mountains in a seaplane, fishes for trout and views the waterfall at Montmorency from a zipwire - and that's just the first half of this leg

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo follows America's iconic River Hudson, beginning at New York City's Penn Station, where he rides on the national rail carrier service, Amtrak. At Tarrytown, he hears a famous American ghost story, the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and on the east bank of the Hudson he stops at Garrison, where he hears about the greatest turncoat in American history. In Poughkeepsie, the presenter visits a university built just for women, before arriving in New York's state capital, Albany, where he samples Albany Ale and meets the State Senator

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo makes his way from Chicago to Champaign, Illinois. On his travels he discovers the origins of the Sanitary and Ship Canal, joins the head chef at Palmer House Hotel to recreate the original chocolate brownie, and visits the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house that changed the face of American architecture

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo stops at Mattoon, Illinois, where he gets a taste of the early life that shaped President Abraham Lincoln, though struggles to split one rail compared with Lincoln's estimated 700 a day. The political pundit then heads to Kentucky, where a bloody conflict proved decisive in victory for Lincoln's Union. Aboard a paddle steamer on the lower Mississippi, Michael hears about the life of former river boat captain Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, and in Memphis, Tennessee, uncovers the story of a devastating epidemic. In the home of the Blues, Michael joins some Elvis fans at Graceland

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo strikes west across Manitoba into the province of Saskatchewan. High above the Prairie at Riding Mountain, he discovers how a middle-class British boy from Hastings transformed himself into an influential indigenous naturalist called Grey Owl. Deep in the Prairie, he finds a network of railways that once served the wheat farmers of Saskatchewan, and learns how communities grew up around the grain elevators used to load the crops on to rail wagons

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- The final leg of Michael Portillo's journey begins in Edmonton, where he learns about the people who 300 years ago travelled huge distances by foot and canoe to trade with indigenous people. He also admires the city's early 20th-century streetcars, preserved by the Radial Railway Society, and its light rail system. Moving on, he views the Rocky Mountains, marvels at the scale of Canada's forestry industry and discovers how the beaver, once slaughtered for its fur, is now pampered

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Armed with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook, Michael Portillo embarks on another journey around the country to discover how the railways have affected people and communities, and the legacy they have left behind. He begins in Manchester, where he finds out how the world's first industrialised city produced a revolutionary political movement, and learns about the railway workers who founded one of the most successful football clubs of all time. Along the way, the presenter does the washing in Port Sunlight - a model village on the Wirral - and hears stories about the aptly named George Francis Train's time in Birkenhead, Merseyside

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo begins this leg of his journey in Stirling, where he visits the scene of the Battle of Bannockburn before travelling north to Crieff in Perth and Kinross to take in a Victorian spa. In Perth, he finds out how to make a sporran and catches the Highland Main Line to Pitlochry and one of Queen Victoria's favourite haunts, then finishes with a dram in Scotland's smallest distillery

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues his journey through southern Scotland, with this leg beginning in the industrial town of Greenock, from where he sets sail in the world's last sea-going paddle steamer. He then sees the devastating effects of a fire at the Glasgow School of Art, heads to Blantyre to find out about the humble beginnings of a famous missionary and explorer and learns to make sourdough in a bakery in Strathaven before finishing his trip in Larkhall

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on a railway journey through the Republic of Ireland from Co Kerry to the city of Galway. On the first leg, he travels from Killarney to Cobh, sampling 19th-century delicacies and exploring a stunning landscape that achieved fame due to rails and royals

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the final leg of his journey across southern Scotland from west to east, beginning by paying homage to the birthplace of golf at St Andrews. In Dunfermline, he learns about the humble origins of a remarkable philanthropist who worked on the railroads before making his fortune in steel, and then crosses the Forth Bridge to end his trip in Edinburgh, where he treads the boards in an unconventional adaptation of a play by Oscar Wilde at the Festival Fringe

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the final leg of his journey through the Republic of Ireland, travelling from Athlone to Galway. Along the way he examines historic jewellery with royal connections, encounters a people's king and meets up with a traditional Irish singing group

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo is in Brighton as he starts the final leg of his journey from Norwich to Chichester, learning about the history of the Royal Pavilion. At Bramber, he discovers that Victorian tourists flocked to the town in huge numbers to visit a museum of taxidermy, before heading into the South Downs for a taste of life in the fast lane at Goodwood

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo reaches Warwickshire, where he gets a glimpse of the work being done for the new HS2 railway infrastructure. In Stratford-upon-Avon he learns about the founding of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before a visit to Birmingham, where he recalls the redevelopment of the city centre during the 1960s and the arrival of black and Asian communities

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo sets off from Ayr as he embarks on the first leg of a journey through southern Scotland from west to east, admiring the granite island of Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde before getting to grips with the sport of curling, with a little help from a Scottish world champion. The Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers invites Michael to take part in a competition, at Barassie he rides the footplate of a freight train hauling coal on Scotland's oldest railway line as he heads on towards Stewarton

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo sets off from Motherwell as he continues his journey through southern Scotland, celebrating the Victorian iron and steel industry and admires one of its crowning achievements - the Forth Rail Bridge. He then visits the Falls of Clyde, which inspired Wordsworth and Coleridge, heads to Cumbernauld to learn about the origins of one of Scotland's best-selling soft drinks, and in Linlithgow he marvels at the ingenuity of the engineers who built the Union Canal

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo starts off in Exmouth on the final leg of his journey to Newton Abbot. Along the way, he goes out to sea with an RNLI lifeboat crew, visits a stormy coastal railway and has an encounter with his boyhood hero

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo starts the next leg of his journey to Chichester in Faversham, Kent, where he visits Shepherd Neame, which is one of the oldest breweries in Britain. He then heads to Dover to explore a sunken fortress known as the Western Heights, before crossing into Surrey where he blow-dries a hen in Dorking

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from Charleville, Co Cork, to the city of Waterford, along the way finding out about the ancient art of making butter, attempting to learn the basics of Ireland's oldest game, and riding on the Duke of Devonshire's Victorian railway

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from Newbridge in Co Kildare to Roscrea, North Tipperary, visiting the Irish National Stud in Tully, discovering how harsh life was for the Irish poor and investigating an astronomical feat of Victorian engineering

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from Salisbury in Wiltshire to Castle Cary, Somerset, visiting a world-famous tourist spot that has been captivating visitors since the Victorian era. He also takes to the air in Yeovil and tries his hand at clothmaking the 19th-century way

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the next leg of his journey from Co Kerry to Galway, Michael Portillo travels from the city of Kilkenny to Athy in Co Kildare. Along the way he tries his hand at cutting marble in the Victorian style, uncovers 19th-century Ireland's surprising industrial heritage and learns how the railways helped bring motorsport to the masses

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the next leg of his journey, Michael Portillo heads along the Essex bank of the Thames before crossing the river into Kent. He begins in Barkingside, where Victorian philanthropist Thomas Barnardo made it his mission to transform the lives of destitute children. The former politician then tries his hand at loading a container onto a pocket wagon at Tilbury docks, and ends his trip in Rochester, where he encounters a host of familiar characters and explores a town that was an inspiration for many of Charles Dickens' works

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the penultimate leg of his journey Michael Portillo travels from Lynton to Exeter. He gets up close to a piece of natural history, visits a garden used as a viewing platform for public hangings and examines a timepiece like no other

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the third leg of his journey from London to Newton Abbot, Michael Portillo travels from Taunton to Minehead. Along the way he explores a church, finds out just what it takes to operate a 19th-century signal box and summons all his strength to move a 110-ton steam locomotive

Great Coastal Railway Journeys -:- From Britain's northernmost station at Thurso in Caithness, Michael Portillo heads for the ferry port of Scrabster to cross the Pentland Firth to the Orkney Islands. Passing the Old Man of Hoy, Michael takes in stunning views of the Orkney archipelago and the rugged coastlines of its 70 islands

Great Coastal Railway Journeys -:- The latest stage of Michael Portillo's trek takes him past lochs and castles on the Far North Line to Britain's northernmost railway station at Thurso. From Lairg on the banks of Loch Shin, Michael heads for a secret conservation area in the 18-mile-long loch to track down one of Scotland's most elusive and endangered species, the freshwater pearl mussel

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo travels through Italy from Turin to Venice. Along the way, he recreates a scene from the Michael Caine film The Italian Job on a Fiat test track and takes a trip in a seaplane to investigate the early 20th-century British love affair with Lake Como. In Verona, he visits the house used to attract Edwardian tourists to the alleged setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and finds a microcosm of pre-First World War Europe at the Venice Biennale art exhibition

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Armed with his trusty 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures east to Ukrain. He starts his journey in the capital Kyiv, where he encounters mummified monks and two of the strongest women in the world. After a stop-off in the city of Lviv, he boards the night express to Odessa, where he finds a vibrant, cosmopolitan city, and rounds off this leg of his journey by visiting the opera

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Following in the footsteps of early 20th-century travellers, Michael Portillo uses his 1913 copy of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Switzerland, which was a favourite with Edwardian tourists. He begins in Basel, travels east to visit the industrial regions of Zurich and learns about the engineering feats needed to thread the rail network through the Alps. He takes in the striking beauty of Lake Lucerne, before ending with an ascent by train to Europe's highest station at Jungfraujoch

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo once again ventures onto the European rail network to retrace journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 publication Continental Guide. He begins in Spain, where he visits the scene of an assassination attempt at a royal wedding in Madrid, before dancing with an unusual partner in Cordoba. He investigates the story behind Bizet's Carmen at a tobacco factory in Seville, learns about Winston Churchill's tense diplomatic mission to Algeciras and finishes with tales of British espionage in Gibraltar

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels through Germany, beginning his journey in Berlin - which at the beginning of the 20th Century was a powerhouse of science and technology. Led by his copy of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide of 1913, he heads west via the Harz Mountains to the industrial Ruhr Valley to learn how imperial Germany was ready for war. He then goes south along the tourist trail of the castle-studded Rhine river and ends in the Rheingau to taste the wines of its vineyards

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo uses his 1913 copy of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Holland and Belgium, before travelling to the French sector of the Western Front. He ends his journey in the Forest of Compiegne in northern France to hear how the First World War armistice was signed in a railway carriage

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo ventures onto the European rail network to retrace journeys featured in Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide of 1913, beginning with London to Monte Carlo. His first stop is Paris, where he absorbs the atmosphere, before heading south to the Cote d'Azur and ending his journey at Monaco's gaming tables

Griff's Great Australian Adventure -:- Comedian, actor and travel enthusiast Griff Rhys Jones journeys from Brisbane to Cairns aboard the Spirit of Queensland railway - and during his various stops, he comes across all manner of things that seem determined to kill him, from jellyfish to dingoes to whitewater rapids and more

Heir Hunters -:- The researchers investigate the case of a famous Blackpool accordion player, and reveal a tragic tale of separation involving two brothers who died on the same day in the same hospital after not seeing each other for many years. Plus, the team explores the history of Rolls-Royce and the Crewe railways, before sharing details of other unclaimed estates

How It's Made -:- The manufacturing processes behind the creation of stile and rail doors, steam cleaners, hand-held pizzas and power brushes

Impossible Railways -:- A look at the planet's most incredible metropolitan railways, and how they help people solve distinctly urban problems. Including a project to upgrade New York's transit system.

Impossible Railways -:- Engineering breakthroughs that allow trains to go faster than ever, including technology that allows the navigation of the winding mountains of Spain at speed.

Impossible Railways -:- Engineering that has overcome some of the greatest mountain ranges to create innovative railways, including a tunnel in the Swiss Alps and a zig-zag railway in Ecuador.

Impossible Railways -:- How some of our greatest railways have challenged engineering's finest minds in their efforts to conquer the planet's waterways, including a tunnel beneath the English Channel.

Impossible Railways -:- Since their meteoric rise in the 19th Century, railways have been at the forefront of modern engineering. They've conquered dizzying altitudes, wilderness, seas and cities.

Impossible Railways -:- Since their rise in the 19th century, railways have been at the forefront of modern engineering and transport, conquering dizzying altitudes, wilderness, seas and cities

James Martin's Islands to Highlands -:- James is joined by Nick Nairn for a trip aboard luxury train the Royal Scotsman. During the journey, James visits the train's kitchens to prepare a traditional duck a l'orange. Along the way they stop off at a bakery in a former prisoner of war camp and historic Scone Palace, where they prepare ham and cheese toastie in the grounds

Japan Railway Journal -:- After closing in 2009, the Kosaka Railroad in Akita Prefecture transformed into fun tourist attractions - see how the discontinued railway is being used to promote tourism and revitalise the area.

Japan Railway Journal -:- Railway companies have begun taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Japan to net-zero by 2050 - see the next generation of hybrid trains and the efforts made to create a greener railway.

Killer in My Village -:- When a teenager disappears without trace at a Kent train station, painstaking forensic evidence is used to unmask her killer

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries -:- Phryne and her maid Dot travel by train to collect her new Hispano-Suiza car. The charm of the experience evaporates when she is called upon to solve the disappearance of a fellow passenger's mother and a gruesome murder. Essie Davis stars

Murder By the Sea -:- Percy Mapleton was looking for a way to a fast fortune, and identified Brighton bond trader Isaac Gold as his target, but a robbery on a moving train turned into tragedy

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) -:- An American businessman travelling on the Orient Express from Istanbul to Paris tries to hire Hercule Poirot to be his bodyguard as he has had death threats made against him. The sleuth refuses, but wakes up the following morning to learn the man has been stabbed to death while the train was held up by heavy snow - and there is no shortage of suspects among the passengers. Agatha Christie mystery, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, with Daisy Ridley, Derek Jacobi and Johnny Depp

My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947 -:- Part two of two. Anita Rani begins her own Partition journey, as she and her mother Lucky become the first members of her family to return to see what is now Pakistan, since the Partition of India. In the Punjabi village where her Sikh grandfather's first family were slaughtered, Anita meets locals who were eye witnesses to the terrible event. Across the border, Sameer Butt re-traces the epic train journey across the Punjab to Pakistan, and Binita Kane explores how her Hindu family managed to escape the violence that engulfed their Bengali village

Nate Is Late -:- Nate and Malika are offered a free ride on a ghost train which turns out to be a cover to train young monsters

Nate Is Late -:- Nate and Malika meet Jin, a ninja who offers to train them. In order to become a master, he needs to prove he has students. Curious to see a real secret dojo, the kids agree.

Nazi Megastructures -:- Extended episode exploring the use of trains in the Nazi regime, including Hitler's personal train, an unprecedented railway network, and concentration camp prisoner transports

Night Mail (1936) -:- Harry Watt and Basil Wright's documentary following the mail train to Scotland from London, accompanied by Pat Jackson reading WH Auden's rhyming verse and a score composed by Benjamin Britten

Our Lives -:- Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa, is the most popular mountain in Britain, attracting three-quarters of a million visitors each year - and it only getting busier. This documentary follows the work that goes in to keeping the tourists happy, including the maintenance of the five-mile mountain railway, which not only carries visitors but also supplies to the shop and cafe and even water and waste to and from the toilets. Meanwhile, wardens patrol the mountain to ensure the safety of walkers, and volunteers spends their weekends collecting tons of discarded rubbish

Paul O'Grady's Great British Escape -:- In a new six-part series, Paul O'Grady shares the beautiful sights, stories and secrets of his beloved adopted home county, Kent. This time, Paul hops on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, a beautiful miniature steam train that runs along the picturesque Kent coastline. Arriving in Dungeness, Paul heads to the RSPB nature reserve, before travelling to Dungeness beach, the largest expanse of shingle anywhere in Europe. Finally, Paul heads inland to the heart of the Romney Marshes, where he meets another unexpected local resident - a unlikely herd of alpacas

Poppy Cat -:- The friends go on a camping adventure by train to the Blue Rock Mountains to see stars, but Zuzu confesses to Poppy that he has never been camping because he is afraid of the dark

Richard Hammond's Big -:- In this edition, Richard ventures beneath the Alps into the world's longest underground railway connection, the Brenner Base Tunnel

Rio Lobo (1970) -:- A former Union Army colonel heads for Texas to recover a shipment of gold bullion stolen from a payroll train during the American Civil War. Along the way, he searches for a pair of traitors he holds responsible for a defeat suffered by his unit, which led to the loss of a close friend. Howard Hawks' Western, starring John Wayne, Jorge Rivero, Christopher Mitchum, Jack Elam, Jennifer O'Neill and Mike Henry

Runaway Train (1985) -:- A hardened criminal and his accomplice escape from a high-security prison in Alaska and stow away on board a freight train, unaware it is driverless and speeding out of control. Action adventure, starring Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay and Kyle T Heffner. Based on a screenplay by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa

Sabrina the Teenage Witch -:- Hilda is on the rebound when she falls in love with a train conductor and plans to get married. But Sabrina and Zelda believe the new relationship is moving far too quickly

Salvage Hunters -:- Drew Pritchard searches the UK for valuable scrap items. He tries to make a profit on a collection of 19th-century balconet rails, finds himself bartering with a baronet at one of Scotland's grandest estates and is given a run for his money by a seasoned salvager

Salvage Hunters: The Restorers -:- Metal worker Ted is challenged to repurpose a rusty railway signal light. Alex restores a headless carousel animal, while Craig fixes up a lounge chair.

Seconds from Disaster -:- An investigation into the 1999 Paddington train crash that killed 31 people, asking who was to blame and whether the accident could have been avoided

Seconds from Disaster -:- An investigation into the causes behind the commuter train crash that killed more than 100 people in Amagasaki, Japan, in April 2005

Secrets of the London Underground -:- Tim Dunn and Siddy Holloway head to the sprawling Heathrow Airport underground stations - the first ever underground rail link between an airport and a city

Secrets of the Railways -:- An exploration of the Harz Mountain Railway in Germany - Europe's longest rail network - which still uses steam locomotives and has a murky, hidden past

Secrets of the Railways -:- Documentary looking at railroads constructed during history's most turbulent periods, now associated with some of mankind's ugliest deeds. Beginning with the Trans-Pyrenees Railway

Secrets of the Railways -:- The Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which revolutionised rail travel when it opened in 1830, becoming the first railway to have a signalling system among many other things

Secrets of the Railways -:- The Nordland Line, the longest in Norway at 453 miles. Stretching between Trondheim and Bodo, it was first built to transport the country's greatest natural resource - iron ore

Secrets of the Railways -:- The Tablelands Railway Line in Queensland, Australia, which changed the face of one of the country's great states when it was constructed in the late 1800s

Secrets of the Railways -:- The White Pass and Yukon Railroad over the US-Canada border, which began construction after the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 19th century and saw 35 workers lose their lives

Secrets of the Underground -:- A legendary train filled with stolen Nazi gold is said to be hidden in Poland. Rob and Stefan explore deep under the earth's surface to uncover the truth

Shopping with Keith Lemon -:- Keith heads to Basildon to go sofa shopping with Denise Van Outen, then takes a train trip to Ford to buy model trains with YouTube sensation Francis Bourgeois

Silent Witness -:- Double bill. Nikki and Jack investigate when a man is run down and killed by a Tube train - although not long after, a female vicar is murdered on the Underground, leaving them with the difficult prospect of building a case against her distraught husband. However, when a young roofer is stalked and brutally killed on his journey home, CCTV cameras pick up a suspect who links the deaths, and a full-scale manhunt is launched. Meanwhile, Nikki forms a bond with one of the detectives, who asks her to help re-evaluate his father's murder when he was a child. Emilia Fox, David Caves and Richard Lintern star

Tales of the Unexpected -:- A man is haunted by an unhappy childhood and taunted by school bullies - and a stranger on a train could be responsible for his misery. Drama, starring John Mills and Anthony Steel

The Architecture the Railways Built -:- Tim Dunn explores the disused Tube station Down Street in Mayfair, that played a crucial tactical role during the Second World War, and tours Rotterdam's new Centraal station with the man who designed it

The Architecture the Railways Built -:- Tim Dunn visits the Ffestiniog in North Wales originally built to transport slate from mountain to coast and learns about Amsterdam Centraal

The Big Bang Theory -:- Leonard and Amy are forced to take an unexpected road trip to Arizona to pick up Sheldon after his epic railway journey ends in chaos. Meanwhile, Howard finds Stuart's relationship with his mother strange, and Penny has an interview for a sales job at Bernadette's workplace. Comedy, starring Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco

The Dales -:- Adrian Edmondson revisits the Wildman family's farm in Kirkby Malham for the opening of the charcuterie, and follows the Dales tradition of the Burning of the Bartle in West Witton, where an effigy of a sheep stealer is paraded through the streets and set alight. He also finds out about the fundraising plans of Wensleydale Railway general manager Nigel Park

The Dales -:- Midwife Chris Warren visits an expectant mother in Masham, while drummer Mike Naylor of the Swale Valley Stompers invites his grand-daughter Charlotte to join the jazz band for a concert at the Harrogate Flower Show. Adrian Edmondson finds out whether the Wensleydale Railway volunteers have realised their dream of opening up the disused line between Leeming Bar and Northallerton

The Dales -:- Wensleydale Railway general manager Nigel Park and his team of volunteers put on an event to raise money to open up the old line between Leeming Bar and Northallerton, which would connect the Dales to the East Coast mainline. Adrian Edmondson spends a day with vet Amy Swales on her rounds in the Swaledale area, while the Wensleydale Young Farmers are given a lesson in the art of auctioneering by expert Maurice Scott

The First Great Train Robbery (1978) -:- An accomplished gentleman crook and a master safecracker hatch a plan to rob a British Army payroll train carrying a fortune in gold bullion, destined for the troops fighting in the Crimea. British period thriller, based on director Michael Crichton's own novel, starring Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland, Lesley-Anne Down, Alan Webb, Michael Elphick and Wayne Sleep

The Flying Scot (1957) -:- A small-time crook assembles a gang to rob a train carrying withdrawn banknotes from Scotland to London to be destroyed. Crime drama, starring Lee Patterson and Kay Callard

The Frontier -:- The race of the railroads to join the east and west coast would begin a new chapter in US dominance and lead to the rise of an American icon: the cowboy

The Mail Goes Through (1947) -:- Animated short film about a disastrous train robbery

The Mallorca Files -:- Miranda and Max investigate the disappearance of a supermodel, who apparently vanished into thin air when the train she was travelling on went through a tunnel. Elen Rhys stars

The March Hare (1956) -:- A penniless Irish baronet is forced to sell his land, but gets mistaken for the estate's groom and stays on to help train a colt for a prestigious race. Comedy, starring Peggy Cummins, Terence Morgan and Cyril Cusack

The Middle -:- The Hecks learn that Aunt Edie has passed away and board a train with the body to take her to her final resting place. Meanwhile, Axl starts to believe that he was responsible for her death. American comedy, starring Charlie McDermott

The Middle -:- When Brick demonstrates his talent in a school spelling bee, Mike decides to train him for a regional competition. However, as the family members prepare to embark on a road trip to Chicago for the event, they realise they have forgotten Sue's birthday

The Repair Shop -:- Jay Blades and the team restore three more treasured family heirlooms, working on a Victorian railway lamp, a musical jewellery box and a Brownie toadstool

The Saved and Remade Workshop -:- Leigh turns a toy train into an item that reflects its owner's love of rugby and frogs, and a 63-year-old teddy bear is given a new lease of life

The Train at Platform 5 -:- The social history of Kings Cross rail workers with stories from coal-shovelling firemen on 1950s steam trains to Wilston Jackson, the UK's first Black train driver

The Undateables -:- Railway enthusiast Richard (31) has Asperger's and finds it hard to talk to the opposite sex, while 27-year-old Nick has William's syndrome, a genetic condition that means he has a learning disability, and he uses music to help communicate his feelings. So far, he has never had a serious relationship, but is determined to find his one true love. Amber suffered a major stroke eight years ago at the age of 19, and had to re-learn how to walk and talk. She finally feels ready to seek out a boyfriend again

Train Truckers -:- A CBD80 battery-powered loco needs to be hauled 20 miles from a factory in Burton-on-Trent to the heritage Chasewater Railway in Staffordshire

Train Truckers -:- A cherished wartime iron workhorse needs to be hauled 160 miles from the Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire to a winter extravaganza in Oxfordshire

Train Truckers -:- A fully restored Class 47 diesel engine is transported from its home at Crewe Heritage Centre in Cheshire to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in Derbyshire

Train Truckers -:- In Shropshire a Great Western Railway 'Modified Hall' steam engine and its tender is being taken out of service as it needs a safety inspection

Train Truckers -:- The crew visits Germany to collect a multi-million-pound maintenance machine so large it will need to be loaded onto two trucks. Eric and Chris oversee a diesel-engine exchange

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) -:- A retired Navy veteran travelling by train is forced to leap into action when he realises terrorist hijackers are on board. Their leader, a vengeful former government operative with access to a powerful orbital weapon, is threatening to set off a chain of earthquakes if his demand for $1billion is not met. Action adventure sequel, with Steven Seagal, Eric Bogosian, Morris Chestnut, Brenda Bakke and Katherine Heigl

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Rob Bell discovers the now-abandoned lines that unlocked the wild coastline of north Devon. He begins by following the dramatic Barnstaple and Ilfracombe Railway, which once built, proved an instant success, eventually carrying the glamorous Atlantic Coast Express service, direct from London Waterloo. He crosses to the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, which traverses the wild terrain of Exmoor up to the cliff-top village of Lynton. Rob follows the adventurous, narrow-gauge route, discovering the extraordinary tale of the line's construction and the very short section that has been fully restored

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Rob Bell explores the Waverley Route, which ran south from Edinburgh for 100 miles through the Scottish Borders to Carlisle, connecting with what is now known as the West Coast Main Line. After years of campaigning, the first stage of Rob's journey is aboard the new Borders Railway, the longest railway to open in over a century. It follows part of the old Waverley Route, making fine use of the 170-year-old, 23-arch Newbattle Viaduct. Rob also pays a visit to one of Hawick's surviving cashmere factories and discovers a First World War prisoner of war camp served by the railway

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Rob Bell follows the Callander and Oban Railway, an epic 70-mile route from Scotland's Lowlands to its glorious west coast. Setting off from Callander, he recalls the 14 years of determination it took to build this railway and how, with the help of local hero Rob Roy, it changed Victorian perceptions of the Highlands. No longer a distant land of fearsome Clans, the mountains, lochs and valleys were now a romantic and accessible destination of choice. Spectacles on the line include Glen Ogle, Loch Tay and an impressive terminus still evident at Oban

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Rob Bell follows traces the course of the Great Central Railway, the final great line of the Victorian era and the last main line built before the Channel Tunnel rail link more than a century later. Starting near Nottingham, Rob is taken aback by the scale of demolition and excavation needed to build this line through the city. Around Loughborough, Rob catches up with the major project that is now rebuilding bridges and 500 yards of track in order to link two heritage lines and restore a 20-mile section of the old route. He also visits Leicester Central station - once derelict but now set for a new life as a bowling alley

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Rob Bell is in Yorkshire on the trail of a man once known as the 'Railway King'. George Hudson rose from farming origins to become Lord Mayor of York, and the greatest railway builder of all. Rob starts in York, which Hudson almost single-handedly turned into a railway city - home now to the National Railway Museum

Walking Britain's Lost Railways -:- Starting out from the Regency splendour of Cheltenham, Rob Bell crosses the Cotswolds, following the 46-mile route of the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway. The line passes many quarries, all producing the famous Cotswold stone - some now abandoned and some still supplying stone to sites like Hampton Court. With numerous hills to negotiate, this railway was never an express route, but it did open up this landscape to visitors for the first time. From the late 1800s, tourists piled in by rail to explore picture postcard villages like Bourton-on-the-Water, establishing a new local 'industry'

Walks Around Britain -:- Andrew White walks along part of an old railway line on the Isle of Man, and travels between the Sun and Pluto pubs in North Yorkshire

Wild West Chronicles -:- Butch and Sundance are gone, so Bat Masterson asks Sundance's girlfriend to relive the events from one of the West's greatest train robberies

World's Greatest Train Journeys from Above -:- Aerial footage of railway journeys, exploring spectacular scenery and engineering, and meeting the people who live and work alongside them. In the opening episode, the Glacier Express is filmed from above, winding along alpine peaks to connect St Moritz and Zermatt. Engineers battle deep snow drifts, harness the latest tech to protect the line from landslides, and set explosives to guard against deadly avalanches

World's Greatest Train Journeys from Above -:- Norway's Bergen line, running from Bergen to Oslo, is filmed from the air as it passes along the fjords of Western Norway, rises to the snowy Hardanger Plateau, and descends through deep forests. Along the way, we learn how a dedicated team of people keep the line open in a challenging environment: clearing snow and ice, deterring wildlife, and repairing damaged trains

World's Greatest Train Journeys from Above -:- The Ghan, Australia's most luxurious train, crosses an entire continent from Adelaide on the southern coast to the tropical landscape of Darwin in the north. On its two-day journey, it faces intense heat, the risk of collisions with wild animals and the threat of increasingly extreme weather events. An army of engineers must work around the clock to maintain The Ghan and its 3,000 km of track

World's Greatest Train Journeys from Above -:- This episode follows the luxury El Chepe train from above and on the ground. The route is a wonder of Mexican engineering that took 100 years to build and winds through the world's largest canyon region, Copper Canyon

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- Bill Nighy narrates the stories of epic train journeys through stunning scenery and natural beauty, beginning with a trip from Inverness to Edinburgh. Not long after setting out, the route passes Culloden, the site of the last pitched battle on British soil. It then enters the Cairngorms National Park, home to some of Europe's finest landscapes as well as valleys steeped in Gaelic folklore. The park's station at Aviemore is home to the Strathspey Railway, where Victorian steam locomotives come to life. There is then a climb to the highest point on Britain's railway network before the train winds its way through Fife. Eventually the route crosses the Forth Bridge before arriving in Scottish capital Edinburgh, admired for its architecture and annual arts festival. Narrated by Bill Nighy

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- Luxury heritage train The Northern Belle, aka steam locomotive 6201 Princess Elizabeth, travels through England's rural north-west. Beginning in Preston, the passengers of its stylish 1930s Pullman carriages are soon whisked up through Cumbria and the spectacular landscapes of the Lake District. The train continues on to historic Carlisle, the site of a world-class medieval cathedral and home to supposedly England's most haunted station. It then joins the Settle to Carlisle line, considered one of the most scenic railway routes in the world

SMALL PRINT

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