Available on Prime Video

The Age of Steam was an era of extraordinary change which utterly transformed every aspect of British life. This series will reveal how the world we live in today was entirely shaped by the railways, charting the evolution of rail transportation and how it left it's mark, as our team of experts immerse themselves in the story of how the railways made us what we are today.

History · 2016 · 59 min

Starring Ruth Goodman , Alex Langlands , Peter Ginn

Director Stuart Elliott

EPISODE 2

Episode 2

The team look at how the railways impacted on people, those who built them, the railway staff and industries across the country and at how the railway companies began to develop ways to transport people as well as goods.

45 min · Jan 1, 2016
EPISODE 3

Episode 3

The team look at how the railways transformed the British diet, reviving a nation that was struggling to feed itself. The mass transportation of fish, livestock and vegetables fed the nation's cities and spawned popular new dishes.

45 min · Jan 1, 2016
EPISODE 4

Episode 4

The historians take a trip on the legendary Flying Scotsman as they continue their exploration of the age of steam, discovering how the railways revolutionised communication with the transportation of mail.

45 min · Jan 1, 2016
EPISODE 5

Episode 5

The life of the branch line before Dr Beeching's cuts of the 1960s is examined. Peter finds out about life on the footplate, Ruth discovers the prosthetic limb workshop for GWR staff who lost a limb in accidents.

44 min · Jan 1, 2016
EPISODE 6

Episode 6

The team examine how a combination of increased leisure time and affordable rail travel opened up new freedoms for working-class Victorians, from trips to the seaside to fossil-hunters exploring Britain's prehistoric past.

45 min · Jan 1, 2016