Panoramic View of Conway on the L. & N.W. Railway

The Glorious Story of Castles Carriers of myths and legends, castles strongly mark our imaginations, appearing most often as the pivot of a dark and barbaric period. Reality is different. They are full of mystery and grandeur, emblematic abstractions of the Middle Ages, they testify to medieval civilization.

This program takes you on a thrilling diesel and steam railroad odyssey across America. We start with spectacular footage along the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad as freight trains work their way through the Rocky Mountains, before moving on to Sand Patch to see the relentless steam of westbound freight trains attacking the steep grade. The railroad town of Altoona in Pennsylvania sees plenty of action too, as trains prepare for the stiff climb to Horseshoe Curve, and on through the mountains to Cresson. There is coal traffic near Iaeger in West Virginia, as well as action at the train hot spot of Cajon Pass in Southern California with regular BNSF and Union Pacific trains. Of course, no program on the American railroads would be complete without a ride on the stunning Royal Gorge Route Railroad in Colorado.

Artist Rolf Schulz's pursuit to make his dreams come true through his endless toil to complete the majestic Mundo King Castle on a hill in the Dominican Republic

Massachusetts' Maine Attraction is the only definitive documentary on Edaville ever produced. Through extremely rare archive film footage, you'll learn the history of the Maine two-footers and observe regular-service trains on the Sandy River and Bridgeton & Harrison Railroads. Passenger and freight activities, and even winter scenes, are included. The program then describes the evolution of Edaville, from its planning and construction as a cranberry-hauling freight line to a full-fledged theme park. You'll ride the train and view the railroad from both onboard and trackside perspectives, and see coverage of special railfan events, including night activities.

TGV, la réussite française

This Traveltalk series short celebrates San Francisco, past and present.

Catchy mix of farce and documentary. Portrait of a Berlin theatre company made up entirely of the homeless, alcoholics and junks. They call themselves ‘rats’ and take the film over to have a party.

The Unreserved is an inquiry into the lives of passengers who use the Unreserved Compartment, the cheapest way to travel across India on the Indian Railways system. The film portrays the passengers’ aspirations, efforts and opinions through conversations and personal stories.

Educational film about Locomotive driver training

A documentary showing the proceedings around a French castle, turned luxury hotel, over a year.

Take a breathtaking train a ride through Nothern Quebec and Labrador on Canada’s first First Nations-owned railway. Come for the celebration of the power of independence, the crucial importance of aboriginal owned businesses and stay for the beauty of the northern landscape.

The largest railroad community in history at work making the Pennsylvania Railroad become the Standard Railroad of the World. Generations of Altoona shopmen and train crews created the extraordinary legacy this film brings to life.

The British Railways modernisation programme of the 1960s radically changed the rail network, and the British Transport Films unit and the TV news were there to capture it. Compiled here is never before released colour footage of Southern steam at Waterloo (with Nine Elms depot), all the major London stations, The Blue Pullman and early diesels, The Golden Arrow and Night Ferry service, goods and mail, steam on the Metropolitan Railway and building the Victoria Line.

Meet the crew of the Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985, the largest and most powerful steam engine in the world. This colorful documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at the conductors, engineers and mechanics who keep this fickle train running, an engaging history of steam power, and a scenic tour the Great Plains -- from Cheyenne, Wyo., through Denver and across Nebraska to the Omaha headquarters of the Union Pacific.

How was a castle built in the Middle Ages? With which tools, which technology? Answers to these exciting questions can be found in Friesach in Austria's southernmost province of Carinthia.

Betliarsky park a kaštieľ

For over 100 years the Tudor dynasty ruled over England, and in that time they changed the face of the country. Featuring stunning aerial photography, this fascinating documentary gives us a unique vantage point to understand how this family imposed itself onto the very fabric of the land with battlefields, ruined monasteries, powerful castles and the beautiful symmetry of the era’s grand houses and palaces. Swooping above the landscapes and buildings behind some of Britain’s best-known events – places where Sir Francis Drake, Henry VIII, Shakespeare and Elizabeth I once walked – this beautifully shot programme explores history from a whole new angle.

Short film about electric railroad lines

In the 1870s Victorian politicians debated the virtues of constructing a 20km-long railway through Melbourne's east, simply to circumvent a privately-owned railway from South Yarra to Flinders Street Station. By 1878 the private railway had been purchased by the Victorian Government and there was no longer a need to build the orbital railway. But greedy politicians pushed legislation through parliament, authorising the construction of the railway through their own private land holdings. This is the story of Melbourne's Outer Circle Railway.

Known as the setting of "Downton Abbey," Highclere Castle truly was the home of aristocrats and an army of servants, with a rich past to share.