Progress on the Rails

Documentary about how the arrival of the railway industry impacted Puerto Rican culture economically, socially, and humanistically during the first half of the 20th century. It includes photos by Jack Delano, among others, and scenarios to reconstruct the experience of what could have been the last trip made by train from San Juan to Ponce in 1953.

A one-month-journey of twin sisters from London back to their home, Bangkok, by train. They traveled via the famous trans-Siberian route through many countries such as Germany, Russia, Mongolia and China, with many stories to tell.

A puffing steam train climbs into the Himalaya, a rolling rumble echoes over the holy waters of the Ganges, an astonishing five million commuters rush daily through the Bombay Victoria Terminus - join National Geographic as we journey on one of the world's largest railways. Since 1853, India's railway has been a unifying force. Not only did it physically link distant regions, it also connected the myriad of castes, languages, and religions that comprise India. It's a rich history, riding the sumptuous Palace on Wheels through Rajasthan or the "toy train" to Darjiing, but sadly, the age of steam is dying. At the Black Beauty contest, the beloved steam engines are admired for the last time. From the driver in the steaming locomotive to the station master in the sleepy village, from the family traveling to a wedding to the commuters in the large cities, this great institution reflects the country itself. Many are the faces, and varied are the stories, on THE GREAT INDIAN RAILWAY.

The remarkable true story of Darius McCollum, a man with Asperger's syndrome whose overwhelming love of transit has landed him in jail 32 times for the criminal impersonation of NYC subway drivers, conductors, token booth clerks, and track repairmen.

Filmed in 1987, this documentary chronicles the journey of Via Rail's The Canadian as it makes its way across Canada.

Trains travel through the night without stopping. The clatter of the carriages quickly disappears, along with the wail of the locomotive. The people at the station are all asleep. But why are they so exhausted ? And what are they waiting for? Set inside an isolated train depot, The Train Station is one of Sergei Loznitsa's most haunting films. It is also one of his most pointed social critiques. In this film, we are brought to a remote train station deep in the Russian woods. It's nighttime. In the distance, we hear the clatter of locomotives. The station, a small wooden building, sits silently, surrounded only by snow and train tracks.

May 27th, 1971 was a rainy day. In the small town Radevormwald, the world seems to be still in order. But on this day, 46 people die in a train crash, amongst them 41 schoolchildren. Since then, Radevormwald has been connected with one of the worst railway catastrophes of Germany. The touching documentary reconstructs the tragedy and shows how much the event still influences the life in the town until today.

Likely in June 1897, a group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

A history of the nation's first transcontinental railway accompanies a steam-train ride through the Canadian Rockies.

Vlak č. 101

A unique look inside over 70 signal boxes taken from Video 125's archive filmed over a period of 30 years. Features 'boxes of all shapes and sizes, all kinds of operating methods from 19th century mechanical lever frames to 20th century panels to 21st century state-of-the-art Rail Operating Centres.

A day in the city of Berlin, which experienced an industrial boom in the 1920s, and still provides an insight into the living and working conditions at that time. Germany had just recovered a little from the worst consequences of the First World War, the great economic crisis was still a few years away and Hitler was not yet an issue at the time.

Probably filmed in 1895, a group of people stand along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. The train pulls up and attendants help passengers off and on. This was not in the Lumière's official catalog, and was likely screened in early 1896. This film is often misidentified on Youtube as "L'Arrivée d’un train à La Ciotat", which is the title of the 1897 remake.

First part of a two-part documentary about the now largely defunct network of local railways in the areas around Erlangen and Forchheim, Germany.

Second part of a two-part documentary about the now largely defunct network of local railways in the areas around Erlangen and Forchheim, Germany.

The Midland Railway route from Derby to Manchester traversed the Peak District of limestone hills. It was this limestone which produced much traffic for the railway, the ICI works around Buxton provided steam haulage up to 1968. First there is an introduction to the route using the last steam hauled train over the entire route in 1968. Beginning at Derby we go north to Wirksworth and its quarry. A detailed look at the Cromford and High Peak line with its steep incline at Sheep Pasture, J94’s storming Hopton incline, even a B1 at Parsley Hay.

A video covering the last section of the route of the CAMBRIAN COAST EXPRESS from ABERYSTWYTH to PWLLHELI and what could be seen in the area from the 1950s to the 1980s. We cover four narrow gauge railways, the Vale of Rheidol, the Talyllyn, the Welsh Highland (1964) and the Ffestiniog, and two miniature railways, the Fairbourne and Butlins, Pwllheli. We even cover the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway! The coast route would see steam and diesel motive power but this film is mainly steam with Standard Classes 4MT, Class 2MT, Class 3 2-6-2Ts and Class 4 2-6-4Ts, GWR 43xx 2-6-0s and Manor Class 4-6-0s, Ivatt 2MTs and even Class 4. The picture is completed by the reopening of Barmouth Bridge in 1986 and Electric Electric Class 37s.

A video featuring the line between MANCHESTER and CREWE. Particular emphasis is on the two places, one a city and the other a railway town. Filmed in the 1960s, steam traction predominates. MANCHESTER VICTORIA and the nearby MANCHESTER EXCHANGE stations were busy with passenger, freight and parcels traffic. It was at the foot of MILES PLATTING incline where banking often took place. At the summit was NEWTON HEATH shed and a visit is made there. The line from MANCHESTER PICCADILLY was electrified from 1960 but steam power existed here alongside the new AC electric locomotives. At the northern end, STOCKPORT kept steam until 1968 and as well as the station, EDGELEY shed is visited. We then travel southwards through CHEADLE HULME, WILMSLOW, GOSTREY and on to CREWE where a wide range of motive power is seen from 1962 to 1968; Princess Coronations, Jubilees, Royal Scots, Crabs and Jinties along with BR Standards, Stanier Black 5s and Stanier 8Fs.

The Bakerloo Line is one of London Underground's main arteries, connecting four of the capital's main line railway stations with the heart of London's West End. The southern terminus at Elephant and Castle consists of just two platforms, requiring fast turnarounds to provide the 3 minute service interval. Just under half the 14½ mile line is in tube tunnel, The 1972 stock trains (amongst the oldest running on the network) surface at Queen's Park. Roughly one in three continues to Harrow and Wealdstone alongside the West Coast Main Line. As well as seeing the entire route in real time from the driver's cab, we also peek inside the Bakerloo Line's signalling and control centre at Baker Street. The Waterloo and City line is LUL's smallest self-contained operation, running for just over 1½ miles between Waterloo and Bank.

The Southern Region s last steam-worked main lines from Waterloo to Salisbury and Weymouth are recalled on this all-colour programme which features cine film made between 1958 and 1967 by John Laird, Brian Robbins and Geoff Todd. After an extended opening sequence at Waterloo and footage of Nine Elms shed, we follow the former London & South Western main line down to Basingstoke. We head west from Worthing Junction to Salisbury before resuming our journey south through Eastleigh to Southampton. There follows some delightful scenes filmed in the New Forest including steam workings on the branch to Lymington. This brings us to Bournemouth where we see the town s two stations and the splendid yellow trolley buses which used to link them. Before reaching the end of our travels at Weymouth there are some superb scenes of trains labouring up the bank out of the town and coverage of a Channel Islands Boat Train on the famous Weymouth Tramway filmed in 1958.