The Engineering That Built the World

Michael Portillo examines the role of the railways in World War I and travels through Britain and Europe uncovering stories from the Great War.

The railway age in the Austrian Empire began with the construction of the horse-drawn railway from Linz to Budweis. Plans soon followed to connect the imperial capital of Vienna with the iron and coal deposits in northern Moravia and with the port city of Trieste. In 1837 the Kaiser Ferdinands Nordbahn was opened, in 1857 the Semmeringbahn planned by Karl Ritter von Ghega, overcoming one of the most difficult obstacles on the way to the Adriatic. The crossing of the Alps by train, such as over the Arlberg or the Brenner, is still considered a unique engineering masterpiece. The expansion of the railway network brought epochal changes. Goods and people circulated on an unprecedented scale – life accelerated. It had succeeded in connecting the northern crown lands such as Silesia or Bohemia and Moravia with Carinthia, Tyrol or the coastal region.

They are the high-flying pride of the U.S. military, one-of-a-kind warriors that, over the decades, collectively revolutionized aerial warfare. Through rare, archival footage and compelling testimonies, meet the men and women who fly and maintain these Air Warriors and see how they've overcome incredible obstacles to rule the sky.

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.

Massive engineering mistakes occur all over the world, some with devastating consequences. These are assessed by design teams, eyewitnesses, and experts who analyze what went wrong and how the engineers fixed the mistakes.

A ten-part documentary series, Inside Central Station: Australia’s Busiest Railway blends unscripted high-stakes drama with extraordinary engineering marvels, introduces us to memorable diverse characters who are passionate about their jobs, shares quirky moments and brings a strong sense of Australian history.

In the first episode of Project Binky, we take a rotten old Austin Mini and strip it down to a bare shell. We then take an angle grinder to it and cut it to pieces. It's only then that the customised rebuilding process starts. We're trying to create one of the fastest Minis on the planet. We're going to rebuild it with the engine and running gear from a Toyota Celica ST185 GT4. Or at least that's the plan. Whether it comes off or not is another matter. We're filming this as it happens so what you see is only a few weeks behind where we're actually at so we're not sure yet whether we can do it. That's kind of the fun though. Stick with us through the highs and the lows of the project. Hopefully it'll be worth the agony and cash. Feel free to share it far and wide!

Guy Martin celebrates the workers of the Industrial Revolution by getting stuck into six of the country's biggest restoration projects, bringing some of the 19th century's most impressive engineering achievements back to life.

The mere mention of the Orient Express brings to mind evocative images of opulent carriages, stylish passengers and thrilling destinations all wrapped up in the romance of train travel. Jonathan Phang, a self-confessed bon viveur with a passion for gastronomy, feels the allure of old world glamour and sets off on a gourmet journey crossing continents aboard some of the world’s most elegant trains. Along the way he stops off in extraordinary culinary destinations, such as Venice, Paris and Istanbul to explore some modern fine dining. However, it is aboard the fabulous trains that Jonathan truly tests the old adage that sometimes it can be better to travel than to arrive.

Coinciding with the release of the remastered original episodes of The Secret Life Of Machines, Tim Hunkin began a self-produced spiritual successor called The Secret Life of Components. It explores some of the individual parts that so often make up the appliances and machines that were the focus of the original series. The weekly episodes included what Hunkin has learned through his experience with the component, along with many models for demonstration and examples from his amusement machines and other works.

In this series, Griff Rhys Jones embarks on a leisurely journey across Africa, utilizing the continent's railways as a means to truly experience its beauty and charm. Spanning 7,000 miles over five separate journeys, Griff explores diverse landscapes, encounters remarkable wildlife, and meets intriguing individuals. Through a combination of breathtaking aerial footage and insightful travelogue, Griff shares his unique perspective on Africa, gained from his experiences on and off the train. As he traverses the continent in five episodes, Griff discovers how the railway network offers a window into the history, culture, and daily life of the places he visits. By train, he ventures into remote deserts, forests, villages, and cities, uncovering their stories and learning about their modern-day significance.

Michael Portillo is in Southeast Asia, armed with his 1913 Bradshaw's Handbook. It will lead him on a spectacular 2,500-mile railway adventure across six countries. He explores towering megacities and magnificent mosques.

Impossibly large structures... Teams with a mission to move them! This is the kind of daunting challenge facing teams of building movers from the UK, America and Canada.

Spektakuläre Bergbahnen der Schweiz

A 4-part documentary series capturing the compelling story of James J. Hill and the Great Northern Railway.

A enjoyable low budget variety program about female railroad enthusiasts ("tetsu ota"). The girls who just love trains, travel around the country by themselves. Real railroad trips where nothing may happen. Watch out for the unique ways that women who love trains can enjoy trains!

Criss-cross Japan by rail. Enjoy an amazing diversity of nature and scenery across the four seasons, exploring both well-known and hidden Japan.

A major political, historical, human and economic fact of the 20th century, the Gulag, the extremely punitive Soviet concentration camp system, remains largely unknown.

Filmed on location across the UK, the one-time owner of the Flying Scotsman presents a four-part series examining the history of Britain's railways

Classic Trains