All language subtitles for Great British Train Journeys From Above - S01E03

Join us on a voyage of discovery...

...as we follow the most spectacular
steam train journeys

in Britain...

...from above.

We'll showcase these machines
in all their glory,

travelling through the most

breathtaking landscape
the country has to offer...

...the North Yorkshire Moors.

The Highlands of Scotland.

The rolling hills of Somerset...

...and Snowdonia, known today
as Eryri.

Our trains are time travellers...

...transporting us back
to the golden age of steam.

To unravel the truth about Britain's
great railway revolution.

Sit back...

...soak up the scenery
and enjoy all the romance

and the thrill of a steam
train journey,

like you've never seen it before.

It's hard to imagine what life was
like before the railway revolution.

To get around, most people
walked everywhere.

Another form of transport
was the horse.

But in the 4,000 years since people
had first ridden them,

there had been little development
in travel.

It was then that an uneducated,

working class engineer toiling away
in the coal mines of

north-east England...

...was to overturn thousands
of years of human history.

The North Yorkshire Moors
is an ancient land...

...forged by nature over millions
of years.

It's a place of great beauty
and tranquillity...

...that's barely been touched
by the modern world.

But breaking the silence...

WHISTLE

...is a magnificent machine with
an epic tale to tell.

The creation of one of the world's
first new modes of transport

for thousands of years.

The steam railway spearheaded

the evolution of transport
and technology.

The motorcar, the jet engine,
the space rocket...

...it all began with the creator
of the steam railway.

His name is George Stephenson...

...and travelling on board one of
his glorious steam trains...

...must have felt like flying
to another planet.

As the train cuts through
the rolling moors...

...it's about to reveal
how Stephenson's

steam railways were born.

And more importantly...

...how they changed
the world forever.

Precious little remains to mark
the 27th of September, 1825.

George Stephenson needed a flat
landscape to build

a track from newly invented
iron rails,

capable of carrying a heavy engine.

This footpath follows the route

he chose in County Durham between
Stockton and Darlington.

It was here that Stephenson's
new machine,

Locomotion Number One,

pulled 300 passengers along
the 26 mile long track.

People on horses tried to keep
up with the trailblazing locomotive.

But travelling at 15mph,

Locomotion Number one left
them in its wake.

Stephenson transformed the way

we think about geography
and distance,

enabling humans to travel faster
and further than ever before.

Just five years later,

Stephenson developed a new
locomotive, Rocket,

that ran between Liverpool
and Manchester

at speeds up to 30mph.

We now know this as the creation

of the first railways...

...and the world has never
looked back.

Stephenson's fame was spreading.

A few years later from this first
railway between

Stockton and Darlington
in a nearby town,

Whitby, just 40 miles east
of Stockton,

forward thinking local
businessmen approached him

to build a track to carry horse
drawn wagons

through the moors to
a market town inland.

Building a track through the hilly
moorland terrain

was a major engineering challenge.

While still using horse power,
it had the aim of carrying

much larger quantities of goods than
the dirt roads of the time...

...in linked wagons along
a track of rails.

In the early 1800s, Whitby was
primarily connected to

the rest of the country
and the wider world by sea.

The local hero was
Captain James Cook,

whose now controversial
seafaring expeditions

to uncharted territories had brought

the first European contact
with new lands, including Australia.

Cook's ship, HMS Endeavour,
was built here in Whitby.

Whitby became a prosperous port with
booming shipbuilding

and whaling industries.

But saw itself as a centre
of innovation

and entrepreneurial spirit.

So it was natural
for Whitby's entrepreneurs

to look to Stephenson and the latest

technology to help them
extend their economic success.

At the time, building a steam
locomotive powerful enough

to carry wagons uphill was difficult

because it would be too heavy
for the recently invented rails.

But the track alone had
the potential

to transform local industry.

At Whitby station, an immaculate
steam engine called Eric

is preparing for its epic
journey along

the same track that Stephenson
set out to build.

The challenge for Stephenson
was to find a way to cross rivers,

carve a path up into the moors

and negotiate valleys
and steep hillsides.

And cement his growing reputation as
the greatest engineer of all time.

The train's journey begins
along Stephenson's track.

As it leaves Whitby
and the coast behind,

passengers are greeted by one of
the most beautiful pieces

of railway engineering
in the country.

Later we will hear how steam trains

were introduced onto
Stephenson's track.

And here at Larpool Viaduct
is an example

of the remarkable railway
engineering to come.

Built to carry passengers along

the coast to its seaside
neighbour, Scarborough,

the viaduct is a masterpiece
of the railway age.

Constructed from five
million bricks...

...with 13 brick arches towering
120 feet above the railway...

...and spanning over 900 feet across
the River Esk.

As the magnificent steam locomotive
cruises along the river bank,

it's easy to see how people fall in
love with steam trains.

But when they first appeared

they were met with
widespread hostility,

vociferous opposition,
and even rioting.

In Whitby, Stephenson's reputation
was pivotal to convincing people

that a safe and reliable track...

...with the potential for a train
was the future.

WHISTLE

The train is heading for the first
station along the line...

...where Stephenson's immediate
challenge was crossing a river.

After passing through
Rusape station,

the locomotive glides onto a 300
foot bridge over the Esk River.

In exactly the same spot,
Stephenson chose to build

the original bridge to carry
the track.

Stephenson constructed his original
bridge for horses

from Baltic Pine, a typical building
material for early rail tracks,

as it was strong, readily available,
and easily crafted into shape.

Today, the bridge is made from iron,

so it is strong enough to carry
heavy steam trains.

After Rusape, the North Yorkshire
Moors Railway emerges into

the vast open expanse
of the Esk Valley.

To build the track, Stephenson had
to find a route

which was as flat as possible.

His solution was to chart its course
along the river,

creating the need for bridges
to cross it many times,

each with their own
engineering challenge.

Crossing the 10th bridge
in just five miles of track...

...the steam locomotive turns south
and prepares to tackle the moors.

Next...

...Stephenson has to solve
the challenge...

...of building a track
up steep inclines...

...and tunnelling through rock.

In the North Yorkshire Moors...

...a magnificent locomotive
called Eric

is pulling into Grosmont station...

...to take a breather.

On the second leg of its
grand adventure

on the North Yorkshire
Moors Railway,

the locomotive is about

to discover how
the great railway engineer,

George Stephenson, confronted
the challenge of constructing

a ground-breaking new track through

some of the toughest terrain
in the country.

Having finished the first five miles
of track with its ten bridges

on the way to Grosmont,
Stephenson faced a bigger hurdle.

A large hill called Leesrigg
blocked the path.

To forge a way
ahead through the moors,

Stephenson could either go around
the hill...

...or over it.

But he had a different idea.

He was going to go through it.

Today we take it for granted,
it's called a tunnel.

But for Stephenson, it involved
a radically new form of engineering.

The train is approaching
two tunnels, and later

in the journey we'll find out
why and how

s second one was built
by another character central to

the story of the North Yorkshire
Moors Railway.

And how, unlike the hero Stephenson,

he would be cast as a villain.

The train has entered the larger
dual track tunnel on the right.

But on the left is Stephenson's
original tunnel,

built for his track
and its horse drawn wagons

carrying coal, iron ore and
a few passengers.

To construct his tunnel, one
of the world's very first

to carry passengers...

...Stephenson's men dug through
120 yards of rock

using manual labour.

Digging in short sections to prop
up the walls

and lining the tunnel with bricks
to reinforce

the structure and prevent
it from collapsing.

Stephenson's tunnel was a great leap
forward in engineering.

Locals were so proud
of the ground-breaking

structure they named the growing
settlement next to it, Tunnel.

But it's what was discovered during
the tunnel's excavation

that had the most dramatic impact on

the people and the economy
of the local area.

Inside exposed crevices of the rock
along the river bank

lie deposits of iron ore

that were first uncovered when
Stephenson built his tunnel.

Widespread digging for iron
deposits began,

even under the station itself.

And iron ore was sent
down the track to Whitby Harbour.

Two local ironworks soon became

the major employer,
with a 500-strong workforce.

At its peak, 70,000 tons of iron ore
were produced every year.

The growing village of Tunnel became

a hotbed of industry
and was given a new name...

...Grosmont.

Stephenson's track burnished
his reputation...

...and enabled him to show how
it could spark

the growth of industry by providing

a vital link between coastal ports
like Whitby and remote inland areas.

A mile or so along the line,
the locomotive is stretching

its legs in the peace and
tranquillity of the countryside.

After the endeavour of Whitby
and the industry of Grosmont...

...it's an ideal opportunity
for passengers to sit back

...and enjoy the kaleidoscope
of autumn colours.

As the train approaches a quaint
little village called Beck Hole...

...it meanders through a forested
valley that is a riot

of red, orange and yellow leaves.

To build the track for his horse
drawn wagons,

Stephenson had to find the path

of least resistance through
the landscape.

To do this, he followed
the valley floor,

which made construction easier
and more cost-effective,

with fewer man made embankments
and cuttings.

Stephenson's track may have been

the first time Beck Hole was
connected to the outside world...

...but it didn't disturb the
villagers' fondness for the past.

Beck Hole didn't get electricity
until 1948,

and mains water came
only four years later.

Television didn't arrive until 1989,

and then only when residents erected

their own mast on top of
the nearby hill.

And at the next stop along
the line...

...the North Yorkshire
Moors Railway...

...will reveal they might
well have been tuning into

a TV drama that was very
close to home.

The steam train is entering
Goathland station.

It's a familiar place for fans of
one of the world's most

popular movie franchises.

The producers of the Harry Potter
movies chose Goathland

as the backdrop
for the magic moment.

Harry, Ron and Hermione

arrive at Hogsmeade station
for the first time...

...in the first film, Harry Potter
and the Philosopher's Stone.

On the platform, Harry
is greeted by Hagrid

before he leads them to Hogwarts.

As the train rests in the station...

...it's easy to imagine
Hogwarts Castle

sitting on top of a hill rising
above the station.

Goathland station doesn't
just draw in Potter fans.

Passengers alight here to wander
up to the classic Yorkshire village.

Set against a spectacular
moorland backdrop.

Sheep are leisurely grazing
everywhere you look.

Goathland was the perfect setting
for British TV drama Heartbeat.

When it launched in the 1990s,
Heartbeat was an instant

success with audiences peaking
at 14 million.

And for 20 years, viewers tuned
in every Sunday

for their weekly dose of the comings
and goings around

the fictional
village of Aidensfield.

Goathland resembles a 1960s TV set

with its vintage garage...

...its country pub...

...its quaint tea rooms and,
of course...

...its station...

...where the locomotive is having
a well-earned rest

after the most testing section
of the journey.

As another train cruises
into Goathland station,

the locomotive is travelling in
reverse on its way back to Whitby.

The stations on the line have a dual
track so trains

can pass each other.

As 80136 has a drink...

...it's time for Eric
the locomotive to leave.

The locomotive is working hard
as it gets up to speed...

...and sets off back into the moors.

But it's what was discovered during
the tunnel's excavation

that had the most dramatic impact
on the people

and the economy of the local area.

And even just its name explains
why it was a major headache for him.

Fen Bog is a nature reserve bounded
by moorland streams which feed

the fen with water to
create the bog.

It's a haven for insects and plants.

But it's hard to imagine
a more unforgiving

place to build a railway.

To stop the track from sinking
and make the bog passable...

...Stephenson had a radical idea.

He stabilised the land by pile
driving fir trees

into the bog and overlaying them

with sheaves of heather bound
in sheepskin.

In addition, deep drains were dug

alongside the track
to provide drainage.

Fen Bog is typical
of Stephenson's ground-breaking

approach to engineering.

The first bridges...

...the first tunnels...

...and even a watery bog.

Stephenson's engineering
of the track

changed the lives of the people.

And created a blueprint
for the development

and expansion of the railways...

...and their transformation
of society.

It's the enduring legacy
of the person known as

the Father of the Railways.

Next...

...Stephenson had built his track,

but there was another key
development to come...

...the introduction of steam trains.

And the arrival of the railway king,

a man who would later come
to be seen as a villain.

In the North Yorkshire Moors...

...A steam locomotive called Eric
is taking us on

a grand adventure back to the origin

of the railways.

On this leg, as the train explores
the mystery and enchantment

of the Moors, the train starts to
unravel the legend and the tragedy

of the railway King, George Hudson.

The man whose introduction
of steam trains to

the line was all part
of his grand plan

to whip up Britain into a railway
building frenzy.

12 miles out from Whitby, the train

has reached the halfway point of the
North Yorkshire Moors Railway...

...the truly spectacular Newton
Dale Gorge.

The train is about to reveal
how George Hudson

built the largest railway empire
the world had ever seen.

But to understand the seeds
of his demise,

we need to go back to Whitby.

Just a stone's throw from
the station...

...and right next to the harbour
lies the Angel Inn.

It was here that Stephenson,
having built his track,

met the thrusting,
young entrepreneurial

buccaneer, George Hudson.

Hudson had inherited property
in Whitby

and came to the town to inspect it.

His vision, railways
could not only carry goods

and transport people to locations
for trade,

but they might also use the railway
for entertainment and fun.

At the time, the vast
majority of people never

really travelled beyond
their village or local town.

But Hudson imagined a future
when they would

be able to travel to new places,

not for any specific purpose,
but to explore and discover them.

It was a novel idea that
has become known as the holiday.

Hudson's brainwave was that
if the Whitby and Pickering

track could add steam trains,

they could bring ever more people
to the town.

Drawn in by the striking grace
of Whitby Abbey

and the town's growing reputation
as a spa resort.

Hudson, the entrepreneur, had
a radical way to deliver his plan.

He would buy the track
and add the steam trains.

His vision was that the new
passenger railway would make

Whitby a holiday destination
and increase

the value of his property.

And he set out on a grand plan
to develop the town.

On West Cliff, he built
the Royal Hotel.

From the majestic cliff top
location, the hotel's guests

had the best views
in town across the harbour,

to the abbey, out to sea
and along the coast.

Just along the cliff...

...Hudson imagined that Whitby could
have its own Royal Crescent,

just like Britain's renowned
Roman town of Bath.

So he built elegant townhouses fit
for the aspiring middle class.

However, it didn't all go to plan.

Hudson's Royal Crescent was intended

to be a semicircle, but it
is only half finished.

On its journey through the moors...

...the steam train charts Hudson's
rise to power,

influence and untold riches.

But also the seeds of his disaster.

Having bought the track,

Hudson faced the challenge
of transforming it into

what we now know as a railway
carrying trains.

To do this, he needed to build
a new tunnel at Grosmont,

large enough for steam trains.

Strengthen the bridges, build larger
stations and introduce regular,

fast and frequent
passenger services.

When the track opened in 1835,
it took horses

nearly three hours to pull
the wagons along the line.

But after Hudson's overhaul,
steam trains galloped

along the route in just half
the time.

The railway thrived
and profits flowed.

Hudson's empire was growing rapidly.

He extended his new railway to York,

where it connected
with other lines he owned.

By the mid 1840s, Hudson owned
1,000 miles of track.

And became known
as the Railway King.

There were 12 new railway
schemes coming

before Parliament each week.

And plans for over 8,000 miles
of new track.

The whole country was consumed with
what began to be described

as railway mania...

...led by the Railway King.

As his empire grew,
Hudson's wealth exploded.

He had become one of the richest
men in the land.

Like Fen Bog...

...Newton Dale Gorge was also formed
by the power of water.

The train is passing through
a glacial meltwater channel,

scoured out 10,000 years ago

by great torrents of water
thundering downhill.

The locomotive is approaching
the end of Newton Dale Gorge...

...where all that water has created

a unique spot to contemplate
what happens

when the beauty of the natural
world and the power

of the man made world
are perfectly intertwined.

Perched on a high escarpment
above the line...

...Skelton Tower is the only
sign of civilisation

that passengers have
spotted for miles.

Built at the same time
as the railway...

...the two storey ruin is the perfect
spot for a mystery to linger.

It was built by Reverend
Robert Skelton,

the rector of a local village.

But there's no proof
what he used it for.

Some say he came here
to write his sermons

in the peace of the countryside.

Others claim he escaped here
to enjoy a quiet drink.

The most likely theory is
that the reverend's

family wealth allowed him to live
as a gentleman,

with ample leisure time for country
pursuits at his hunting lodge.

But there's one thing we can say
for certain about the Reverend...

...he had a spectacular view
of the steam trains

travelling through the gorge.

On the final leg of the journey...

...the North Yorkshire Moors Railway

uncovers what it would take to send

the Railway King's empire
off the rails.

Deep in North Yorkshire...

...a steam locomotive called Eric

is on the final leg of its
grand moorland adventure...

...where it's about to discover

what it would take to bring down
the Railway King.

Just five miles from
its final destination,

the locomotive is approaching
Levisham station.

As it pulls into the station,
passengers are witnessing

a ceremony that harks back to
the early days of the railways.

As another train
is waiting to leave...

...the signalman pops out
of his signal box

to collect a token
from the train driver.

Known as the Token Block system,

it was a safety mechanism
designed to prevent steam trains

from colliding on single track
sections of the railway.

Each token was proof that a train
occupied a particular section

of track, so no two trains
enter it simultaneously.

Safety systems like this
were critical

to the success of early rail travel.

TRAIN WHISTLES

The train steams out
of Levisham station.

With just four miles to go,

the train treks into another long
moorland valley for the final time.

By 1am,

Hudson's empire had grown
exponentially.

Thousands of his investors
had made huge profits

and railway mania
gripped the country.

Hudson was a past master
at telling a great story

and convincing ever more
potential investors to hand over

their hard-earned savings
in search of quick gains.

Not unlike the stock market
start-up speculation of today.

Hudson's investors were convinced
by his rhetoric...

...and the strong annual returns that
they were receiving as dividends.

Galloping out of the Moors,
Eric, the locomotive,

has a final opportunity
to hit top speed

as the steam train heads for home.

But, as the weather closes in,
the dark clouds hanging over

the railway are symbolic of
trouble brewing for George Hudson.

In 1848, cracks in the Railway
King's empire began to show.

Hudson's projects were not as
successful as he had claimed

and many had hoped.

Investors were spooked

and the backlash against
the Railway King began.

The train is approaching
the outskirts of Pickering,

a market town on the edge
of the Moors.

But before the locomotive arrives
at its ultimate destination...

...there's a final twist in
the tale of the Railway King.

To maintain and accelerate
the growth of his empire,

Hudson had bolstered profits
and dividends

with new tranches of investment.

A fraudulent activity.

He was forced to repay
large sums of money,

which he was deemed to
have misappropriated.

Within three years, by 1851,

Hudson was declared bankrupt

and his entire fortune had vanished.

Hudson was a national disgrace
and he fled to France.

In 1865...

...he tried to return
to public life in Whitby

by standing as the local MP.

But, just before polling day,

he was arrested and spent
three months in jail.

Hudson's fall had been
as spectacular as his rise.

Despite the dodgy deals
and tragedy of his life,

the Railway King
transformed Britain...

...and built on the great advances
of the hero

of the North Yorkshire Moors
Railway, George Stephenson.

The steam locomotive heads
towards Pickering station.

The train has reached
the end of the line,

the story told.

Stephenson had a bold vision
to get the world on the move

at a time when nothing could
travel faster than a horse.

Stephenson's railway revolution
connected people

and places across the land
as never before.

Trade and industry boomed,
business and commerce thrived,

society and culture
were changed forever.

George Stephenson will always
be revered

as the inventor
of the steam railway.

But what he'd really created
was the start

of the modern world.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media