Original subtitles

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