Timeshift Last Days of Steam (Season 8, Episode 3)
TV Episode | 59 min | Documentary

Timeshift

Last Days of Steam (Season 8, Episode 3)

TV Episode | 59 min | Documentary

Documentary which tells the surprising story of how Britain entered a new age of steam railways after the Second World War and why it quickly came to an end. After the war, the largely destroyed railways of Europe were rebuilt to carry ...See moreDocumentary which tells the surprising story of how Britain entered a new age of steam railways after the Second World War and why it quickly came to an end. After the war, the largely destroyed railways of Europe were rebuilt to carry more modern diesel and electric trains. Britain, however, chose to build thousands of brand new steam locomotives. Did we stay with steam because coal was seen as the most reliable power source or were the railways run by men who couldn't bear to let go of their beloved steam trains? The new British locomotives were designed to stay in service well into the 1970s, but in some cases they were taken off the railways and scrapped within just five years. When Dr Richard Beeching took over British Railways in the 1960s the writing was on the wall, and in 1968 the last steam passenger train blew its whistle. But while steam use declined, steam enthusiasm grew. As many steam engines lay rusting in scrap-yards around Britain, enthusiasts raised funds to buy, restore and return them to their former glory. In 2008, the first brand new steam locomotive to be built in Britain in nearly 50 years rolled off the line, proving our enduring love of these machines. Written by Anonymous See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
16 cast members

Name	Known for
Deborah Maclaren Self - Narrator (voice) (as Deborah MacLaren) Self - Narrator (voice) (as Deborah MacLaren) See fewer	Naked (1993)
Lawrie Hall Self - British Railways Manager 1966-2005 Self - British Railways Manager 1966-2005 See fewer	Timeshift (2002)
Terry Gourvish Self - Historian, London School of Economics Self - Historian, London School of Economics See fewer	Timeshift (2002)
Danny Hopkins Self - Editor, 'Steam Railway Magazine' Self - Editor, 'Steam Railway Magazine' See fewer	Cuban Soul
Andrew Scott Self - Head of National Railway Museum Self - Head of National Railway Museum See fewer	Timeshift (2002)
Alfred Barnes Self - Minister of Transport, 1948 (archive footage) (voice) Self - Minister of Transport, 1948 (archive footage) (voice) See fewer
Colin Divall Self - Historian, University of York Self - Historian, University of York See fewer	Locomotion: Dan Snow's History of Railways (2013)
Simon Jenkins Self - Author and Journalist Self - Author and Journalist See fewer	Royals and Reptiles (1997)
David Elliott Self - The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust Self - The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust See fewer	Timeshift (2002)
Ian Marchant Self - Writer Self - Writer See fewer	Heart of Wales (2023)
Richard Beeching Self - 'Reshaping the Railways', 1963 (archive footage) (as Dr Richard Beeching) Self - 'Reshaping the Railways', 1963 (archive footage) (as Dr Richard Beeching) See fewer	Reshaping British Railways (1963)
David Shepherd Self - Artist Self - Artist See fewer	Going for a Song (1965)
Dai Woodham Self - Railway Locomotive Scrapyard Owner, interviewed in 1988 (archive footage) Self - Railway Locomotive Scrapyard Owner, interviewed in 1988 (archive footage) See fewer	The Train Now Departing (1988)
Graham Perry Self - Railway Enthusiast Self - Railway Enthusiast See fewer	Timeshift (2002)
Mike Peart Self - Railway Enthusiast Self - Railway Enthusiast See fewer	Timeshift (2002)
Jon Barlow Self - Railway Enthusiast Self - Railway Enthusiast See fewer	Timeshift (2002)

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