Once upon a Line

Model Citizens

January 2016 •English

Somewhere in the world right now--much closer than you think--people are playing with trains. You might not see them at first, but they're there. In basements. In garages. In converted Army barracks. They're among the world's most compelling underground communities.

3rd Ave. El

January 1955 •English

Impressionistic picture of the Third Avenue Elevated Railway in Manhattan, New York City, before it was demolished. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.

Cavalcade of San Francisco

September 1940 •English

This Traveltalk series short celebrates San Francisco, past and present.

How They Dug the Victoria Line

March 1969 •English

First transmitted in 1969, this documentary follows the construction of the world’s most advanced underground system. Macdonald Hastings narrates the story of one of the most complex tunnel engineering feats of its time. He reveals the isolation felt by the miners who spent six years burrowing deep beneath the streets of London, shows what they did beneath one of London's most famous department stores and explains why the ground at Tottenham Court Road had to be frozen during the hottest weeks of 1966. The result is a brave new world of transport with automated trains, two way mirrors, automatic fare collection and closed-circuit television, all choreographed by a computer programme played out by an updated version of a pianola located in a control room somewhere near Euston station.

Elizabethan Express

January 1954 •English

Originally intended as an advertising short, this film follows The Elizabethan, a non-stop British Railways service from London to Edinburgh along the East Coast Main Line. A nostalgic record of the halcyon years of steam on British Railways and the ex-LNER Class A4.

Train Time

January 1952 •English

A short documentary about the transportation of goods and livestock by train around the UK.

Gare du Nord : La Plus Grande Gare d'Europe

July 2018 •French

Trains: Two Centuries of Innovation

February 2017 •French

Nearly 200 years ago, the train revolutionized our lives. It redrew the maps of states and nations, and changed concepts of distance and time like no other invention before. What visionaries imagined the development of the railroad? How did we get from the first chugging locomotives to the smooth giants of speed we see today? How does France's extensive rail network keep running smoothly, 24/7?

The Seattle-Tacoma Interurban Railway

January 1996 •English

This rich, historical documentary captures the story of the high-speed, electric transit system that sparked the growth and development of Puget Sound's twin cities during the first quarter of the 20th century.

Boobs

October 2014 •English

A documentary about British model Precious Muir as she moves to new York to become a fashion model, and undergoes breast enhancement surgery to make it in the industry.

TGV, la réussite française

June 2017 •French

How to Fix a Railway

March 2023 •English

A multibillion-pound investment is underway to make our railways bigger, better and faster. Over three years, we go behind the scenes with Wales’s newest rail body as they try to make ambitious promises a reality.

Massachusetts' Maine Attraction: The Edaville Railroad

January 1991 •English

Massachusetts' Maine Attraction is the only definitive documentary on Edaville ever produced. Through extremely rare archive film footage, you'll learn the history of the Maine two-footers and observe regular-service trains on the Sandy River and Bridgeton & Harrison Railroads. Passenger and freight activities, and even winter scenes, are included. The program then describes the evolution of Edaville, from its planning and construction as a cranberry-hauling freight line to a full-fledged theme park. You'll ride the train and view the railroad from both onboard and trackside perspectives, and see coverage of special railfan events, including night activities.

The Outer Circle: Melbourne's Forgotten Railway

December 2014 •English

In the 1870s Victorian politicians debated the virtues of constructing a 20km-long railway through Melbourne's east, simply to circumvent a privately-owned railway from South Yarra to Flinders Street Station. By 1878 the private railway had been purchased by the Victorian Government and there was no longer a need to build the orbital railway. But greedy politicians pushed legislation through parliament, authorising the construction of the railway through their own private land holdings. This is the story of Melbourne's Outer Circle Railway.

Alesha: Look But Don't Touch

July 2008 •English

Documentary in which singer Alesha Dixon, concerned about the increasing pressure on women to conform to an ideal body type, investigates the practice of airbrushing and retouching that has become a staple of magazine photos. Keen to discover whether these images simply celebrate the female form or whether they make harmful, unrealistic demands on women and society, her journey sees her sitting in on 18-year-old Ellie's boob job, hearing fashion mag insider Liz Jones and celeb mate Cheryl Cole complain about the beauty industry and appearing on a front cover with her own body beautiful untouched.

Spains Worst Rail Disaster

November 2013 •English

(Un)glamorous

June 2015 •English

If what you know about male models comes straight from Zoolander, Pedro Andrade's special will give you a very different picture. It's a world of photo shoots and international travel, but there are also tiny models' apartments and even tinier paychecks.

The Modern Coal Burning Steam Locomotive

January 1942 •English

Documentary on the evolution and introduction of modern coal burning locomotives on the Norfolk and Western Railway line.

Rolling the Freight

January 1947 •English

Film on the movement of material from the Chicago and Northwestern System.

OVERHEIGHT MUST TURN

May 2018 •English

For the past ten years, Jürgen Henn has filmed over-height trucks crashing into the 11foot8 train bridge affectionately nicknamed the "Can Opener." In that time, millions have viewed the crashes online. Regional, national, and international news organizations have dined out on the story and the goofy crash reels. But why do motorists continue to crash despite the many warnings, sensors, and signs? And what is it about these crashes that holds our attention? In this piece, we look for the humanity in human error.