MBTA Ashmont - Mattapan Line: Traction Volume One

Snowy Train

October 2024 •Korean

Inside the train from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen, the snow-covered landscape and the darkness of the tunnel, three windows offer serene yet ever-changing impressions.

Journey to the East

May 2021 •English

Could our mounting modern problems have ancient solutions? Travel to the depths of China to find out.

The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream

January 2004 •English

Since World War II North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream. But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge...

Dream-Plan-Build

January 2005 •English

How to build a model railroad.

Workin' on the Union Pacific

January 2001 •English

Produced by the Union Pacific during the 1970s, these films bring you a nostalgic view into the day-to-day workings of a railroading icon. These vintage films take you back a generation yet they are as entertaining and informational today as they were 30 years ago! You re Workin on the Union Pacific!

Life on the V: The Story of V66

April 2014 •English

Boston's V66 music video station came and went in the mid-1980s but in the 18 months on the air, it was one of the only over-the-air music video channels ever created. But even popular success didn't mean it was going to last...

TGV, la réussite française

June 2017 •French

Kolem republiky

October 2002 •Czech

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.

Life After People

January 2008 •English

In this special documentary that inspired a two-season television series, scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth, animal life, and plant life might be like if, suddenly, humanity no longer existed, as well as the effect humanity's disappearance might have on the artificial aspects of civilization.

The Incredible Journey: Durango to Silverton

December 1993 •English

This incredible journey features the famous steam trains that power through the spectacular San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. From Durango to Silverton, see the forested wilderness, and its beautiful lakes, waterfalls, and rivers. Be amazed at the route that travels over narrows passes, high bridges, and steep cliffs!

Hear That Train a Comin'

June 2006 •English

Meet the crew of the Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985, the largest and most powerful steam engine in the world. This colorful documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at the conductors, engineers and mechanics who keep this fickle train running, an engaging history of steam power, and a scenic tour the Great Plains -- from Cheyenne, Wyo., through Denver and across Nebraska to the Omaha headquarters of the Union Pacific.

When Giants Roamed: The Golden Age of Steam

January 2005 •English

In the first half of the 20th century, America's railroads were radically transformed by the innovation of gargantuan steam locomotives. Pushed by the need to haul ever longer and heavier trains, the nation's locomotive works responded with the invention of awe-inspiring articulated engines. Delivering up to 7,500 horsepower, these steel behemoths could haul mile-long, 15,000-ton trains. In this riveting program, journey back to the golden age of steam for an up-close look at these legendary locomotives. See the Union Pacific's famed "Big Boy" in action and ride the rails of the Chesapeake & Ohio and Norfolk & Western railways. Meet the men who drove engines like the Allegheny and Yellowstone, and visit the museums and yards where the largest steamers ever built remain preserved in time. THE HISTORY CHANNEL' proudly presents this rollicking retrospective, sure to set any rail fan's heart pounding

The Unreserved

February 2017 •Hindi

The Unreserved is an inquiry into the lives of passengers who use the Unreserved Compartment, the cheapest way to travel across India on the Indian Railways system. The film portrays the passengers’ aspirations, efforts and opinions through conversations and personal stories.

TGV, 30 ans de vitesse

December 2011 •French

Cavalcade of San Francisco

September 1940 •English

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

The Strait Guys

June 2022 •English

THE STRAIT GUYS follows Czech-born mining engineer, George, and his fast-talking protégé, Scott, along the proposed route of the InterContinental Railway through Alaska, to the Bering Strait and onward to Russia. The “Strait Guys” endeavor to convince international governments, corporations, and indigenous tribes to green-light their $100 billion railway project, which would provide ground-based infrastructure across the continents, relieve overcrowded Pacific ports, improve global supply chains, and ease tensions between the superpowers. The US and Russia have been successfully collaborating in space for decades. Now the Strait Guys are out to prove it is also possible down here on earth.

Marathon

January 1965 •English

Started as a class project in what was likely the first filmmaking course ever taught at Harvard, Marathon documents the running of the 1964 Boston Marathon.

La saga du rail

June 2020 •French

ASK ALLSTON: A Documentary About Boston DIY

Invalid date •English

A documentary filmed between 2016 - 2018 about the Boston DIY music scene, and part of the community that keeps it going.