The Evolution of American Railroads | Trains Unlimited (S1, E1) | Full Episode

good show

Loved it!

So, not to be that guy, but they missed a few things

first off, bit miffed they didnt mention the DMIR Yellowstone Locomotives. The gargantuan behemoths that pull iron ore from Northern Minnesota to the docks along the north shore of lake superior, were it was carried by freighters to the steel mills of Pittsburg, later to go to Detroit to become automobiles. These monsters could outpull even a Big Boy locomotive.

Also, steam is still in use today. The Cumbre's and Toltec Railroad still runs 3' Narrow Gauge locomotives, something they didnt even mention was the narrow gauge, and they still haul freight over railways that are almost 200 years old. They were running these trains all the way back in the 1860s

This was great, and I'd like to see more of these.

Couple of points. There is still at least one railroad using steam to haul revenue freight, the Strasberg Railroad in Pennsylvania. It might be a tourist train (and a great one!), but they also haul some freight.

Second point, they made a very common mistake about Raymond Lowey, everyone "knows" he designed the Coke bottle, but that is wrong, he did not. What he did design were the Coke dispensers seen at soda fountains for decades.

I'd maybe watch TV if it still had this content.

Narrated by Kevin Michael Richardson. You can hear him voice many a character on Seth MacFarlane cartoon series' such as Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, American Dad and others.

This show is from 1997 (according to the credits).

When the history Channel had history

Yeah let me get that four fo four train with fries on the side

So glad to see this series getting an official upload.

Wonderful. thank you

It's a shame we don't travel by rail anymore

It's a shame that we don't travel by rail anymore

Most people in America don't travel by rail it's a shame they use their rail system in Europe and we don't

Play trouble by airplane never get to see the beautiful country

Wait i though you hippies wanted to ban trains because Greta said we're all going to die 4 years ago.

No ancient aliens in this video! 😎

incorrect.

Like this comment if you like Trains as I do!

Remember when The History Channel actually did history?

The narrator doesn't have an appealing speaking voice.

Sometime the railroads got chemical deliveries and dinner plates confused. Look up PBB in Michigan.

Excellent! I loved all the great footage. By the time I took my first train, it was the mid 1970s, and Amtrak was the only type train you could pickup in Ohio. The engine cars were boring looking, and the passenger accommodations were sub-par. The seats were flimsy and poorly padded, and it felt like you were riding in an old Greyhound bus. The longer routes, didn't even have a dinning car, but instead a "vending machine" car, with terrible stale sandwiches, lousy soda pop, and the worst vending coffee. To save money I only paid to sleep in my seat, which didn't fully recline. The only saving grace was the bar car,....where riders could order mixed drinks and beer. I discovered being a little bit tipsy, helped me sleep through the bumpy ride, where I swear I could feel every railroad tie, bucking against, my lower back. The upside, was meeting interesting people, and having spirited conversations. In that era, the 1970s, meant there were college students with their folk guitars, who entertained the riders. There was not much in terms of personal entertainment devices, a few people had those tiny transistor radios, with their low fidelity speakers. I traveled alone, but made friends quickly, among the other riders, as I was also a college student. I had a couple of "small-world" revelations, and met a couple who grew up in my home town, of Cleveland, Ohio. And some of the college kids, were attending the same university, as I. It turned out to be a fun & memorable adventure. I traveled from Cleveland, Ohio, to Austin, Texas, to meet up with a girl I fancied. We met in college and were just beginning to date, when she decided to move out to Austin, Texas. We were pen pals for a while afterwords. I eventually found my true love in Columbus, Ohio and I've been with that gal, going on 40 years. We're both 70, presently.

the kind of thing history channel was meant to make...

Could you make em any more top heavy

Not amtrak the railroad that never made a profit

The Wabash went through our farm.
Always wondered why the cat logo was on so many cars and trains.
The house would rumble and we could sneak out at night.
Having to wait for another to get back in.
I did enjoy learning about this history and remember singing,
I've been working on the railroad. as a kid.

This used to be what journalism and TV was before the corporate enshittification of everything

Sad news no more conrail 😢

The Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railway (reporting mark COER) (formerly American Rail Heritage, Ltd. d/b/a Crab Orchard, and Egyptian Railroad Company) is a Class III common carrier shortline railroad that operates in the cities of Marion and Herrin in the Southern Illinois region.[1] It is most historically recognized by the FRA for being the last U.S. railroad of any kind to use steam locomotives exclusively in regular revenue freight service up until March 1986.

Locomotive #17 a 2-8-0 Steam locomotive was retired in 1986 when a Drive rod shattered and replacing it was near impossible. Now the line uses a Diesel switcher but it will forever be the TRUE last holdout of Steam service and where the Steam age finally ended.

I think that early cog-driven locomotive in your first illustration was English, not American?

Stop using the word Evolution when referring to man planned works.

Great so rail roads are what brought in the mafia unions that just drives businesses out of the nation.

Autism convention

Thank you

Train travel in the 1800's and 1900's was free. We need to get that back.

Amtrak -the red ink line...

More train content less aliens

History Channel, I would like to ask you can do the whole Extreme Trains Series because this series is excellent and I would be happy.

why cant they make bangers like this? im sure that space aliens is paying them enough to do some REAL historical documentizing... documentarizing... making cool videos

The 5 remaining major railroads??? You might need to research a bit...

Anyone watching this should also watch U.S. aviation history beginning 1920, too much focus on automobiles.

Choo-choo mother flour 💰

I don’t know if everyone got the ad of the Bill Bradley talk. But that was the quickest and one of the most enjoyable hours I can remember spending. It’s amazing how much we can learn by accident; how much insight we can learn by not clicking skip.

I do not wish to see the rails end, but the NEXT step they need to take is to advise global street mapping companies of their departure and travel times for street blockage. Portland, Oregon has two lines that go through the city streets...the train movements are irregular and cause street blockage for 20-30 min or more multiple times a day without advising travelers. Yes, there are other routes that drivers can be directed too, isn't it time the technology connects with each other?

Well put together program..

I'm here cause the Starlight Express revival reawoke my childhood train hyperfixation lol.