Railways radically changed the way we experience the world. In this course, you’ll explore the story and impact of railways, as you track evolving rail technology; learn how railways galvanized industry, commerce, and tourism; note the roles of railroads in colonial empires and major wars; learn where you can enjoy the best of rail travel today; examine railways’ impact on art; and learn about future rail systems.
How Railways Transformed the World
Climb aboard for a thrilling ride through the amazing world of railways in this thoroughly delightful course. Learn how this one invention profoundly changed human life and reveal the great railway journeys that await you around the world.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
William1947 from
Another great course by Patrick Allitt.
Dr. Allitts’’s course provides an extremely informative and entertaining way to learn about the history of railroads around the world. The profusion of supporting photos and graphics provided to support his lectures lectures is one of the outstanding features of this course. I also greatly enjoyed Dr. Allitt relating his own experiences as a railroad enthusiast, both as a child and as an adult.
Date published: 2024-10-26
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Dimondale from
A beautiful history of trains
Here is a wonderful viewing experience. Dr. Allitt lectures on trains is an expansive history with exquisite images, comprehensive explanations, and often a touch of personal experiences. He begins with railroad pioneers, then takes you on a tour of scenic European and American railroad landscapes. The videos of excursions through the mountains are particularly captivating. His lectures include railroads during war, train innovations from steam power to diesel and electric, the many historic train stations, railroads in the arts and literature, and numerous railroad museums. Dr. Allitt concludes by covering railroad heritage around the world showing an array of preserved locomotives, cars, equipment and memorabilia, all with superb videos. I highly recommend this lecture series.
Date published: 2024-10-08
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Kenneth1410 from
Wealth of Information on the History of Railroads
Dr. Allitt must be one of the worlds most knowledgeable experts on the history and impact of railroads around the world. From their inception in the early 1800s to the current restoration of abandoned railroads into urban and countryside trails, Dr. Allitt presents a delightful journey through time while also visiting and sharing photos and stories from many of the fascinating railroads still active around the world. This is a fun and very informative series. Thank you, Dr. Allitt for sharing your passion through this course.
Date published: 2024-10-04
Rated 5 out of
5
by
KelhamRD from
Fantastic
This series was educational and absorbing. He has a way of capturing may attention.
Date published: 2024-09-26
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Retired math prof from
Delightful and fascinating.
Who doesn’t love trains. Professor Allitt takes the viewer from early history to modern high speed trains. This is a very recent set of lectures after he has toured and filmed trains from all over the world. He is one of Great Courses finest lecturers. He speaks clearly and conversationally. Professor Allitt could read you the phone book, and leave you fascinated and deeply interested in finding out more.
We watched these episodes on Great Courses plus, which has the advantage of high definition and captions. As always with his lectures we were devastated when the lectures were over. Thank you, Great Courses, for a wonderful topic with an extraordinary lecturer.
Get the video. It is indispensable.
Date published: 2024-09-22
Rated 5 out of
5
by
GreatFan from
Spellbinding! We have been binge watching!
Uh oh! We binge watched this series on trains. I love trains, husband loves me therefore we go on the smaller trains we find on our trips around the U.S. and I have been across Canadian Rockies by Viarail trains and across U.S. on Amtrak trains. Dr. Allitt had us hooked on this course from the first. His voice inflection and pronounciations are so easy to listen to and he imparts a wealth of information with terrific graphics/pictures/maps, etc. to truly make this an amazing Great Course. Loved it and plan to watch it again next year. This course is now on our Top Ten list and we have watched hundreds of Great Courses since its beginning. Thank you!
Date published: 2024-09-15
Rated 4 out of
5
by
clevertoad from
In general this course was quite good, As a Canadian I was somewhat annoyed at hius either ignorance or disinterest in Canadian railways. British Columbia might well have become part of the U.S., thus cutting Canada from the Pacific Ocean, had not it been guaranteed a railway linkj. The rai klinbk to the East coast actually is enshrined in the Canadian consitution.
Date published: 2024-09-11
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Mr Ed 54 from
Marvelous view through time.
This course is like taking a wonderful tour of the world's railroads and their place in history. At each stop when he shows this railroad, its passenger cars and the track, I watch this and think that I would like to go there and see this place and ride on this railroad.
Date published: 2024-09-08
Overview
About
Patrick N. Allitt is Cahoon Family Professor of American History at Emory University, where he has taught since 1988. He received his PhD in American History from the University of California, Berkeley, and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard Divinity School and Princeton University. He is a widely published author whose books include A Climate of Crisis: America in the Age of Environmentalism; The Conservatives: Ideas and Personalities throughout American History; and Religion in America since 1945: A History.
Trailer
01: The Idea of Railways
Begin with an overview of the history and impact of railways, as a revolutionary technology that produced a superbly efficient means of transport. Grasp how railroads have been central to industrial societies, and have influenced politics, urbanization, social life, modern business, and more. Note the decline of trains in the later 20th century, followed by their astonishing comeback.
29 min
02: Britain’s Railway Pioneers
Learn about early steam technology, and the mounting of steam engines on vehicles, producing the first locomotives. Follow the rise of the first railways in Britain in the 1820s, and the brilliant engineers behind them. See how the proliferation of railways altered the landscape of Britain, accelerating urbanization, and observe the many ways that railways changed British life in the 19th century.
31 min
03: The First American Railroads
Following the British model, railroads quickly took root in America. Chart the groundbreaking lines, such as the Baltimore & Ohio and Pennsylvania, and the challenges they faced in the great distances and rugged landscapes of the United States. Witness the developing railway technology in the United States, and the dangers and high accident rates in the 19th century owing to subpar equipment and standards.
29 min
04: Early European Ventures
Trace the rapid spread of railroads in Europe from the 1830s, amid a politically volatile landscape. See how British engineers jump-started railways throughout Europe, starting with Belgium and Germany. Follow the creation of nationalized rail systems by Germany and France. Also take account of 19th-century engineering marvels on railways, such as extraordinary viaducts, bridges, and tunnels.
28 min
05: Railways Go to War
Grasp the core roles of railways in military conflicts in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Observe how the building of a railway transformed the British campaign in the Crimean War, and how cooperation between railroads and Union forces in the US Civil War was a major force in the Union war effort. Note the critical influence of railways in the Franco-Prussian, Boer, and Russo-Japanese wars.
30 min
06: America’s Transcontinental Railroads
Visualize the vast engineering project that linked the two coasts of the United States by rail, and the motives behind it. Learn how two companies built the first completed line, followed by other transcontinental routes, driving settlement and agricultural output across the United States. Assess the financial realities and abuses of these railroads, and the serious economic and ecological problems they provoked.
30 min
07: Railways and Colonialism
Observe how the building of railroads in India, by the British, strengthened British rule and commerce, yet also contributed to Indian nationalism and the movement for independence. Explore British, German, and French colonial railways within Africa and Vietnam, as they served the economic ends of empire. In Canada and Australia, see how railroad-building and nation-building were closely linked.
29 min
08: Mountain Railways
Here, investigate the fascinating approaches railway engineers have taken to the problems of steep gradients and mountainous terrain, creating some of the most amazing and enjoyable railroads in the world. Delve into examples of circuitous lines, spirals, zigzags, and rack and pinion railways, and travel with Professor Allitt on a few of the breathtaking mountain railroads of Switzerland.
28 min
09: The Invention of Tourism
Discover that the global tourism industry was largely an invention of railways. Encounter tourism pioneers Thomas Cook, Fred Harvey, and others who forged modern leisure travel principally using railroads. Witness the advent of US tourism, and the development of Florida, via railways. Then glimpse delightful and relaxing railway excursions in Switzerland, Norway, Spain, and Canada.
30 min
10: Railway Workers and Unions
Railways were integrally involved in the rise of labor unions. Gauge the many dangers early railroad workers faced, and the oppressive working conditions that led them to organize in Britain and the United States. Take stock of the intense labor disputes with employers, the many strikes and violent confrontations, and the process by which workers ultimately gained recognition and better working conditions.
28 min
11: Urban Railways above and below Ground
Look into the ways in which railway technology has been used within cities, to provide mass transit in urban areas. Witness the rise of streetcars, first horse-drawn and later electrified; cable cars; and the advent of under/overground railways in London, New York, and other cities. Take account of subways which were designed to be elegant and beautiful, such as in Moscow, Paris, and Stockholm.
29 min
12: Great Railway Stations of the World
Enjoy the remarkable tradition that produced railway stations as majestic and glorious architecture, reflecting their cultural centrality and rivalling the grandeur of other great urban buildings. Tour stations both large and small from the golden era of station design, roughly 1840 to 1930, with visits to terminals ranging from London, New York, and Paris to Milan, Helsinki, Mumbai, and beyond.
30 min
13: The Challenge of Cars, Trucks, and Planes
In the early 20th century, railroad policies drew fire from the public and legislators. Trace the effects of government regulation and antitrust legislation aimed at curtailing unfair practices by railroad companies. As of the 1920s, chart the competition posed by motor vehicles and aircraft, and how railroads responded with improved speeds, service, and technology, from streamlining to diesel power.
30 min
14: Railways in the Two World Wars
Take note of the centrality of railroads in World War I, in German military strategy and French defense, and their roles in the British campaign against the Ottomans and the Russian Revolution. In World War II, witness how Hitler’s misconception of railway logistics compromised the Nazi war effort, and observe how railways were used by the Soviets, during the Holocaust, and in the D-day invasion.
28 min
15: Railways in Literature
From the early years of railroads, novelists saw dramatic possibilities in rail travel. Discover how fiction writers used trains and train travel in their writings, highlighting novels by Dickens, Eliot, Tolstoy, Lewis, and many others. See how writers assessed the societal impact of railroads and used them to develop themes of time; social class; displacement; and a changing, industrial world.
27 min
16: Railways in Art and Photography
Many artists responded to the cultural presence of railways. View the railway paintings of Turner, Monet, and others, as they explored the visual and human impact of trains and stations. Explore railway art that focused on the passengers and the social reality of train travel. Consider the challenges of photographing trains, and the masterful and evocative images of railroad photographers.
26 min
17: Railways in Cinema
Since the beginnings of cinema, railroads have been a memorable and constant backdrop for films. In the silent era, trace the brilliant use of railroad settings in films by Buster Keaton, John Ford, and others. Note the inherent drama of train journeys in sound railway films, from La Bête Humaine and Hitchcock’s train films to the railway films of High Noon; Brief Encounter; and Runaway Train.
26 min
18: Nationalization and Decline in Britain
Track the fortunes of British railways from the 1940s to the present. Following their major role in World War II, learn about the postwar nationalization of railways and their later re-privatization, the end of the steam era and change to diesel and electric power, the reorganization of rail services for greater economy and efficiency in the 1960s, and enjoy some of the great railway routes of Britain.
29 min
19: Railroads in Postwar America
In the postwar United States, take a look into at the severe decline of passenger rail traffic; the new focus on freight service; and the remaking of the railway industry through mergers, deregulation, and skillful management. See how government intervened, creating Amtrak and Conrail as viable passenger services, and learn about the operations of freight trains today, as the planet's “greenest” bulk transport.
29 min
20: High-Speed Trains in Europe and Asia
High-speed offers yet another possibility for rail travel. Chart the development of the first “bullet” trains in Japan, reaching speeds of 200 mph, followed by similar vehicles in France, Spain, and the extensive network in China. Take note of the Eurostar trains which cross under the English Channel, and futuristic plans for train travel, such as “magnetic levitation” and “hyperloop” railways.
29 min
21: Nostalgia and Railway Preservation in Britain
Within a remarkable tradition of railway heritage, enjoy a spectrum of Britain’s historic rail lines and trains. Among 150 preservation societies and museums, visit operating heritage railways in Wales and England, preservation workshops, and great railway museums at Didcot, York, and Swindon. Take the measure of the public’s love and veneration for British railway history.
29 min
22: Railroad Nostalgia in America
Among a rich range of preserved historic railroads in the United States, stop at Steamtown in Scranton, Pennsylvania, home to stunning historic trains, including the largest steam locomotive ever built, and the equally impressive Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. In Colorado, take in the sights of the Georgetown Loop Railroad, the Royal Gorge Railway, and the extraordinary Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
28 min
23: Enjoying Europe’s Railway Heritage
Join Professor Allitt for a trip across Western Europe, stopping first at some of the best new railway stations. View the luminous spaces of the Hauptbahnhof (Berlin), Frankfurt, and Liège stations. Then, take in the phenomenal Cité du Train museum in Alsace, and great railway museums in Belgium, Germany, and Austria. Consider the remarkable convenience and pleasures of the continent’s railway system.
28 min
24: Repurposed Railways
Finish with a look at creative uses of disused railways. Learn about the repurposing of old rail lines as walking and cycling trails across the United States and Europe, enriching rural and urban communities. Observe the conversion of unused stations into public venues, from art museums to conference centers, hotels, and more. Conclude with reflections on the remarkable staying power of railways.
33 min
