BBC's "Great Steam Trains" and "The Train Now

Joshua K. Blay · **Posted:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 7:58 am

I have been looking for more information on these great series ever since they ran in the late 1980s, early 1990s. I know "Great Steam Trains" played here in the states, don't think "The Train Now Departing" ever did. I remember the following episodes from the former-

The Mallaig Line
Quest for Speed
Goods Trains
Going Great Western
Twp episodes regarding the Flying Scotsman (engine and the train) and the Duchess of Hamilton

Were there more? Anyway to find these on DVD for North American Format?

Best,

Joshua

Richard W. · **Joined:** Tue Nov 09, 2004 12:27 pm **Posts:** 157

The series was known as "Steam Days" and I recorded these when they aired on the local PBS station in Seattle. If you go to Ebay and search by steam days one VHS tape is showing for sale out of the UK. A great series with my favorite being the one on goods trains.

Richard Wilkens

Joshua K. Blay · **Posted:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 11:59 am

That's the series. Altho my PBS programs were called Great Steam Trains and not Steam Days. Wondered why they changed the title?

Joshua

Warren · **Posted:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:28 pm

Joshua,
I have two of the tapes in the series.

Tape#1: Workhorses and Going Great Western
Tape#2: Travels with a Duchess and the Fishing Line
Both tapes are the original BBC series tapes( not home recorded jobs)
They are VHS tapes and if you e-mail me with your address you may have them if you want them.

JohnHillier · **Posted:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:15 pm

My dad used to work for a PBS station and has some copies he made before they were aired on BETA. I believe there were only six episodes, and I really wish more people had seen them, namely those wishing to shoot a documentary around the railroads. They are very well done, have a good bit of sensible (not cheesy) humor, informative to those who are just casual viewers and those of us who work for the railroads, as well as being composed with a nice bit of storyline and the theme song isn't too shabby either.

If anyone knows of additional episodes in the series I would love to see them. And if anyone wants to make a North American version, I'd love to help out with that as well!

John Hillier

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad