The Flying Scotsman: History's Most Famous Train | Full Steam Ahead EP4 | Absolute History

[@yesseniaalonso3533]

Finding a series that is both educating and very enjoyable to watch is so hard to find these days. These three having fun with each other throughout the whole series as well makes it even better! Cheers!

[@robertsmith9076]

Like watching Blue Peter .

[@ericp9479]

Night Mail spitting some fresh rhymes. 5:42

[@TractorMonkeywithJL]

The first rap song?

[@nw-rz1yi]

Rappers eminem afraid to diss

[@nw-rz1yi]

Also SOMEONE MAKE A REMIX

[@jetsons101]

First rap song????

[@KingSlimjeezy]

right?

[@sachinmali74]

Such level of efficiency, great quality materials, people and processes without any modern gadgets like computers, calculators or the internet. Hats off to this meritocracy.

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

Astounding series and this one has it all, dirt, criminality, brilliant engineering the guys joshing each other , the profound vulnerability of young women to unwanted pregnancy. And comments on time itself. Brilliant. Thanks to all involved

[@eddiesroom1868]

When do they talk about unwanted pregnancy?

[@ashleelarsen5002]

@@eddiesroom1868 Baby-farming train murders

[@shibolinemress8913]

"Revenge is a dish best served coal" as the guy who laughed at him shovels badly too! 🖖😄👍

[@Fatduck-nm3jj]

Lololololol

[@eliotreader8220]

no one can be expected to boil a large kettle first time and I have been told it gets better with Practice

[@MrBoliao98]

Damm is that mail system crazy good, goodness, how intelligent they are.

[@mrrolandlawrence]

yeh never thought that it might take off drivers heads though with the catcher net!

[@sylviatamieanan4088]

I really thought that system was only something from the movies. Unbelieveble

[@robinforrest7680]

"The story of how railways created modern Britain" - and the world! The Locomotion series (1980's ?) demonstrates that brilliantly. But this is brilliant because it goes into so much detail into the impacts on everyday life.

[@ashleelarsen5002]

Good times.

[@Zuraneve]

I love how the poem for Night Mail is read to imitate the clacking of the train. I also had a good laugh at the "I before E" comment.

[@davehitchman5171]

You should read Thomas the Tank Engine. Amazing how few can actually read it today because far too many people dont know what trains used to sound like. Come on Come on Come on said Thomas to Annie and Clarabel, we're coming along we're coming along we're coming along is just total crap UNLESS you know what an engine working hard sounds like or what carriages rattling over the old fashioned butt jointed rails clatter like.

[@maryellencook9528]

I love this series. It doesn't matter what era is being studied, Peter looks Great in all of the garb, as if he had actually lived during those previous years. Side note: my mom worked for the Pullman Company in Texas and California and shortly afterwards during WW II.

[@hrani]

Peter looks dapper and dashing for like five minutes in these series and then his clothes are immediately covered in soot or everything else! It's kind of funny and very endearing

[@maryellencook9528]

@@hrani thats what I like about it. Peter is comfortable no matter what he's wearing and isn't afraid to wear his clothes, no matter how dirty he may get. Ruth, Alex, and Tom quite frequently look as if they are uncomfortable and are wearing costumes, not clothing of the era.

[@hrani]

​@@maryellencook9528 ​Huh, I've never got that feeling from Ruth or Alex. And certainly not Ruth! She at least knows how much freaking effort it was to make and wash the hecking things if nothing else! I wonder if Peter ever had to do laundry without modern conveniences

[@JayVBear45]

I just love Ruth's laugh.

[@ShadowDragon8685]

It's infectious, especially when she does a full-throated cackle.

[@robertsmith9076]

She would make a good Woman in Black .

Amazing. I used to be a fireman on Garrett 19 and 20A Class locomotives. And all of this is like the early years of my life. Before I became a combat soldier, graphic designer, motorcycle racer and marketing consultant. Now retired, my fondest memories of my working life are of working on a steam engine, or diesel locomotive. Thanks, Absolute.

[@mayanganggarani]

I always imagine the steam train smoke will be grey even black, from victorian novels such as Sherlock Holmes. But in recent documentaries it always shown Brilliant white, soft elegant cloud came out from historical locomotive. The TPO segmen was Marvelous. Thank you for making this available in youtube, accessible from overseas viewer like me.

[@atherrien95]

Black smoke indicates the engine is burning inefficiently, and thus under strain. When the train is running quickly and efficiently, the smoke will be lighter.

[@adreabrooks11]

George Pullman was an ancestor of mine. Not sure if that's a boast or a confession - but it always gives a personal touch to seeing his style of train cars in use.

[@TheRareFoxy]

I find steam locomotives more interesting then diesel locomotives.

[@FQP-7024]

We all do

[@s-classgamer977]

I think anyone who thinks the Shinkansen is better than a 9F is a wholigan

[@michael7324]

Of course you should . Haha

[@RAKITHA9]

@@s-classgamer977 the shinkansen is kind of like a Japanese sports car - fast , modern and good for driving everyday but lacks the grandeur, these steam stock are like vintage classic cars/horse carriage in some ways (you wouldnt want to drive one daily,but you would like to own one)

[@chefdavid_13]

@MI, U And I it was an analogy 😳

[@grettagirl2884]

I just love these 3 😁! Thank uou for bringing them back ❤️ !

[@420greatestqueen]

Love all the series with these 3 hosts. Thanks for posting

[@andywood5699]

The mail pick-up and delivery was impressive!

[@josugambee3701]

Train: ...🚂... Sudden potato: [thump] "Ay over there I've got an important telegram I need you to send!"

[@danielmassanori9298]

Imagine being a signal men and being trained to look out for potatoes with messages in them🤣🤣

[@Zombine2514]

As an American who's only seen diesel locomotives this is a delight to see a actual TPO and steam locomotive.

[@GenoSalvati]

I did not expect the hip-hop style rhyme at 5:58.

[@iozefinanagy5922]

Thanks

[@sarahs5340]

I love how detailed these documentaries are.

[@angus80w]

World's Most Non-Fiction Famous Locomotive: The Flying Scotsman World's Most Fiction Locomotive: Thomas The Tank Engine

[@enderpup9289]

angus80w pere marquette 1225 is both!

[@thisDavidLiu]

But The Flying Scotsman is featured in Thomas The Tank Engine

[@saskatoongirl3163]

angus80w 😂😂😂😂😂

[@angus80w]

@@thisDavidLiu yes

[@hminchan]

The original stories by Rev Awdry were based on actual steam trains at the time en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_characters_in_The_Railway_Series#Gordon_(Number_4)

[@GotLostProductions]

The note in a potato being thrown out the window at a signal box feels like it should be a joke!? 😂 Truth really is stranger than fiction in moments like that.

[@newenglandwirelesssteammus4167]

A wonderful and informative series. Great insight into this incredible transformation in every aspect of our society that is all too easily taken for granted.

[@sebasmusician736]

Those are fire bars 5:42

[@Feelicitasy]

Am I the only one who recognized the Loughborough station stairwell faster than they could tell it was on video because of watching too much Bernadette Banner and Cathy Hay Bustle Pad Adventures?

[@tedwalker1370]

I can not imagen what an accomplishment it was to make and serve food on a train rattling down the track at more than 80 mph. Totally amazing.

[@cleverusername9369]

What a beautiful piece of engineering is the Flying Scotsman.

[@jetsons101]

What a great series. It's funny to think that something as simple as boiling water, a thousand years ago, could over time lead such major changes in the world---thank you science. Thanks for posting.....

[@spooningkat6933]

Beautiful series!

[@SimonTekConley]

Thank you for this series, I often wonder about services before the internet, how people shopped, how the auto shop found hard to find parts, etc.

[@benediktmorak4409]

and today you can only say - it once was and is no more -

[@rayfridley6649]

@40:41: Why did those Victorian engineers outfit the locomotives with a stoker system. The coal would be funneled down to a moving auger that pushes it along to another auger that brings it up into the firebox. Saves a lot of work for the fireman.

[@julianmuller6541]

this series is absolutely amazing i love steampowered trains thank u very much

[@jimtalbott9535]

It's fantastic too to see this pulling a train WITHOUT some damn diesel engine in the mix - in the US, they've brought one of the Big Boys back online, but all trains pulled with passengers seem to "need" a diesel engine to provide breaking and head power. Clearly, it can be done other ways.

[@flyaround5953]

It’s because of PTC and the worry of if something goes wrong that a main track being blocked, trust me I agree with the diesel ruins the look of those trains but sadly I see why they do it

[@christianfreedom-seeker2025]

Frankly the Federal Regulators here Stateside don't like active Steam locomotives so they try to limit them as much as possible. In fact they are telling kids in history class now that it was the Highway system that connected America and made it thrive, not the railroads! They are 100% wrong!

[@104thDIVTimberwolf]

Part of it is the elevation changes that US trains expect and part of it is also the ability to generate power for electrical systems, in addition to the regenerative braking that the diesels are capable of. It's a shame that they are stuck with modern engines to do that. An F-9B wouldn't look too badly out of place behind a GS-4, Challenger, or Big Boy like an AC-4400 does.

[@unconventionalideas5683]

@@christianfreedom-seeker2025 True, but they are not necessarily saying that it was the highway system. They teach that the first connectivity was the railways, but that there was another quantum leap forwards with the Interstate system, which is probably true. The railways are much de-emphasized, but not really forgotten. Of course, whether people actually deem it important enough to remember is another matter.

[@Samstrainsofficially]

If there isn't a diesel directly in the train, which there normally is in the UK attached at the rear to enable to whole train to be pulled away, then there is normally something stabled at a strategic point on route or a diesel pathed to follow. The railway is there to move people and stuff and make money, its not there to be a playground for steam heritage services and thus its only fair to put in place contingency to remove a failed steam loco or provide additional power to keep it to time table. Don't and you risk losing customers when they or their stuff is late. Do and you get to show that even if your steam loco goes wrong it can be removed from the path of other stuff and not be a huge pain in the butt which means it gets to stay.

[@RatelHBadger]

That very small segment at the end of the newspaper peice, about essentially the infant black market was incredibly harrowing.

[@emilysahlen9164]

Did anyone else feel sick hearing about the murder of these innocent babies? My heart sunk and as a mother I was furious.

[@glypnir]

That tiny little firebox door on the Flying Scotsman always amuses me. I always think of the “Big Boy” locomotives that can burn 8.8 tonnes of coal per hour. They had a screw auger feeding coal into the 6 by 2.4 meter firebox. Steam jets were used to distribute the coal properly. They still run one, but they’ve switched to fuel oil. Coaling facilities that can dump 29 tonnes of coal into the tender are not convenient.

[@atherrien95]

Climbing through the train looked like the most claustrophobic task.

[@alvinwoods639]

Amazing.. History on full display for the future to learn from..

[@smc130]

We have Prince Albert to thank for introducing the steam train to Great Britain. He was a man of vision and embraced new ideas to improve their way of life. Queen Victoria was reluctant but he sold her on the future of trains to modernize Britain.

[@ella_cinder4361]

I think Alex was partly that wobbly on purpose!! Lol

[@johanswanepoelswanies7483]

Great documentary , thank you.

[@jitintilak1284]

Flying Scotsman :The Pride of Britain ❤️❤️

[@tertiusimpostor]

But in Germany we also had 3-cylinder-steam engines even before WW I :)

[@sylviatamieanan4088]

It's time Germany run a similar series, but with historians like Ruth, Alex and Peter, not those who make us all go asleep

[@lknanml]

5:40 He's going the distance He's going for speed She's all alone (all alone) All alone in her time of need Because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse He's racing and pacing and plotting the course He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse He's going the distance He's going for speed He's going the distance Ah no, so sad, alright Oh no, oh no, no, no Cake The Distance Fashion Nugget(1996)

[@morenofranco9235]

Magic! Thanks, Absolute History.

[@charlie-jay]

52:46 Hot potato: That's why there is a fork to use with the spoon to serve the dish. Silver service is what those in first class would expect, even on a train.

[@CarlosGonzalez-kt5be]

MUY INTERESANTE su VIDEO !!.. Saludos, from : new York.

[@manhunter433]

One of the other major changes is how the British Royal was perceived by the general populace. Queen Victoria in particular used the railway to communicate and interact with the people of Britain.

[@wasnhas]

Wonderfully done episode and series !

[@CodyRushDriving]

25:08 to be fair, since they could not send the letter C, he didn't violate that spelling rule!

[@christianfreedom-seeker2025]

In the USA, railroads lost their mail contracts because the airlines wanted to carry mail but that created an unforseen problem: Your mail was now passing through more hands than ever before and theft became a big problem. At least theft and outright waste is a big problem today. I try not to send anything valuable through the US Post because it'll either get lost or stolen. Anyone else have this problem?

[@wutang80oc39]

I always loved riding all old steam trains dotted through out the southwest, west coast and pacific north west. I still have pieces of coal given to me by the engineers.

[@clairepapadatos1116]

Again, absolutely fudging brilliant!❤❤❤

[@davehitchman5171]

The corridor width was apparently created by using dining chairs to see how tight a gap could be used

[@zaka503]

I really like these people!

[@noregrets551]

To me it is all about being able to see all the mechanisms work

[@--enyo--]

31:50 I've seen a lot of videos on the 'baby farmers' around. It's one of many sad and horrifying parts of history.

[@railbaron1]

And with the railroad facilitating that gruesomeness it makes the fact that some rail lines here in the State Literally have bodies under the right of way seem tame by comparison.

[@mikitz]

First charge a woman for adoption and then sell the kid into slavery. A brilliant business model, have to give them that.

[@donnyc9430]

Mail still takes day's

[@spookayitsme]

Mail sorting in the Victorian era seems akin to the Tetris/Dr Mario of the 90s and the Candy Crush of today 😂

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

Great series! I do not understand why they do not have slide down from the coal wagon and into the fire?

[@ivoivanov7407]

You need to distribute coal evenly on to fireplace, and shovel was the right tool, until a coal "dispenser" was invented, shortly before the end of the steam locomotives era. From what I've seen, the dispenser was based on a rotating disk, that throws coal relatively evenly in semi-circle, covering the fireplace.

[@jonrau5988]

Wow, what a ride!

[@oliverdelaenfield2]

#999 of the NY Central RR did over 100mph on the way to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago...

[@elainelethborg2550]

So it was claimed. I just read about that. It said the likely true speed was around 81mph. I don't know. This, like Truro's, is a claim unauthenticated. When Scotsman hit the 100mph plus mark there was equipment aboard on which it was duly recorded and therefore proven.

[@jimtalbott9535]

They speak of the impact of railways on communication - certainly moving news papers and mail, and the erection of telegraph lines had a massive impact - however, even today, many railways have provided right-of-way access for the installation of fiber optic cables, that carry internet traffic. It never ends.

[@louisazraels7072]

The Flyinh Sctosman is the most famous LOCOMOTIVE, the most famous train and/or train line is either the Transiberian or the orient express

[@mylesthomasandfriends838]

Why does my neurotypical 51 year old male cousin by marriage named Christopher Kienle know a lot of the Dallas Cowboys Football team, but not about this steam train the Flying Scotsman the way my special needs friends I know this train?

[@PupOrionSirius26]

Wooo woo! Lovely episode!

[@darkangelprincess101]

Those poor babies 😭

[@JustAllinOneResource]

Thanks You. As always liked, and shared.

[@gameoholic1994]

What kind of mail service is that at 0:18 called? ...IS it mail?

[@Xeidasx]

Absolutely fascinating!!!

[@KingSlimjeezy]

What a time and era to be alive. Oh to be a victorian, I just know my body was built for it.

[@spring626]

0:07 Spencer's whistle

[@jeremiahgabriel5709]

"The internet is the Victorian train station of the 21st century." There's a sentence/ point I'd never thought I'd hear 😅 I like it though.

[@TrainmasterGT]

5:30 the first rap in world history…

[@richlovin2173]

Amazing way to learn abou8t history.

[@tobyytlai]

I've never seen people climb into a steam loco's firebox. That's crazy!

[@backonpro5679]

You should see how they did maintenance on the New York Central’s Niagara Class. They put a guy in an asbestos suit, and he’d do maintenance while the locomotive was active, inside the firebox

[@Uffda.]

Really reminds me that the US state I live in is literally comparable in size to the UK, with less than 1/10 the population.

[@frankrshirer8851]

Which is what most of the Americans who say we need more trains to move people forget about. The highly urbanized East Coast is similar to Britain and the Continent in being able to utilize passenger trains much more advantageously; although they still require government subsidies. I used the German train system during my 7 years in Germany, but the scattered small towns across the USA makes passenger service much more costly.

[@ZILOGz80VIDEOS]

It's wild how small british rolling stock is.

[@maxoyew2965]

Man I would love to work on a traveling post office like that

[@jenniferwilliams2077]

Just skip the mail part and move on to the flying Scotsman part!

[@bretnielsen5502]

I enjoyed his so ,much I watched it twice !

[@oceanvibesphotography8395]

One of my biggest dreams is two ride on the flying Scotsman

[@MrNoUsername]

22:45 What locomotive class is that?

[@mylesthomasandfriends838]

Why does my neurotypical 51 year old male cousin by marriage named Christopher Kienle know a lot of the Dallas Cowboys Football team, but not about this steam train the Flying Scotsman the way my special needs friends I know this train?

[@mihaelalaber2084]

the title says, "Most famous TRAIN", so i thought this was gonna be about the flying scotsman service from edinburgh to london king's cross, not the actual A3 pacific, i'm used to calling those locomotives or engines, not trains because a train is a full consist with an engine and wagons. excellent vid anyway

[@DavidScholz-bu1ix]

I personally just suddenly came up with the officially well-knowingly clever idea of completely fitting a stoker's screw in the base of the very 1st of the new generation of corridor tenders meaning that the famously well-knowingly sole-serving Doncaster built in the year of precisely 1923 respectfully L N E R class A3 Pacific type of steam-driven railway tender locomotive designed by Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley himself known as the Flying Scotsman that'll basically help the fireman stoke the fire by automatically feeding the coal underneath the footplate into the firebox meaning that the usage of a shovel certainly WON'T even be necessary! Although, cleaning out the firebox as well as the smoke box will basically still be very shockingly surprisingly much done manually!

[@mylesthomasandfriends838]

Why does my neurotypical 51 year old male cousin by marriage named Christopher Kienle know a lot of the Dallas Cowboys Football team, but not about this steam train the Flying Scotsman the way my special needs friends I know this train?

[@SkashTheKitsune]

... Ruth Goodman... you have my attention dear Sir...

[@prestonsmith9450]

Is no one going to talk about the potato mail?

[@RoseUnseen]

if your not having a cup of while watching these docs! your a baby farmer!

[@modernmozart813]

50:20 Ruth:”How long you are gonna stay white !!!””😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😅

[@yendub]

I'd want to see Gordon Ramsay cook on that train!

[@spookerredmenace3950]

Night Mail spitting some fresh rhymes. yo!!

[@elainelethborg2550]

The world famous Flying Scotsman is the Gresley A1/A3 4472/60103 locomotive. The Flying Scotsman train is the modern day Azuma that bears the name of the service that the famous locomotive is named after. They both might say Flying Scotsman on them, but only one of them is Scott!!!!

[@Muck006]

"Unification of time" would have come with the radio anyways ...

[@heronimousbrapson863]

19th century: railways unite the country. 21st century: the internet divides the country.

[@Machodave2020]

The most famous LNER A1/A3. The Flying Scottsman.

[@johncrump916]

For I have a O gage 1 of these that runs on Live Steam & I do have some pagners & fraight car's & all I have to do now is get some of the right kind of Steam Oil for it to run.

[@davehitchman5171]

1927 the GWR King was a 4 cylinder (not even the first 4 cylinder of the GWR) predating Flying Scotsman. 3 cylinders was indeed good but wasnt outstanding. Gresley had a thing about 3 cylinder - all A1 to A4 (including the Mallard) had 3

[@BlaBla-it6bb]

"The railways themselves took advantage of this new system, to ensure that a safe distance was maintain between trains." 22:23. They were already planning their physical distancing back then. How clever.