The Way Trains Changed Victorian Fortunes | Full Steam Ahead | Absolute History

[@kimberlyparrish7522]

That little Westie riding on the milk wagon stole my heart.

[@WyattRyeSway]

Kimberly Parrish ....mine too. He looked like he was being the guard dog the way he was watching all around.

[@charlie-jay]

Hamish, such an appropriate name.

[@d0lph1n63]

Did you know that it’s thanks to the railroad that the Westie wasn’t even known to the rest of the world until the rails came to the Scottish Highlands?!

[@chrisaguilera1564]

In the year of a global pandemic and the media wreaking havoc through fear these type of shows are really relaxing. At least to me. Anyone else?

[@Patchaddictedpolymath]

I would have loved these no matter what was happening

[@ashishjoseph5887]

absolutely you are correct , these videos are taking us to a different relaxing part of this world

[@jeffreycoulter4095]

Here too in the U.S.

[@Pompom-xy3uu]

I feel the same

[@jerryross3438]

@Kissa Deff Bless your poor wee heart.

[@rainbowkitty1996]

23:16. Not sure if that was intentional on Ruth’s part but I cracked up when she was telling the dog to move when she was hauling the milk jugs. “Moo, moo, moo, move”

[@GosportRailworks]

As someone who recently tried to get a job on the railway (as platform staff, didn't get it due to the current situation), they still perform pretty much the same tests as they did back then, though along with colour blindness test there was a rapid memory test, route finding, mathematics and following instructions/written tests, heard from those going for drivers had many more than that! Loving this series and looking forward to seeing more episodes.

[@laura897001]

😂🎉❤

[@Teee6]

I love how the wool farmer brings out the Welsh in Ruth.

[@Skraeling1000]

You mean Rwth. Sorry, couldn't resist!

[@davebarron5939]

History, the most important teacher there is, and the one thing we "modern people" teach the least, at our peril.

[@rhondacrosswhite8048]

This channel is the highlight of my week. I would love to see our intrepid historians make their own Scotch whiskey in the old ways. Thank goodness for my father and my Robertson forbearers nurturing my appreciation for such a fine libation.

[@loganmpe7559]

Ahh, my fine lady, I must agree, even though I'm a simple country American I appreciate British culture! My best to you! If you're Scott's please know I mean that for all!

[@dannydethanos6994]

My great grandpa got his job with the railroad during the Great Depression because the guy who had the job before was killed by a falling decorative light.

[@themidnightracer9937]

I guess that was his darkest day.

[@salavat294]

Interesting my dad was always a railway-man. He used to say that he enamoured with apparent magical transformation of industrial revolution caused the railroads of Russia. He worked on the electrification of the trans-Siberian rail-line.

[@alexvernes9264]

Votre père a collaboré avec Staline !

[@salavat294]

Alex Vernes: Votre père ou votre grand-père était un collaborateur nazi de Vichy, et un probablement combattu dans la division SS Charlemagne.

[@WyattRyeSway]

So did my great great grandfather.

[@bradmiller2329]

"He built that!" 😁

[@FrankTheTank7575]

I worked with your dad. Great guy.

[@lakrids-pibe]

Okay, who want to go to a whisky distillery in Scotland? Alex & Peter: Me! Me! Me!

[@gertbamse1]

Dansker?

[@mikitz]

It's an interesting experience, I strongly recommend.

[@frankkiejo5560]

Right?!? 😄😂😄

[@patriciayohn6136]

Why stop at one distillery? Why not stop at them all? I would!

[@AR-yv3dj]

Peter is always given the most grueling tasks while Alex gets the easy peasy ones.

[@ljooni]

Well that might be bc Peter doesn't have back problems like Alex

[@Lavender_Louis]

I think they like it that way:)

[@Saighin]

To be fair, literally the entire reason Peter was added last-minute to the very first farm series was _to do the heavy lifting_ because Alex had gotten a serious back injury (which has given him long-term difficulty ever since) prior to beginning filming Green Valley. I mean, Alex had producers ring up his Uni friend because Peter's _also_ a cracking archeologist, but right from the start he was cast with the understanding he'd be doing much more of the heavier physical labor because Alex medically couldn't 😉

[@captainsinclair7954]

The railways are getting more and more popular each year due to their relatively cheap operation, low amount of hassle with security, and ease of access to multiple areas. That’s something that not even the airplanes can manage. (And also, maybe a certain kids show managed to raise a generation or two on the idea of railway operations and funny antics. Rest In Peace, Reverend Awdrey.) I can see the railways lasting into the early 22nd Century due to how important they are for a nation’s infrastructure. I just hope that Amtrak here in the US either lowers their ticket prices, or more private companies start operating their own services again.

[@amberkat8147]

I hope so too. I like the railways.

[@mariahanastasi6575]

True. I wish they were made to look how they use to especially on the inside, beautiful cabins!

[@eunicestone838]

Amtrak is expanding thru to Louisville then north and south Should have never stopped it.

[@eunicestone838]

Louisville Ky is getting their Amtrak back. Yay. Chicago will be easier.

[@davidarundel6187]

Don't expect to find long distance passenger services in New Zealand - only local city & commuter runs.

[@neilmackenzie8345]

Got a British Rail Pass around 1974 ,. Loved the rail to get around , go to the station find a train with a few empty seats and just go . I didn't care where to , I just went , Wicks , Thruso as far north, east ,south and west as I could go . Head quartered in Inverness . Thank You Mrs.Gallanders . Loved the British Rail pass . Fast and cheap transportation. Memories

[@Brera011]

Bless the people who made Scotch Whisky available to me. I just love the stuff, best tipple in the world, a real Scotch Single Malt. :D

[@merchantofveniceentertainm9894]

thank you! will keep coming back

[@sylviaparraz6963]

I love this trio!!! I wish they'd make more shows

[@ValkyrieFlight]

They've made quite a few thankfully! Check out tudor, edwardian, victorian, and wartime farm series!

[@CuriousEarthMan]

it's series like these, what cause joy to enter the hearts of people who yearn to understand our growth as a civilization. many thanks to all who worked on these programs.

[@joakimhansen7733]

An excellent episode, keep up the good work!

[@marysmith9667]

Alex always giving Peter the hard job to do.

[@msbrowngault]

I noticed🤬 but it's cool. Let him keep doing it. He's just helping with Peter's sexy hard muscled body physique 😌 A bull waiting to be ridden...🥰😍

[@Saighin]

To be fair, literally the entire reason Peter was added last-minute to the very first farm series was _to do the heavy lifting_ because Alex had gotten a serious back injury (which has given him long-term difficulty ever since) prior to beginning filming Green Valley. I mean, Alex had producers ring up his Uni friend because Peter's _also_ a cracking archeologist, but right from the start he was cast with the understanding he'd be doing much more of the heavier physical labor because Alex medically couldn't 😉

[@spookayitsme]

That little Terrier on the cart - riding up front. Looks like he was in his element. Adorable.

[@lordphil456]

I remember my grandfather used to say that, that coalshovel was also used as a toilet. What comes in must come out,eventually...

[@WorgenGrrl]

In America, our Pryce Jones was Sears Roebuck and Company. It was the Amazon of it's day.

[@bluewolf993]

The Christmas Toy Catalog still holds fond memories for generations of children, circling their dreams in crayon.

[@paden1865able]

I remember a lot of our furniture, from bunk beds to the dining set (which I still have more than fifty years later) came from Sears Roebuck.

[@billmiller4972]

Highly appreciated that also the guests wear original clothing.

[@bessiemann7468]

I enjoy learning about the past. Love watching this series. Ruth,Alex and Peter are great

[@ashleelarsen5002]

😆 10:01 I'm pretty sure he would've have made it through the first week w.o. Ruth and the trailer with hot coco 😜

[@crenee4742]

Just gotta say I absolutely love Peter. 🥰🥰

[@msbrowngault]

Same😍

[@StanSwan]

I worked with an electrician that was color blind. He could not tell orange from yellow. The standard for 480/277 is brown, orange, yellow. We had to label the wire reels and marking tape. He could not tell black from brown either.

[@BoggWeasel]

Another railway episode, yay.....thank you

[@watchtool7085]

Homestly, I love the content, but this is the first video I'm able to watch all the way through because there's no adds.

[@petejt]

Hear hear.

[@dougm7817]

I have always enjoyed learning about the past. It's a shame there are so few true craftsmen today as there was in the past. It makes me proud to have learned the skills I have working with wood and steel..... A wonderful series of informative videos

[@chriscarrol9373]

This is the episode I wanted to rewatch to see how the old craft/art of the cooper is still alive in fine scotch wisky🥃. This series and all by this team is full of so much knowledge that will be useful again in the not so far off future. These old branch lines saved as heritage lines may become lifelines in the future. Just have empty petrol stations and no electricity for any length of time or so expensive your use of it is limited. Take anyones phone away under 35 and they can't function. I suggest watch and learn while it's still easy to learn things that may well, save your life.

[@ashishjoseph5887]

like always the absolute history's videos are marvellous

[@ARMOROID5000]

I agree!

[@jaydengalevski2537]

Alex and Peter need their own Tv show, they are goated and make such a good pair

[@davehitchman5171]

The GWR had a massive number of horses, they also had feed stores and feed processing for them (the provender store at Didcot was still standing when I was a kid until some unmentionable decided to make it a carpark

[@salavat294]

So, interestingly, bovine tuberculous is the reason why grandma never drank unboiled milk.

[@lakrids-pibe]

in Denmark, it became mandatory to pasteurize all milk for human consumption in 1941 - during the German occupation?!

[@salavat294]

Lakrids Pibe : Interestingly, when consuming pasteurized/homogenized milk, l am lactose intolerant. When I consume unpasteurized milk (straight from the cow), the problem goes away.

[@martentrudeau6948]

@@salavat294 ~ Mother's milk is never pasteurized, it helps the baby develop immunity's, it contains living enzymes and is more nutritious than pasteurized milk. The main reason milk is pasteurized today is economic, dairy farmers don't have to be as sanitary, once the milk is pasteurized it can be stored for weeks where as raw milk only keeps for days, and dairy companies can use inferior quality milk because of pasteurization and earn bigger profits. Raw milk is the way God intended it to be. In America you can't even sell raw milk, it's a crime and can go to jail for it, and that's fascism.

[@alexvernes9264]

Le chemin de fer est la meilleure manière de disséminer les pandémies. Get out of your shrunken local monolingualism !

[@salavat294]

Alex Vernes : Твою мать

[@gtbkts]

Commenting for support

[@ashishjoseph5887]

especially these historian act like as if they are living like a real victorian.reflecting the life of an ordinar victorian who s efforts are forgotten with time

[@NaumRusomarov]

what a fantastic tv show. amazing.

[@cleverusername9369]

The older gentleman driving around milk with a horse drawn wagon and his little dog through the beautiful English countryside is probably the most idyllic thing I've ever seen.

[@christianguenther1276]

A far more romantic time, times were surely harder; but the locomotives were beautiful works of art in iron, wood, and steel.❤❤❤

[@Delicate_Disaster]

I love the way they say things. "Beautifully balanced gate that is, isn't it?" Here we would just say "That's a beautifully balanced gate." or "That's a beautifully balanced gate, isn't?"

[@cleverusername9369]

Where's here?

[@Delicate_Disaster]

@@cleverusername9369 the US.

[@satanswife2546]

Interesting indeed

[@akacjabiala]

never thought i'd learn so much about whiskey from railway documentary

[@NathanTarantlawriter]

These are well done and fascinating.

[@naluzoniro]

Those sheep are so cuuuuuuuuuute !

[@Vikanuck]

Lol it’s insane what you’ll have to do, and the qualifications you’d need these days just to even be able to drive a train for the first time, but back then, it was as simple as “How many dots, and what colour do ya see??”, then you basically just learned how to drive from there haha 😂

[@Dreymasmith]

It is actually unfair to blame Beeching for what happened to branch lines. The real villain of the piece was Marples, who commissioned the report and who would accept nothing less than wholesale branchline closure, to further his own financial interests in road construction companies. Beeching was put in an unenviable position, with a tight brief that allowed no other outcome, and Marples used him as a smokescreen.

[@lukebarber9511]

I agree; Marples was a prime example of appointing a fox to guard a henhouse. Probably the biggest mistake of the closures was in many cases immediately building over the closed lines without having any provisions for reopening them in the event of renewed demand (in the US, there's a practice called railbanking which does this).

[@Dreymasmith]

@@lukebarber9511 dead right, but as the point was to destroy rail travel so roads, and Marples' bank balance, could thrive that was never going to happen.

[@1jmass]

Finally Peter gets a better gig than Alex. Alex has to serve dinner to first class passenger Peter, and Peter also gets to help “drive” the train. For all of the comments about the titles not reflecting the content, this is true on pretty much all of these historical videos I have seen. The title subject is shown somewhere in the video, but it is not the overall content. Maybe they just used the titles as a fast way of organizing the video segments since they couldn’t list everything covered in the video. Just a thought.

[@DorisS75]

These episodes always feel too short!

[@peteacher52]

Ruth Goodman is a National Treasure.

[@andywood5699]

Reminds me of The Titfield Thunderbolt -Great movie.

[@josephredden7280]

Omg Ruth has legs 😆 Lol

[@benediktmorak4409]

A most interesting episode. But i think Kudos must also be given to the team or teams behind the scenes. After all we see a cut and we are from the North of Scotland in Wales. Something that does not work like that in real life. Wonder how long it took and how many people, to shoot an episode?

[@manupankaj8510]

Where is this place, I definitely want to visit this place once this madness is over, how do i get here

[@eicdesigner]

The thing I am curious about is just how a farmer found a buyer for his market garden goods in the big city. Local brokers in their town? The church? The railway? It is the method of trade communication and money exchange that interest me.

[@maxdecphoenix]

probably not much different than it is today. Buyer deposits a check in one bank, bank wires message to other bank, farmer gets money in his account. The Banks may have been trading bulk monies around between various other banks, but farmers and grocers wouldn't have been exchanging large cash sums.

[@eicdesigner]

@@maxdecphoenix Sorry, my question is: I am a farmer out in the countryside. I grow flowers or fruit in my market garden. How, exactly, do I find a buyer in far-off London? Are there brokers associated with the railroad? The church? My town? Ignore the money for a minute. How do I find a buyer in the city? Do I send one of my family on the train with my goods to sell them in the city? It is the logistics of producer finding a buyer in that age the Victorian and Edwardian ages that interests me most.

[@maxdecphoenix]

@@eicdesigner They had all the same tools for communication we have, just in a more primative form, telecommunications in the form of telegraphs, the post, magazines, newspaper classifieds, guild/trade newsletters, so the answer would be all of the things you listed and then some. Friends, referrals, consignment agreements, purchasing agents, classified ads. Just general networking.

[@eicdesigner]

@@maxdecphoenix You must be an engineer. I asked how trade was done and you tell me how banks work and telecommunications works. God bless the engineers of this world!

[@maxdecphoenix]

@@eicdesigner no, you didn't ask how trade was done, you asked how 'trade communication' worked and 'money exchange' worked. I explained the money exchange side, and you childishly responded that the money side didn't interest you, so i explained the trade communications, AKA networking, and you call me an engineer.... I mean seriously, are you so disconnected from reality that you need a published paper to inform you how a farmer could look in his trade/guild letter to find a buyer? I supposed you need a BBC documentary on how they put one foot in front of the other to go send a telegram, as well.

[@DC9848]

What a fascinating documentary!

[@markrowland1366]

Irish whiskey was the more popular in England than Scotch whisky before Irish independence. Note the e in the spelling of the Irish.

[@TheRealTburt]

The only branch lines I grew up knowing about was from the Railway Series.

[@ronaldschultenover8137]

My grandfather lived on Scotch

[@aleisterlavey9716]

Better a cask than coffin, better a flask than coughing.

[@12361870]

Any idea where one could find a tea kettle like they have in the cans of the steam locomotives?

[@cryptoenthusiast724]

''Absoulute History'' you inspired us to create our KZbin Channel!🙏

[@Samstrainsofficially]

"Engineering project" gives a false sense that there was a cohesive plan to railway development. There was not hence the mess it ended up requiring rationalisation from later actions and numerous defunct lines and entities.

[@pamcolechadwell1302]

Also, more farm life shows. Please

[@maxdecphoenix]

There's no other historical periods for them to do which have a distinctly characteristic feel due to a political or technological externality. They've done pre-historic/pre-roman (tales of green valley), medieval (tudor) [and castle secrets], cusp-industrial (Victorian), post-industrial (edwardian), and modern (wartime). There's really no more ground for them to tell a uniquely period story in this format. And they've already rehashed some stuff because Tudor was essentially just Green Valley with priests and filmed with HD cameras.

[@amberkat8147]

@@maxdecphoenix- thanks for listing them, I hadn't heard of the prehistoric/pre-roman one and I'm especially interested in that period.

[@sawahtb]

My mother in law grew up in China. She wouldn't even drink water from the City Supply without boiling it. She did live to 90 so there's that.

[@spookayitsme]

52:05 An Euliskia rug, you say Ruth? Not Euklisia, you mean? 🤣 Poor Ruth having another senior moment

[@davidkaplan2745]

The closing of the branch lines was commemorated by a song by Flanders and Swann "The Slow Train" Flanders and Swann - The Slow Train - KZbin

[@jimkunkle2669]

I think I would have enjoyed the night train work.

[@swedishbloke]

41:36 actually you could easily make the taste more “ok” to non Scots by simply adding a few drops of water into the whiskey. By doing so the water will break down some of the sugars and make the tastes come after eachother and be a little softer than normally. Normally all taste comes at once and overwhelms your tastebuds That’s atleast what my “brewmaster” step dad said

[@amberkat8147]

Is that why I like whiskey mixed with water but not straight whiskey?

[@swedishbloke]

@@amberkat8147 probably yes

[@Turtleproof]

That you recycled the intro about the British railways had me so confused, I thought I clicked the wrong video.

[@pikeman80]

Sadly that's not happening here. Passenger rail has been decimated. Bus systems have been cut drastically as well. People who depended on them are expected to buy a car. Some towns with no road access are being abandoned.

[@ersatzvitamin1]

I'm thinking of a reality as a warmer version of Frostpunk

[@SimonTekConley]

Safety, and yet for some reason using the automatic coupler such as the janey, never crossed their mind.

[@allangibson8494]

Because that would require the replacement of every coupler on every carriage. Turnbuckle couplers were still being used into the 1990’s on passenger trains because they had less slop and hence smoother ride (and were not a problem on consists that were rarely separated). Janney couplers still require someone to get between the cars to connect the brake hoses (unless you have an unbraked train, which is a different safety concern).

[@SimonTekConley]

@@allangibson8494 they rarely separated because they didn't handle the weight that American trains do.

[@allangibson8494]

SimonTek Passenger trains are rarely separated full stop. The cars tend to stay together and the engines just get driven from the other end. Rigid bar couplers are also common on passenger trains.

[@generalsquirrel9548]

Thanks Ruth now im hungry 49:46

[@MrNoUsername]

10:32 Does anyone know what locomotive that is?

[@lukebarber9511]

GWR 2251 class.

[@koppadasao]

55:00 That's no doctor!

[@MrNoUsername]

10:22 15:07 20:24 24:35 53:27

[@dafrasier1]

dark, cold, miserable for 8 months of the year: Scotland. needed whisky to stay sane.

[@jerryross3438]

Haha. You're bound to have personal experience to be able to say that.

[@patriciayohn6136]

COVID creates the same need for scotch.

[@dafrasier1]

@@patriciayohn6136 kind of like Child Sex Abuse for the Irish.

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

How about the transport revolution in the air? From death traps to package Tours!

[@davidarundel6187]

As a child, the steam trains evoked memories, as did the milk run, with the big & small cans etc. My local town supplied the city which had cardboard capped bottles, we got straight from the farm milk & cream, out of cans, sat on a drey drawn by 2 Shire horses. I've not consumed milk like that in decades, nor ridden on steam trains in as long. Shame, it's not as good as it used to be.

[@ashleelarsen5002]

But this was supposed to be about whiskey, not another one about agriculture... 🙄

[@alexvernes9264]

The age of steam shaped the way how humanity dies today !

[@TrapperAaron]

Anyone else catch dorothy and Toto on the wagon around 5:10

[@alm5992]

37:44 Proof the Scottish built the pyramids!

[@dilligaff1956]

WOW . That was great. its too bad we see so many other things go by us. not thinking about how we have gotten here??

[@mxplixic]

You need to do Absolut History, the Story of Vodka. :)

[@milliebanks7209]

I thought Scotch was a brand of tape for various uses but not for drinking. I was under the impression that it was Scott made whisky. I also like Irish whiskey (Jameson). Can anyone out there correct my thinking. Thanks.

[@bradmiller2329]

The whiskey is Scotch, no matter who makes it. The people are scots / scottish. The spelling is because of (being honest) English bigotry.

[@clausroquefort9545]

48:57"...and we know they have killed children in the past aswell." * fart noise *

[@patricksanders858]

More midroll ads than cable tv = youtube being less inviting to watch.

[@lukebarber9511]

That's why I have Adblock Plus...

[@chriscarrol9373]

Not to be rude and all but if you get hit by a train even dumber a steam train you deserve a Darwin award.

[@Cyberdactyl]

Ruth's period clothes were lost on the railway.

[@HorizonsleatherBlogspot2012]

Ruth got a little excited milking the cow, eh?

[@NathanChisholm041]

Snowy the dog from Tin Tin

[@fulkthered]

Peter looks like a young Fred Dibnah.

[@davehitchman5171]

Didnt show all the oiling up of the engine

[@elizabethrobbins8580]

I wish America could claim a heritage railway. Most of them are small lines not supported by the government. Some of them are in a position that the local government decides that they are in danger an shuts them down. Sad.

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

We do. It's called the Strasburg Rail Road. Chartered in 1832, it's the oldest heritage railroad in America. We also just awakened the East Broad Top Railroad, a narrow gauge road also in Pennsylvania. It is a time capsule that dates well before its original closing date of 1956 with much of its original equipment.

[@MrWeezy312]

Coal ash is so nasty and toxic these old trains are history and should be maintained but our diesel ones are a million times better

[@bradmiller2329]

You work with what you've got -- which is why "green" energy doesn't work. From Texas, after the worst winter storm in our history.

[@kansascityshuffle8526]

It came from scotland.

[@sarcasmo57]

I think I'll buy a train.

[@deannastevens1217]

Yep... The fact that Beechum put an end to so many RR lines... Yet REFurbished so much is a lot like American train Mogul Rockefeller who cheated his Partner who provided coal and then became a God Amung RAILWAY!!.... said in an echoing voice for effect. Because Beechum then became the hero and not the bad guy.

[@pmjd42]

Ireland?

[@Reichu_69]

Gőzmozdonynak lennie kell 300.000 év múlva is!

[@jockellis]

Not pronounced “cooperage” but “couperage”. Like cook but with a p on the end.