Look at Life Vol 01 Transport Letting off Steam 1959

Celebrating British Railways' change of technology with the phasing-out of coal-powered steam and their replacement with oil-powered and electrified trains and signalling to bring in the modern age of travel.

[@davidlittle7182]

Amazing. The busiest line in Scotland got electrified about 3 years ago LOL. Thanks for the upload as always!

[@eliotreader8220]

lovely classic footage from the late 1950s

[@ThePanzer6]

Love the pre Health and Safety Electrification work

[@thomasm1964]

What a difference it will make to our children's children's drawing books ... and then Thomas the Tank Engine happened all over again!

[@AndreiTupolev]

Most excellent quality. Commentary as hilarious as it usually is. Brilliant shot of King George V at Dawlish. And my word, is that a D600 Warship at 7:23?

[@wololo4761]

5:55 safety first lads!

[@davids8449]

Thank goodness I remember the good old steam engines, the beginning of the end of Britain

[@chubeye1187]

Brexit is the end of the UK not dirty steam locomotives

[@ianwatt9904]

That boy would be in his 70s now, I suppose.

[@saltspringrailway3683]

Pity that progress meant losing those magnificent steam locos and semaphore signals and throwing most of the freight onto the roads.

[@mothman411]

Should think they'll be letting Turkey into the club now.

[@chubeye1187]

The locos power had nothing to do with freight on the road

[@saltspringrailway3683]

@@chubeye1187 Yes I know it all started after WW1 with lots of idle lorries from France and unemployed men looking for something to do. What I am lamenting is our overcrowded, polluting roads, towns and cities with many closed railways and goods facilities. Plus I love the old railway technology but I know we can't stand still.

[@Keithbarber]

But no doubt some would revert to steam tomorrow if they could, and to hell with the cost and efficient modernity

[@delboyoelmundo4718]

They didn't know what fresh air smelt like

[@ChefEarthenware]

At 06:12, when he mentioned "our children's children" it made me so sad. If only that generation could see the disaster that Britain has become :(

[@CycolacFan]

Wonderful progress, unless you're one of those 18 signalmen or countless firemen made redundant...

[@chubeye1187]

The firemen became drivers, some areas where the unions were strong, they went twos up in the cab

[@beds139]

I'm just about old enough to remember steam engines as a boy. They were romantic looking but the pollution they caused was indefensible once diesel & electric became available.

[@mikeyb4610]

Question: How many men does it take to put a copper wire up ..... Answer: as many as you can cram on the roof of a train ..... ........... jeez man!....

[@MrBrianc1975]

I really enjoyed this Britain after Brexit documentary.

[@SE10GREENWICH]

I'm sure the Europeans are going to feel desolated and lonely and isolated without us but I'm sure that they will soon get over it. No doubt when in need just like in 1939 they will come running to sort out the mess they make.

[@numberstation]

It’s a documentary, not a fairytale.

[@chubeye1187]

@@SE10GREENWICH idiot, us? You didn't fight in the war, the actual people what did, voted 80% to join. Ireland Sweden Spain Portugal wasn't even in the war thicko.

[@billpugh58]

Yep, back to men hanging onto dodgy ladders over a 6m drop with no PPE, free free free of any management responsibility. Ahh the good old days.

[@ianwatt9904]

Absolutely. Untramelled by the EU we will be able to get back to being at the cutting edge. Only now, of course, it is things like FinTech and gene editing.

[@eliotreader8220]

the Rocket didn't use coal she used coke instead

[@ronniedelahoussayechauvin6717]

Corruption

[@MrSvenovitch]

My goodness these narrators vomited out quite the nonsense.