1 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,278 The Age of Steam shaped how we live today. 2 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,791 The Victorians laid over 20,000 miles of lines 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:18,478 in the biggest engineering project 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:20,272 the country has ever seen. 5 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:23,914 Connecting our towns with high-speed links, 6 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,872 revolutionising trade and transportation, 7 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,231 communication and recreation. 8 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:33,557 It was the greatest transformation in our history. 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:35,238 But how did it happen? 10 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:37,999 To find out, historians Ruth Goodman... 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:39,439 Flat out! 12 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:40,959 ...Alex Langlands... 13 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,470 Shovelling coal is something I'm gonna get very familiar with. 14 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:45,999 ...and Peter Ginn... 15 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:47,268 It is tough work! 16 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,709 ...are bringing the railways back to life, 17 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,832 as they would have been during the golden age of steam. 18 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:56,833 I feel like I'm in a Western. 19 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,475 This is very definitely the best steam engine I've ever been on. 20 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:04,589 Oh, no, he's gaining on us! 21 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:07,399 A brave new world. 22 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:10,754 They will be helped by armies of enthusiasts, 23 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:12,552 who keep the Age of Steam alive... 24 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,590 ...on Britain's 500 miles of preserved railway. 25 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:20,870 This is the way to experience train travel. 26 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:22,558 It is. 27 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:23,999 They'll follow in the footsteps 28 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:25,951 of the world's finest engineers... 29 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,515 These are the men that built Britain's railways. 30 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,510 ...those who ran it... 31 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,233 This is brutal! This is savage industrialism! 32 00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:39,077 ...and those for who life would never be the same again. 33 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:40,394 Internet, pah! 34 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,591 It had nothing like the impact of the railways. 35 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,439 This is the story of how the railways created modern Britain. 36 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,000 Ripped & Corrected By mstoll 37 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,038 Of all the changes the railways made to our lives, 38 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,152 the one that affects us most directly was in our homes. 39 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,792 I'd really like to explore the domestic revolution. 40 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,752 How it was that the railways changed the way we live, 41 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,268 from the houses we live in to the food we eat. 42 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,197 British way of life underwent a cataclysmic change 43 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,151 because of the railways. 44 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:29,191 And I'd really like to know why. 45 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,078 Behind this domestic revolution was a new era 46 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,315 of mass production and distribution, 47 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,748 borne by the workers of Victorian Britain. 48 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,869 Blood, sweat and tears went into building 49 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:45,514 this new version of industrialised Britain, 50 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,471 of which the railways were at the heart. 51 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:49,112 I'm interested in experiencing 52 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,879 just exactly what it took to do that. 53 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:53,674 Ouch! 54 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:55,312 That is painful. 55 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,909 For many people in Britain, life had been the same for centuries. 56 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,520 They'd be doing the same crafts in the same industries. 57 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:03,869 But the railways come along and change all of that. 58 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:06,070 One of the things I'm really looking forward to 59 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:09,351 is almost going back to those times and seeing those changes, 60 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,277 seeing the impacts the railways had. 61 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:22,473 In 1800, before the railways were built, 62 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,070 Britain was a very different place. 63 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,316 80% of people lived and worked in the countryside. 64 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:33,873 Life at home had changed little for centuries. 65 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,716 If you walked into any town or village in the 18th Century, 66 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,069 almost everything you clapped eyes upon 67 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,033 would have been produced within a 10- or 20-mile radius. 68 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,669 Even at its most basic level... 69 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:52,711 I'm getting wood for a fire here. 70 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,399 In the 18th Century, most people outside of London 71 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:56,839 still cooked on wood. 72 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,918 From the clothes people wore, to the food they ate, 73 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:03,757 to the houses they lived in, 74 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,155 to the plates that they ate and drank off, 75 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,829 local produce made by local craftsmen was the norm. 76 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:14,792 Go on. You're getting the hang of this. 77 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:16,114 Superb. 78 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:17,354 Beautiful. 79 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,836 The main form of transport was the horse and cart, 80 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,754 with wheels made by the village wheelwright. 81 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,477 But as more villages came in range of a railway station, 82 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,511 its days were numbered. 83 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:36,709 All of those individual crafts that had sustained life 84 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:38,751 in the village came under threat, 85 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,712 because materials, products, manufactured goods, 86 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:43,398 could be brought into that village 87 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:44,953 from all over the country. 88 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:47,759 The railways meant villages 89 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,950 no longer had to be self-sufficient. 90 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,799 Hand-made items were superseded by cheaper factory-made products 91 00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:56,796 distributed across the country. 92 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,553 It's fantastic to see one of these ancient crafts. 93 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,551 A craft that would have been fast disappearing... 94 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:12,358 ...in the 19th Century. 95 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:16,718 Before the railways, 96 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,354 even the way we built our homes was different. 97 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,876 Houses would have been constructed from local materials 98 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,593 roofed with whatever could be sourced nearby. 99 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:29,751 Sometimes this was slabs of stone. 100 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,716 But in many villages, they were thatched with wheat stems - 101 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,193 straw. 102 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,517 Keith Payne is one of the few working as a thatcher today. 103 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,357 Where would a thatcher have got his material from, Keith? 104 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:47,516 This would all have been grown locally. 105 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:51,951 Just from the grain for making bread and biscuits, really. 106 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:53,911 It's the most beautiful part of it. 107 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,713 So it was effectively a by-product of the wheat harvest? 108 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,036 Yeah, exactly. They were growing it for a multi-purpose. 109 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,914 Because the straw's so long, they used it on the houses. 110 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:05,951 - In there like that? - Yeah. 111 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:09,476 But thatch had its problems. 112 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,114 For one, straw was only available once a year, 113 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:13,479 at harvest time. 114 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,799 And thatched roofs need constant maintenance. 115 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,109 That's one of the main issues with thatch. 116 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,630 Locally sourced material, lovely and thick and insulating, 117 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,194 but every year there's a job to do on the roof. 118 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,834 Yes, absolutely, cos it's basically a plant. 119 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,952 It's wearing out from the moment you put it on. 120 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,429 What was needed was a readily-available, 121 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,471 cheap, durable alternative. 122 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,674 The ideal roofing material was slate, 123 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,796 hewn from the ground in just a few remote areas of Britain. 124 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,799 But the problem was how to move this heavy, bulky material 125 00:06:59,840 --> 00:07:03,037 from the isolated quarries into our towns and villages. 126 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,877 For the slate mines high in the mountains of Snowdonia, 127 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,229 the answer was a purpose-built railway. 128 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,669 The Ffestiniog Line ran from the quarries 129 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,508 14 miles down through the mountains to Porthmadog, 130 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,028 from where the slate could be distributed. 131 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,428 Ruth, Alex and Peter are meeting the railway's heritage director, 132 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,118 Ian Wilkinson. 133 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,071 Welcome to the Ffestiniog Railway. 134 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,237 Thank you very much. This is a particularly early railway. 135 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:38,474 It is indeed. 136 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,159 The railway was built in the 1830s 137 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,556 and it started off just using horse power. 138 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,194 And it was only later on that they went on to use 139 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,879 steam locomotives like the ones we've got there. 140 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,913 So why build a railway if you've not got any engines involved? 141 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:55,791 - Uncanny, isn't it, that? - Yeah. 142 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,638 It is, but the railway pre-dated the technology. 143 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,433 So steam locomotives simply didn't exist. 144 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:03,232 So there's a whole bunch of railways 145 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,033 that were up and running before steam engines? 146 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:08,275 Yeah, centuries before, if anything. 147 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:12,438 It was simply a good, reasonably friction-free way to move... 148 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:13,754 lots of goods around. 149 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:15,518 Heavy bulk goods in particular. 150 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:17,676 Exactly, yes. Slate. 151 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,956 In 1830, there were just a handful of railways in Britain, 152 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,150 virtually all carrying minerals from mines and quarries. 153 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,592 Back then, steam locomotives were in their infancy 154 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,154 and were both expensive and unreliable. 155 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,031 So horses were used instead. 156 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:46,352 Ffestiniog is an amazing example of those early railways. 157 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,312 You have the mine uphill and the port downhill. 158 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,318 The horses take the carts uphill 159 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,716 and gravity takes the train back downhill. 160 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,197 But there are few records of how it actually operated. 161 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,037 We've got a couple of wagons here. 162 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:03,593 We've got a pony with us 163 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:05,835 and we're experimenting to see how it would've worked. 164 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:07,677 Who have you got here for us today? 165 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:09,517 - We've got Tickle here. - Tickle. 166 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:11,118 She's a Welsh pony. 167 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:12,673 She was bred in these mountains? 168 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:13,869 She was, yes. 169 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:17,313 - And how old's Tickle? - Tickle is 12 years old. 170 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:19,954 Right, OK. So she's good for this kind of work? 171 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:21,956 She's very steady. A bit keen. 172 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:23,115 Right. 173 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:24,832 How do you think she's gonna cope 174 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,553 with moving these great big lumbering wagons? 175 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,469 I think she'll be pretty determined to get it moving. 176 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:32,636 - Right, OK. - Then she'll keep it moving. 177 00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:34,193 She's already ready to go. 178 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,435 Peter and Alex are manning the brakes. 179 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,151 If the horse stops suddenly, 180 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,191 and the wagons keep on moving, 181 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,071 it could break Tickle's legs. 182 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,315 It's all very well me stopping this one 183 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:47,632 but your one will still be running. 184 00:09:47,680 --> 00:09:49,477 If you've got seven of these, 185 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,717 then the distance they'll span out is actually quite a lot. 186 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,433 If that horse just stops, you've got to be on it. 187 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:57,719 Walk on. 188 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,156 Oi, steady. Come on. 189 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:03,871 Walk on, girl. Walk on. 190 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,117 OK, I'm just gonna put a little bit on here. 191 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:10,277 Steady on. 192 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:13,392 Ideally, we need to get the horse walking in the rails. 193 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,113 It's a bit much to ask that of her the first time. 194 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:18,230 But when you get up into the mountain passes, 195 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:20,271 you just don't have that width. 196 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:22,436 So you've got to train up your pony 197 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:23,799 to get between the rails. 198 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:25,671 It's a very, very tricky operation for a horse. 199 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,832 Tickle's finding the sleepers difficult to walk on. 200 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:32,872 But back in the 1830s, ash or sand 201 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,798 was often laid between the rails to make it easier. 202 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:37,831 And... whoa. 203 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,108 There we go. 204 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:42,232 Good girl, we've got the brake down to a fine art. 205 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:44,077 It is asking quite a bit of her. 206 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:45,838 But she's certainly got the power. 207 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,952 - She has, hasn't she? Yes. - She likes to work at speed. 208 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:50,672 Unlike Peter. 209 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:52,119 - Key question, here. - Yes? 210 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,151 Has she earned the apple yet? 211 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,119 Maybe a few more goes. How do you feel about that? 212 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,072 - Give it a couple more goes. - Think it's time for my apple. 213 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,317 You're not having an apple before the horse has an apple. 214 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:07,639 Great. 215 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:11,869 You could learn a thing or two off that horse, Peter, 216 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:13,148 the speed it works at. 217 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:17,353 Go. 218 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,150 She does get a shift on, doesn't she? 219 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:22,353 Blimey. 220 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,435 This is a section of the 14-mile track, 221 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,597 laid in the 1830s to carry the horse-drawn slate wagons 222 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,552 from the mountainous quarries down to Porthmadog. 223 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:35,198 Keep going, lads. 224 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,229 Alun Tomlinson and his Permanent Way team 225 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:41,748 are responsible for maintaining it today. 226 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:44,875 The Permanent Way is just not the track. 227 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,036 It's everything within this area. 228 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,470 If you look round, we've got fencing, we've dry stone walls, 229 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:52,909 which are a constant problem having to rebuild. 230 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:56,350 One day, the lads could be fencing, chasing sheep... 231 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,311 It could be anything. 232 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:01,992 Because the Ffestiniog Line was built in a mountainous area, 233 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,669 it had far more tunnels, cuttings and tight bends 234 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:07,278 than a regular railway. 235 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:09,311 And in the 1830s, 236 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,555 all this had to be dug out by hand. 237 00:12:12,560 --> 00:12:15,791 But it was made possible by a simple solution. 238 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:18,952 The modern passenger railways, 239 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,468 standard gauge is four foot, eight inches and a half? 240 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:22,635 Yeah. 241 00:12:22,680 --> 00:12:25,990 Which is, sort of, out here, so from that rail to about here. 242 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,031 What's the gauge here? 243 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,196 - It's two-foot gauge. - Just little two foot? 244 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,959 These, sort of, narrow-gauge railways were very good 245 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,036 at getting through a landscape like this... 246 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:36,957 That's why it's been designed like this. 247 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,116 Because of the geography of the land, 248 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,958 narrow gauge was the only option. 249 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:43,991 So if you've got to make a track bed 250 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,508 for something that's got a two-foot gauge, 251 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:50,030 then that amount of stone has got to be organised. 252 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:52,548 But if we were going for the four foot eight, 253 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,194 we'd have to cut a lot of mountain away 254 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,276 to make that extra width, wouldn't we? 255 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,993 You know, the expense of cutting more mountain 256 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,031 wasn't viable, was it? 257 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,317 The Ffestiniog Railway opened up new markets for slate. 258 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:12,834 By the 1860s, demand was outstripping supply. 259 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:18,675 The horse-drawn trains simply weren't powerful enough. 260 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,434 So in 1863, they invested... in Prince, 261 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:26,111 their first steam locomotive. 262 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,235 Tickle can pull up to ten slate wagons, 263 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:40,552 Prince, over 100. 264 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,909 What this must have been like in the 1860s. 265 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,758 When these came, it would've been like the Space Age. 266 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:47,279 And speed as well. 267 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:49,914 It would've gone a lot faster than a horse could've gone. 268 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:51,678 Totally revolutionary at the time. 269 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,075 With nothing to compare it against, it must've been... 270 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,429 - Mind-blowing? ...quite extraordinary. 271 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:01,875 The introduction of steam-hauled slate trains 272 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:03,592 on the Ffestiniog Line 273 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,154 meant production could be boosted tenfold. 274 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,673 Most of these slates were used to build terraced housing 275 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:13,950 as the Industrial Revolution drew workers 276 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:15,991 from their rural cottages. 277 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:21,791 At Beamish in County Durham, 278 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:23,751 they've reconstructed a pit village 279 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:25,791 as it would have been in 1900. 280 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:34,229 Before the railways, straight streets, squares, crescents 281 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,238 were the preserve of the wealthy elite, 282 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,392 found in places like Bath, London, Bristol. 283 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:44,390 The railways, however, brought that sort of town planning 284 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:46,158 to the rest of us. 285 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,078 I mean, look at this. This could be almost anywhere 286 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:52,192 in any industrial town in Britain. 287 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:56,677 You've got standardised slates, you've got standardised bricks. 288 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:00,349 There is no sense of individual place, no regionality. 289 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:03,759 People had to get used to a whole new, regulated, 290 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,473 regimented way of railway life. 291 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,111 Unlike the 1800 house, 292 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,469 which was furnished by local craftsmen, 293 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:17,672 this house from 1900 is full of products brought in by rail. 294 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,918 Look at the furniture. It's not made of beech or ash or oak. 295 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,589 There's all sorts of exotic, imported woods being used. 296 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,912 Teak and mahogany, brought halfway across the world 297 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:35,033 and then distributed by rail across the country. 298 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:38,558 Almost everywhere you look, 299 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:43,071 there are standardised, nationwide products. 300 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:48,789 I mean, look at the pottery, for example. 301 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:51,991 That's no longer local pots made in one region 302 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,031 for the people of that region. 303 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:56,071 This is nationally available. 304 00:15:56,120 --> 00:16:00,511 You could buy the same tea cup and saucer anywhere in Britain. 305 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:08,431 The rail network boosted the new consumer age. 306 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,875 Mass-produced goods were suddenly available. 307 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:19,035 The railways allowed firms to expand their markets, 308 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,071 to sell all over the nation. 309 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,715 And that system favoured those who could compete 310 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,354 most effectively on price, 311 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,350 and those who could make the biggest splash 312 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,391 and grab people's attention. 313 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:35,910 And those that did it best of all were the soap manufacturers. 314 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,555 I mean, many of these names are still with us today. 315 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,955 Look, we've got Lux and Reckitt and Colman's 316 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:43,991 and Lifebuoy and Sunlight. 317 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:50,195 We see for the first time great national brands. 318 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:01,189 In 1800, just 20% of people lived in cities. 319 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,520 By 1900, it was 70%. 320 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:07,916 And they all needed a roof over their heads. 321 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,110 More houses were built in this period than at any other time, 322 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,038 with slate being the number one roofing material. 323 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:22,072 The Victorian entrepreneur John Whitehead Greaves 324 00:17:22,120 --> 00:17:25,157 saw there was an ever-growing demand for slate, 325 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,509 so began digging in the Welsh mountains. 326 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:32,639 Eventually he struck a rich seam 327 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,190 and established the Llechwedd Quarry, 328 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:38,516 one of the largest in the Blaenau Ffestiniog area. 329 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:43,438 At its peak, over 17,000 worked in the Welsh slate industry... 330 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:46,988 - Hi, Phil. - Hi. 331 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:49,554 ...including Phil Jones's ancestors. 332 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:52,630 What are we looking at here? 333 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,069 We're looking now at... These are veins, 334 00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:57,998 and it goes in veins of slate, granite, slate, granite 335 00:17:58,040 --> 00:17:59,598 throughout the mountain. 336 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:02,837 The tale goes, it took them three years to find the slate. 337 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,713 Really? But when they got upon it, they must have hit... 338 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,274 When they got it, he laughed all the way to the bank. 339 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:11,118 - Hit gold. - He hit blue-grey gold, yeah. 340 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:12,832 Am I right in thinking you come 341 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:14,518 from a long line of slate miners? 342 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:16,835 Yes, I can go back about six generations 343 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:18,677 of my family working in these places. 344 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,109 A great-great-great-great grandfather of mine, 345 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:22,878 he started when he was eight years old, 346 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:24,956 worked until he was 69. 347 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:26,991 So that was good going, really. 348 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,430 Between 35 and 45 was the average age of Victorian miners. 349 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:32,835 - So short life, hard work. - Yes. 350 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:36,395 The glory days of the Welsh slate industry 351 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:38,431 ended after the Second World War, 352 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:42,075 when cheaper imported slate and clay tiles took away business. 353 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:45,552 But underground, 354 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:48,319 the Llechwedd slate caverns are frozen in time, 355 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,557 as they would have been when the Ffestiniog railway 356 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:54,795 made it the slate capital of the world. 357 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:57,991 This is amazing, Phil. 358 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:00,031 Yeah, all dug out by hand. 359 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,278 This is like a sort of lost world here, isn't it? 360 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,357 This is an original candle from the 1800s. 361 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:09,914 - This is an original candle? - Oh, my goodness. 362 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,110 - Been burning a long time. - Yeah. 363 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,197 We've got 250 chambers altogether in this mine. 364 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,152 And 25 miles of tunnel connecting all the chambers. 365 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,191 It's quite big. 366 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:23,708 But then, it's not the biggest in the world. 367 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:25,637 That is incomprehensible. 368 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:27,636 The biggest in the world is across the road. 369 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:31,199 In the gloom, 370 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,993 quarrymen extracted slabs of slate from the cavern. 371 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,031 To do this, 372 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,197 holes were drilled into which explosives were packed. 373 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,360 I don't feel like I'm doing anything. 374 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:46,355 You are kicking out a bit of dust. 375 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,072 I'm seeing the dust coming out. 376 00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:51,032 So we'll leave you down here, then, Peter, shall we? 377 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:57,550 To drill, the quarrymen often had to scale the cavern walls. 378 00:19:57,600 --> 00:19:59,591 So here he goes. 379 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:01,995 This all looks fairly ominous, Shane. 380 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,918 Yeah, you know, when they were working at this angle, 381 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,474 they would have to have some sort of support. 382 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,118 Slate has razor-like edges that could sever rope. 383 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,151 So chains were used instead. 384 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,236 So you're wrapping that right up there on your leg. 385 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,113 Now I'm using my own weight, keeping myself in position. 386 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,549 - Now you can drill. - Now I can drill, yeah. 387 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:25,079 Can you pass me the... 388 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,151 How's your leg? How's your leg? 389 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,078 My leg is going to sleep. 390 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:43,111 Gonna give it a go? 391 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,274 I'm holding the lantern this time, aren't I? 392 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:48,912 OK. 393 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:53,511 So I get up to here. 394 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:56,831 And then I've got to get this... 395 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:04,469 - Oh, goodness me. - That's it. 396 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:06,839 Ouch! 397 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:08,791 That is painful. 398 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:11,991 - It is, isn't it? - That is extremely painful. 399 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,070 Ooh, I think I'm pinching something, Peter. 400 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,435 Did you dress to the left this morning? 401 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,479 - So then I've got to drill... - That's your drill there. 402 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,717 With that... That is incredibly painful. 403 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:29,995 - I don't think I should. - OK. 404 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:32,110 It's obviously in your blood, Phil. 405 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,152 That's from my grandfather and my father. 406 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:41,311 It is painful, isn't it? 407 00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:43,112 - Very painful. - That is painful. 408 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,072 I think it's more painful when you get 12 pence a day. 409 00:21:46,120 --> 00:21:49,032 Yeah, that's between a team of four, though. 410 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:50,877 Three pence for you and three pence for me 411 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:52,911 and a lot of pain for the both of us. 412 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,554 I think my groin is worth more than three pence. 413 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:57,238 Sure you don't want a go, Peter? 414 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,874 I am never gonna look at a roofing slate 415 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:01,831 in the same way again. 416 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,952 At its peak, over half a million tons of slate 417 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:08,592 were being produced each year, 418 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:11,192 all transported down the mountain 419 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,834 by the steam-powered Ffestiniog railway... 420 00:22:17,360 --> 00:22:18,952 ...fuelled by coal. 421 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,554 Coal was vital to the Industrial Revolution, 422 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,239 enabling factories to mass produce goods 423 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:31,791 and railways to distribute them. 424 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,954 But in the 1840s, many of Britain's railways 425 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:36,911 had different widths of track. 426 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:40,319 So wagons from one line wouldn't fit on another. 427 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,032 Look, for example, at the size of the coal wagons here, 428 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:47,071 in comparison to the wagons, 429 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:49,554 those little slate wagons we saw at the Ffestiniog. 430 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:57,835 So in 1846, the government ruled that all future lines 431 00:22:57,880 --> 00:22:59,871 should adopt the same width. 432 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:08,674 The Gauge Act decreed that they must be built 433 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:12,395 with rails a standard four foot eight and a half inches apart. 434 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:17,631 And this standard meant 435 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:20,638 that they could join up together at last. 436 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,793 It also meant that wagons became standardised too 437 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,354 so that the same wagon could run 438 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:28,277 from one end of the country to the other, 439 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:30,515 joining up one business with another. 440 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,114 Feeding into this ever-growing national network 441 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,357 were thousands of branch lines from mines and quarries. 442 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:44,188 Now materials that were building the new industrialised Britain, 443 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,834 such as coal, slate and iron, 444 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,797 could be transported in bulk right into towns and factories 445 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:52,478 across the nation. 446 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,435 There were over 1,500 lines from collieries alone, 447 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:05,156 one of which was the Foxfield Railway near Stoke. 448 00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:10,069 It ran from the Foxfield Colliery to a mainline junction 449 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:12,634 where it connected to the national network. 450 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:16,831 When the pit closed in 1965, 451 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:19,553 the line was preserved by a team of volunteers, 452 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:21,591 including Ron Whalley. 453 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,313 So it wasn't a passenger line or for anything else, 454 00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:26,749 it was just for a single purpose - shifting coal? 455 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,598 Yeah. The mine owners wanted a means of getting the coal 456 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,154 to outside industry as cheaply as possible. 457 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:35,033 And they wanted a railway, so they built one. 458 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:38,470 And you can see it's a most peculiar shape. 459 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,112 That is a very odd route! 460 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,549 The reason for that is, there was a stately home there, 461 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:44,909 and the lord of the manor didn't want the railway 462 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:46,757 running through his front garden. 463 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:48,950 It had to avoid that. But there was a hill here, 464 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:50,353 so it went round the hill, 465 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:52,709 then dropped at this alarming gradient. 466 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:55,909 The steepest bit is about 1 in 19. 467 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,077 1 in 19? That's really steep for a railway. 468 00:24:59,120 --> 00:25:00,553 It is really steep for a railway. 469 00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:03,351 This is Britain's steepest line. 470 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,472 But whereas at Ffestiniog full wagons run downhill, 471 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:09,239 here it's the other way round. 472 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,757 So the wagons are going full, up? 473 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:14,870 The full wagons are going up the gradient. 474 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,798 It's the most uneconomical thing you can possibly imagine. 475 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,315 Such was the demand for coal to fuel the Industrial Revolution, 476 00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:26,512 even expensive-to-run lines like this were considered viable. 477 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:29,591 - Can I come aboard? - Come on board. 478 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:31,631 Pulling coal up the gradient today 479 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,593 is a powerful Bagnall tank engine owned by Andrew Civil. 480 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:38,756 He's giving Ruth a driving lesson. 481 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:40,552 Do you know what's what? 482 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,398 Not really. A bit, but not much. 483 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,396 So take me through it. What have we got? 484 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:46,953 This is the regulator. 485 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,434 This will supply the steam to the cylinder. 486 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,994 - That's the accelerator. - Okey-doke. 487 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,031 OK, next one. 488 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,435 Steam brake - most important. 489 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,472 It's sending steam down to a cylinder under your feet 490 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:01,511 and applying the brakes. 491 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:03,551 So it's just like the foot brake in a car? 492 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,512 Exactly. A steam loco, everyone will tell you, 493 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:08,551 it's very easy to move. 494 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:11,990 But to stop it where you want it to stop is the trick. 495 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:15,714 The first job for the Victorian rail crew 496 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:17,751 is to hook up the empty coal wagons. 497 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,197 Right, now look where you're going. 498 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:23,351 Definitely forwards. 499 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:27,393 And... 500 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,231 Shut the regulator. 501 00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:35,828 Driving a steam engine is a two-person job. 502 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:40,110 Matt Healey is the fireman who works alongside the driver. 503 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:41,957 He's assembling the coal train. 504 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,117 That is the connection between the loco and the wagons. 505 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,674 That basically takes all the pull of the loco 506 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,599 and transmits it via a draw bar back to each wagon. 507 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:56,831 Matt's taking the handbrake off. 508 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:58,359 Ruth takes the controls 509 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:01,073 to drive the empty wagons down to the colliery. 510 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:03,111 Touch more regulator. That's it. 511 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:05,151 Oh, not quite as much as that. 512 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:09,234 That's a mixture of me and the wagon. 513 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:11,791 Just like stalling. 514 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:15,757 That sounds good. 515 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:17,677 Oh, that sounds good! 516 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:24,515 - Little bit more regulator. - Bit more? 517 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:27,750 Oh, here it comes. Listen to that chuff! 518 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:31,318 Wow, the power! 519 00:27:31,360 --> 00:27:33,669 You can really feel it! 520 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:35,788 Wow. 521 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:44,839 - Shut the regulator, Ruth. - Shut the regulator. 522 00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:49,955 They've now reached the top of the steep incline to the mine. 523 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,470 So we're not just, like, gonna let the train roll down the hill 524 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,158 and then put brakes on to stop? 525 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:57,191 No, got them dragging right now. 526 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,356 Each wagon has its own separate brake, 527 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:01,391 which Ron is putting half on. 528 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:05,030 Without it, the weight of the wagons 529 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:07,196 could push the loco down the hill, 530 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:09,674 with disastrous consequences. 531 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:12,597 No runaway trains over the hill? 532 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:15,029 No, cos at the bottom of the hill is Ron's garden! 533 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:16,991 - Really? - Yeah! 534 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:19,235 - Andy! - Away we go. 535 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,157 Brakes applied, the train is ready to descend the hill. 536 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,395 - I will do this bit. - Yeah. 537 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:28,113 I'm quite glad you don't trust me with this bit. 538 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,431 Even an empty coal train weighs over 50 tons. 539 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,309 So this really is the steepest bit of rail in Britain? 540 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:43,191 We're coming to the steepest bit now. 541 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:45,231 I can feel it, actually. 542 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,071 That must be the colliery. 543 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:56,628 At its peak, this colliery produced 200,000 tons 544 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:58,875 of coal each year. 545 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,036 The next thing is to load up with coal. 546 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:04,429 And then we've got to haul it up that hill. 547 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:16,197 With the coalfield railways 548 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:18,629 revolutionising the supply chain, 549 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:21,911 the slate miners of Wales were working harder than ever. 550 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:23,951 To keep up with demand, 551 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,197 the men endured 12-hour shifts underground, 552 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:29,674 broken by just one half-hour rest. 553 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,359 The tea would be made in the morning like ours is. 554 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:36,358 I mean, you could creosote a fence with that, to be honest. 555 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,278 But you'd warm it up actually at the point of your lunch. 556 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,915 - You'd warm it up on a candle. - Warm it up over a candle. 557 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:45,030 - Lechyd da. - Lechyd da. 558 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:46,718 Good health. 559 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:48,876 Slate quarries were dangerous places. 560 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,155 Drilling kicked up deadly slate dust, 561 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:54,589 which, when inhaled, settled in the lungs 562 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:56,631 and set like concrete. 563 00:29:57,040 --> 00:29:59,600 The result - a slow, lingering death. 564 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,117 But the owners of the quarry sought to divert the blame. 565 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:07,553 They paid the doctors to say 566 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:09,875 they were drinking too much stewed tea. 567 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:11,911 - And they believed it. - Right. 568 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:15,555 Why wouldn't you? You've got a qualified medical professional 569 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:18,751 telling you you're dying because you're drinking stewed tea. 570 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:20,313 They actually said in the reports 571 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,635 that the dust was actually good for you. 572 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:24,113 Right. 573 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:25,752 Wow. 574 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:30,308 If the dust from drilling didn't kill you, the blasting might. 575 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:34,834 Every year, three miners in every 1,000 died in accidents, 576 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:36,871 more than in coal mining. 577 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:41,232 Modern-day fuse wire will burn at around a foot a minute, 578 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:43,840 so you can time yourself to get away from the blast. 579 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:46,872 In those days, they only had a piece of rope or twine, 580 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:49,354 dipped into tar, then into the gunpowder, 581 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:51,118 and then you'd put it into the hole. 582 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:53,151 Good Lord. 583 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,468 Then you'd pour the gunpowder into the hole, 584 00:30:56,520 --> 00:30:58,511 slate dust on top of the gunpowder, 585 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:00,551 paper on top of the slate dust. 586 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:06,189 And then, with this tool here, you'd stamp it all down. 587 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:13,430 You have to remember that the fuse is very unpredictable. 588 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:15,948 My grandfather, he did go back to the blast. 589 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:19,595 And the blast went off early and he lost the use of his hand. 590 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,234 I remember blue freckles all the way up his arm 591 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:24,669 where the slate had embedded into his arm. 592 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:27,029 So I can appreciate the danger, you know. 593 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:30,152 That was his career as a slate miner over, presumably? 594 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:31,792 Yeah, basically. 595 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:33,831 - His livelihood. - Yes. 596 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:39,548 Once blasted, the slabs of slate were loaded onto carts. 597 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,956 The carts were then taken from the chamber to the surface. 598 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:48,795 Here the slabs were sawn using steam-powered machines, 599 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,229 ready to be split by hand. 600 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:54,232 - Here we go. - Look at that. 601 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,271 500 million years. 602 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:58,675 That's the last time that saw the light of day. 603 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:01,075 - Do you want a go at this? - Yeah, yeah, go on, then. 604 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:04,675 Slate is formed when clay is compressed 605 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:06,711 and heated in the ground. 606 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:09,869 Its crystals become arranged in layers, 607 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:12,639 and it's along these layers that it can be split. 608 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:18,079 It's this unique property that makes it ideal for roofing. 609 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:22,352 And that needs to be split again to get the thickness of a tile? 610 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:24,470 - Yes. - Gonna try to split it in half? 611 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,199 I can try, yeah, yeah. This is what we've come for. 612 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:32,190 I can feel your nervousness, Peter. 613 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:37,752 Just go gentle with that now. 614 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:39,392 With the hand? 615 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:41,112 And then prise it open. 616 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:44,271 Whoa, look at that! 617 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:48,908 That's like taking candy from a baby, that. Look at that. 618 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:51,079 Unbelievable. 619 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:53,076 What a fantastic material. 620 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,759 - It just sheds water. - It's impenetrable. 621 00:32:56,920 --> 00:32:59,832 Next, the split layers are cut to size. 622 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:01,916 Mind those fingers of yours, Peter. 623 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:03,951 All in the wrist. 624 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:08,635 The finished slates were given regal names 625 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:10,238 according to their sizes. 626 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,271 The largest were called Empress, 627 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:16,074 then Duchess, Countess and Lady for the smallest. 628 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,872 With my slating skills, we've invented a new roof tile. 629 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:21,911 - Yes. - The Parlour Maid. 630 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:27,558 Cutting slate into tiles was a wasteful process. 631 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:29,909 Just 10% of the quarried rock 632 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:32,076 was taken by train down the mountain. 633 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:36,396 The rest was dumped on spoil heaps, 634 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:39,910 which still litter the Blaenau Ffestiniog landscape today. 635 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:43,476 Coal production created even more waste. 636 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,876 At its peak, over 500 million tons were mined 637 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:49,911 and transported by rail each year. 638 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:56,070 At Foxfield, even this small coal train weighs over 200 tons. 639 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:00,716 To help it grip the track up the steep hill to the main line, 640 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:02,876 Matt's giving the loco a little help. 641 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:05,158 Filling the sandboxes up with sand, 642 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,510 so that if we slip, we've got some sand to put on the rails. 643 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,677 There's a steam jet in there which grabs hold of the sand 644 00:34:11,720 --> 00:34:13,711 and blows it out through that pipe. 645 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:19,952 Is this what they should do when they have leaves on the line? 646 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,468 Yeah, they did. Modern trains do have them. 647 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:25,398 - Do they really? - About 10-15 years ago, 648 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:28,113 they reintroduced sanding gear onto modern trains 649 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:29,673 to counteract slippage. 650 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,673 Whereas rubber car tyres grip the road firmly, 651 00:34:33,720 --> 00:34:35,790 a steel train wheel against a steel rail 652 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:37,831 gives very little traction. 653 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:41,714 So forcing sand between the wheels and track helps it grip. 654 00:34:42,240 --> 00:34:44,231 That's all the grip you've got, 655 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:46,271 that little patch on each wheel. 656 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:48,311 So if that goes... 657 00:34:49,720 --> 00:34:51,358 ...we ain't going anywhere. 658 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:53,912 Are we ready? 659 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:56,791 - Green flag. - Green flag! 660 00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:58,831 Oh! 661 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:00,871 Fully loaded, 662 00:35:01,240 --> 00:35:03,595 up the steepest incline in Britain. 663 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:08,868 Ohh! 664 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:10,911 See her struggle. 665 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,033 The fully-loaded coal train is going nowhere. 666 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:25,550 Despite sand being used, the wheels are slipping. 667 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:32,791 Then Matt spots the problem. 668 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:34,478 The brakes are pinned! 669 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,390 The wagon's brakes were left on after descending the hill. 670 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:43,353 With the brakes on, no wonder we ain't moving! 671 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:44,799 - Try that again. - OK! 672 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:49,073 The brakes released, 673 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:51,873 they make a second attempt at climbing the gradient. 674 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:55,237 At the first sign of slippage, 675 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:58,272 Andy applies sand to the track to increase traction. 676 00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:02,231 The sand's on, look! Lever's in position! 677 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,032 And we're moving! 678 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:06,071 We're really getting going now. 679 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,434 She's really working now to get us up here, isn't she? 680 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,995 Climbing steep hills is where a fireman really earns his money. 681 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:20,671 He must continually shovel coal, 682 00:36:20,720 --> 00:36:23,792 keeping the fire raging to maintain steam. 683 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:26,591 If the steam runs short, 684 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:29,234 the load will pull the loco back down the hill. 685 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,833 That is flat out, there is absolutely nothing left! 686 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:40,555 Flat out! 687 00:36:57,480 --> 00:36:59,994 Feel that immediate change as we hit the top. 688 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:03,471 And easing back. 689 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:06,839 Whoo! 690 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:08,871 You didn't think she was gonna go. 691 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:12,356 I could see it on your face. "She's not gonna move." 692 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:14,960 He was getting called all the names under the sun! 693 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:21,317 The joy at hitting the top of the hill is short-lived. 694 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:24,195 - I can see flames. - Yeah, I can see flames. 695 00:37:24,240 --> 00:37:26,276 Working the steam locomotive flat out 696 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:29,232 has drawn burning coals up and out of the chimney, 697 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:31,555 setting fire to the embankment. 698 00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:36,515 All the early railways of the steam days 699 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:40,189 had to keep their banks tidy because of exactly this problem. 700 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:43,709 They had to manage the whole landscape, 701 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:46,399 keep it as flat and as green as possible. 702 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:51,073 When steam trains were withdrawn in 1968, 703 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:54,512 British Rail stopped tidying up embankments. 704 00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:58,999 As the trees grew back, a new problem arose: 705 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:00,758 Leaves on the line. 706 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:03,875 But burning coals thrown from the loco 707 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:06,309 wasn't just a problem in the countryside. 708 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:09,272 I mean, can you imagine in the middle of a town, 709 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,798 if you lived there and you had your washing out... 710 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:15,354 I mean, first of all, it'd get totally ruined 711 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:17,231 by the train going past. 712 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:19,999 And then you can always get it set on fire as well. 713 00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:27,110 For centuries, wood had been burned 714 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:29,151 to cook food and to heat homes. 715 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,148 But the arrival of the railway in a town 716 00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:35,760 meant coal prices fell by a third. 717 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:40,596 It quickly became the fuel of choice, 718 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:42,949 burning hotter and for longer than wood. 719 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:46,591 But there was a downside. 720 00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:50,751 Look at that. Filthy, isn't it? 721 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:53,678 And that is the problem with coal fires. 722 00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:56,518 They leave this awful muck over everything. 723 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:59,233 It's not just, like, dust falling out of the fire. 724 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,875 It's also the smoke creates sort of, like, smuts in the air, 725 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:05,798 so they're almost like little black snowflakes. 726 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:09,116 They're filthy and they're sticky. 727 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:11,993 And they make everything... eugh! 728 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:16,031 It creates this vast burden of housework. 729 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:20,195 Coal trapped women within the home. 730 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:24,917 Before the railways, wash day might be just once a month. 731 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:27,592 Now it was weekly, 732 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:30,438 and shifting coal smuts required carbolic soap. 733 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:35,235 Unfortunately, it doesn't activate in cold water. 734 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:38,431 So in order to make the soap work, 735 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:41,317 I have to have 736 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:44,318 not only it grated down, like that, 737 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:46,351 but I have to have hot water - 738 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:48,755 therefore burning more coal. 739 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:54,397 Likewise, my washing water also has to be warm or hot. 740 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:56,431 I mean, quite hot, actually. 741 00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:59,677 Or the soap will not activate, will not do its job. 742 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:05,268 So because I have a coal fire, I have to use the soap. 743 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:08,995 Because I'm using soap, I have to use more coal fire. 744 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:19,513 And then you start doing what a washing machine does - 745 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:23,269 bashing, twisting in hot soapy water. 746 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:26,597 Laundry day... 747 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:28,631 dreaded throughout the nation. 748 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,068 Laundry had always been hard work. 749 00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:37,077 But the coming of coal, brought into the towns and cities 750 00:40:37,120 --> 00:40:38,394 by the railways, 751 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:40,715 changed it almost beyond recognition, 752 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:43,399 made it into almost a way of life. 753 00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:48,030 I'm gonna spend the whole of Monday, 754 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:50,071 from before dawn till after dusk, 755 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:52,315 just doing the basic washing process. 756 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:54,920 And then Tuesdays and Wednesdays were often taken up 757 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:56,951 with ironing, drying and sorting. 758 00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:01,073 About half your week would be consumed just by laundry. 759 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:13,553 Phoar! 760 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:15,670 Fantastic landscape, Peter, it really is. 761 00:41:15,720 --> 00:41:17,711 - Beautiful. - Whoa, oh! 762 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:20,149 Peter, one in ten. One in ten. 763 00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:22,591 Come on. Chop chop. 764 00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:24,949 "One in ten, Peter. One in ten." 765 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:29,075 Ruth's returned to the Ffestiniog railway... 766 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:33,949 ...to drive the slate train from the port up to the quarry. 767 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:38,311 So we're heading up the mountain now 768 00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:40,920 with all the empty wagons behind us. 769 00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:43,599 When we get to the top, 770 00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:45,198 hopefully we should meet the boys 771 00:41:45,240 --> 00:41:48,437 who should, I hope, have mined some slate. 772 00:41:57,560 --> 00:41:59,551 Such was the scale of the operation 773 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:03,639 that often two locomotives were needed to haul the wagons. 774 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:18,430 There they are, waiting for us. 775 00:42:20,240 --> 00:42:22,151 It's red and it's noisy. 776 00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:25,511 It's a nice steam engine as well, isn't it? 777 00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:28,472 Wonderful. 778 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:31,796 - We have some slates for you. - Whoo! Oh, they look proper! 779 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:33,831 These are Lady slates. 780 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:36,348 - Lady slates? - Do they meet your approval? 781 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:38,391 - Special female slates? - Yeah. 782 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:40,396 They're lovely. 783 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:43,000 Lady is the size. They've all got names. 784 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:44,792 They're predominantly female names. 785 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,434 But Lady is actually quite a manageable size. 786 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:49,869 Some of these things are pretty big. 787 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:51,990 This is a Lady you can handle, Peter. 788 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:57,396 The slates are loaded onto the train. 789 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:02,077 You're all right. I only brought a Lady-sized stack of Ladies. 790 00:43:03,520 --> 00:43:05,511 The wagons are tightly packed, 791 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:08,836 so the fragile cargo reaches the port intact. 792 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:12,510 You can certainly see how these things would have rattled around 793 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:13,959 and you'd have lost slates 794 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:16,389 because we're going to need a lot more to pack them in, 795 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:19,159 because otherwise we'll have a load of coasters for cups 796 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:21,191 by the time we get to the end. 797 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:30,758 So we've got our slate loaded up. What's the job now? 798 00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:33,109 We've finished with our steam locos now. 799 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:34,832 Right, OK. 800 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:37,599 And we're gonna detach them and now just use gravity 801 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:39,949 to get all the way down to the harbour. 802 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:44,354 It's known as the oldest roller coaster on earth. 803 00:43:44,400 --> 00:43:45,913 I like it. Great. 804 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:49,077 - Right, slates to the sea. - Yep, slates to the sea. 805 00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:54,870 In one go, 120 wagons carrying 500 tons of slate 806 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:56,717 could be rolled from the quarry 807 00:43:56,760 --> 00:43:59,354 14 miles downhill to the mainline. 808 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:03,911 - So, Ruth on there. - OK. 809 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:05,951 Peter with William. 810 00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:08,878 Peter on there, good. And I'm on the important carriage. 811 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:10,353 Come up front with me. 812 00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:12,311 Ian is the driver of the engineless train. 813 00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:16,194 His only means of control are simple brakes on each wagon, 814 00:44:16,240 --> 00:44:18,674 which Alex, Peter and Ruth must help operate. 815 00:44:19,240 --> 00:44:21,151 OK, let's go. 816 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:27,433 All off. 817 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:30,991 Just like that. 818 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:33,873 We're off. 819 00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:36,388 We're already getting a shift on here, Ian. 820 00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:38,635 - Absolutely. - It's quite some speed. 821 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:41,309 Blimey. 822 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:47,312 At what point, Ian, do we start putting the brakes on? 823 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:49,635 - Just round this corner. - Right. OK. 824 00:44:57,480 --> 00:44:59,948 These mountains also would have supported 825 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:01,991 a thriving sheep industry, 826 00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:04,031 with lots and lots of crossings. 827 00:45:04,840 --> 00:45:07,070 And this is what Ian's bugling for. 828 00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:10,395 Just so that the sheep and the shepherds 829 00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:12,908 know that the slate train's coming through. 830 00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:20,475 We still haven't applied any brakes yet, Ian. 831 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:21,589 No. 832 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:30,152 It's amazing how 15 miles an hour feels so much faster 833 00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:32,475 when you're sat on the edge of a slate truck. 834 00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:33,589 Absolutely. 835 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:37,673 Running the train downhill without an engine, 836 00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:39,233 just using gravity, 837 00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:42,716 not only saves coal but it makes the ride smoother. 838 00:45:43,240 --> 00:45:47,199 Cos we're going down the hill under the power of gravity, 839 00:45:47,240 --> 00:45:51,233 the same force is working over the entirety of the train. 840 00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:55,035 So that means there's less jolting, less vibrations 841 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:56,877 and less slates breaking. 842 00:45:56,920 --> 00:45:58,797 So by the time we get to the port, 843 00:45:58,840 --> 00:46:01,035 hopefully most of them will be intact. 844 00:46:07,720 --> 00:46:10,632 It's the responsibility of the driver to maintain enough speed 845 00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:12,989 to carry the wagons to the end of the line. 846 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:16,474 We're probably going just about fast enough. 847 00:46:16,520 --> 00:46:18,875 If you want to pull that lever and put our brake on... 848 00:46:18,920 --> 00:46:20,911 - OK. - Just do one for now. 849 00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:23,758 OK, so we've got one brake on now. 850 00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:28,589 One brake! The rest of the train is now bunching up 851 00:46:28,640 --> 00:46:30,710 because we've got this one brake on. 852 00:46:31,560 --> 00:46:33,835 To apply the rest of the wagon's brakes, 853 00:46:33,880 --> 00:46:37,316 Ian shouts out numbers as to how many must be applied. 854 00:46:38,240 --> 00:46:39,434 OK, two! 855 00:46:39,480 --> 00:46:41,198 Here we go. Brake on. 856 00:46:41,240 --> 00:46:43,879 Brakes are on now. Hard on. 857 00:46:43,920 --> 00:46:46,480 And you can feel it, actually. 858 00:46:46,520 --> 00:46:48,397 It's just starting to slow. 859 00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:52,638 Flag. That's the signal for all of the brakes on. 860 00:46:52,680 --> 00:46:55,672 All of the brakes are coming on and that'll slow it down. 861 00:46:55,720 --> 00:46:57,597 - Possibly too much. - All off! 862 00:46:57,640 --> 00:46:58,868 All off! 863 00:47:01,400 --> 00:47:04,073 That was absolutely thrilling, that run down. 864 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:08,197 But the brakeman's job here is a pretty exposed job, Ian. 865 00:47:08,240 --> 00:47:10,435 It is, especially at this time of year. 866 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:14,268 Running up and down the mountain, just sat on slates. 867 00:47:14,320 --> 00:47:16,629 Exactly. Day in, day out, all year round. 868 00:47:16,680 --> 00:47:20,150 That's a pretty harsh job by anyone's reckoning. 869 00:47:22,160 --> 00:47:26,676 I do see actually how it is incredibly easy to control. 870 00:47:26,720 --> 00:47:30,349 We are just now creeping into the platform. 871 00:47:33,520 --> 00:47:35,511 That is magical. 872 00:47:35,560 --> 00:47:37,551 Absolutely magical. 873 00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:39,639 Time for a cup of tea, I think. 874 00:47:39,680 --> 00:47:42,638 I think it's time for a nice warm cup of tea. 875 00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:44,671 I'd love one but I've got slate bum. 876 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:47,871 Cold, cold slate bum. 877 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:50,036 Get yourself a seat. Come on, old man. 878 00:47:50,080 --> 00:47:52,469 - Come on, you old dear. - Thank you. 879 00:47:52,520 --> 00:47:55,830 Let's go get you a nice cup of tea, Peter, shall we? 880 00:47:56,840 --> 00:47:58,398 That was thrilling, wasn't it? 881 00:47:58,440 --> 00:47:59,919 That was something else, really. 882 00:47:59,960 --> 00:48:02,520 - That was absolutely amazing. - Something else. 883 00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:14,830 Once the slate had been brought down the mountain 884 00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:16,871 on the narrow-gauge railway... 885 00:48:18,640 --> 00:48:22,155 ...it was transferred to the standard-gauge national network, 886 00:48:22,200 --> 00:48:24,031 to be distributed across Britain. 887 00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:30,879 By the 1880s, the railways had connected all Britain's cities. 888 00:48:35,360 --> 00:48:39,319 St Pancras Station in London, completed in 1876, 889 00:48:39,360 --> 00:48:41,715 connected the capital to the Midlands. 890 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:44,479 I absolutely love this station. 891 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:48,317 It is breath-taking. 892 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:50,794 And to think they were gonna pull it down. 893 00:48:50,840 --> 00:48:52,398 My goodness. 894 00:48:52,440 --> 00:48:55,796 Today it stands as a testament to the railway's ability 895 00:48:55,840 --> 00:48:58,957 to move bulky building materials across Britain. 896 00:48:59,560 --> 00:49:02,711 We are stood right on the limit of Georgian London. 897 00:49:02,760 --> 00:49:06,469 And those houses, they're built out of bricks made locally, 898 00:49:06,520 --> 00:49:09,717 using clay that was dug out from the very ground below us. 899 00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:12,228 And it forms what is known as a London brick, 900 00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:14,589 which is very, very yellow in colour. 901 00:49:14,640 --> 00:49:16,835 But St Pancras is made out of red bricks. 902 00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:19,440 And that is because St Pancras is built out of materials 903 00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:21,072 brought here by the railways. 904 00:49:23,240 --> 00:49:26,437 The bricks that face the building come from Nottingham. 905 00:49:27,960 --> 00:49:31,270 The red stonework was also brought by rail from Mansfield. 906 00:49:33,120 --> 00:49:35,839 The white stone from Ancaster in Lincolnshire. 907 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:40,156 And the ironwork that spans the ceiling from Derbyshire. 908 00:49:42,560 --> 00:49:44,676 The crowning glory of this building is its roof. 909 00:49:44,720 --> 00:49:45,914 It is beautiful. 910 00:49:47,240 --> 00:49:49,515 And it is made out of- you've guessed it - 911 00:49:49,560 --> 00:49:51,551 hundreds of thousands of slates. 912 00:49:51,600 --> 00:49:54,637 Many of those slates have been mined from the Welsh slate mines 913 00:49:54,680 --> 00:49:56,511 that surround the Ffestiniog railway. 914 00:49:56,560 --> 00:50:00,235 And those slates have travelled down the very same gravity train 915 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:01,872 that we've sat on. 916 00:50:02,560 --> 00:50:04,551 And this place... 917 00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:06,591 it's a monument to the railways. 918 00:50:06,640 --> 00:50:09,200 It is a statement of their prowess 919 00:50:09,240 --> 00:50:12,630 in being able to move bulk goods from the heart of the country 920 00:50:12,680 --> 00:50:16,036 into the capital of the industrialised world. 921 00:50:27,320 --> 00:50:29,390 While the railways brought many benefits 922 00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:31,431 to those living in towns, 923 00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:33,835 some traditions were lost forever. 924 00:50:35,960 --> 00:50:38,520 One was the way we cooked our food. 925 00:50:43,840 --> 00:50:46,638 If you roast a piece of meat in front of a wood fire, 926 00:50:46,680 --> 00:50:49,672 all the fat draws in the flavours from the wood smoke, 927 00:50:49,720 --> 00:50:51,631 and it's just divine. 928 00:50:52,280 --> 00:50:54,350 But the railways meant people switched 929 00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:56,391 from cooking on wood to coal. 930 00:50:56,440 --> 00:50:59,477 Anything that's roasted or open-cooked, 931 00:50:59,520 --> 00:51:02,671 where the smoke can get at it, is gonna get that taint. 932 00:51:02,720 --> 00:51:05,393 In front of a coal fire, it does the same with the coal smoke, 933 00:51:05,440 --> 00:51:06,953 and it tastes disgusting. 934 00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:10,310 So people have to start changing the way they cook. 935 00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:16,639 Open fires were replaced with cast-iron ranges 936 00:51:16,680 --> 00:51:19,672 that separate the smoky, burning coal from the food, 937 00:51:20,560 --> 00:51:22,551 with an oven and a hob. 938 00:51:24,640 --> 00:51:27,950 It meant that spit-roasted beef was consigned to history. 939 00:51:29,240 --> 00:51:32,038 The tradition of Britain as the home of roast beef 940 00:51:32,080 --> 00:51:34,640 underwent a major overhaul 941 00:51:35,200 --> 00:51:38,272 as soon as the railways started moving coal 942 00:51:38,320 --> 00:51:40,754 into ordinary people's houses. 943 00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:44,878 Ruth's unearthed a recipe from the 19th Century. 944 00:51:45,520 --> 00:51:49,957 Spuds - lots of spuds in a baking tray. 945 00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:51,274 A saucer. 946 00:51:51,320 --> 00:51:53,311 Breadcrumbs. 947 00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:57,319 It shows how people adapted from roasting beef on wood 948 00:51:57,360 --> 00:51:58,998 to baking it with coal. 949 00:52:01,520 --> 00:52:03,875 So I want you to think of this as a very typical, 950 00:52:04,320 --> 00:52:06,470 post-railway dinner. 951 00:52:06,520 --> 00:52:08,988 The sort of thing you would have 952 00:52:09,520 --> 00:52:11,511 once coal had taken over your life. 953 00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:14,436 A knob of fat - I've got a bit of butter. 954 00:52:15,880 --> 00:52:17,711 And now my beef goes on top. 955 00:52:17,760 --> 00:52:21,070 And that sits right on top of the saucer. 956 00:52:22,280 --> 00:52:24,236 Next, some hot water. 957 00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:29,068 And this water goes around the potatoes. 958 00:52:30,520 --> 00:52:33,830 Controlling the temperature of a coal oven was difficult. 959 00:52:33,880 --> 00:52:35,950 But the water provided an ingenious way 960 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:37,991 of stopping it overheating. 961 00:52:39,400 --> 00:52:42,995 If you've got water present, it sort of evens out temperatures. 962 00:52:46,720 --> 00:52:49,393 The traditional food of Britain was changing. 963 00:52:50,200 --> 00:52:52,475 Gone were the 18th-Century recipes. 964 00:52:54,760 --> 00:52:56,955 The whole of the traditional British diet 965 00:52:57,440 --> 00:53:00,159 was under attack from the railways. 966 00:53:01,240 --> 00:53:03,754 It wasn't just our diet that was changing. 967 00:53:03,800 --> 00:53:06,189 So was our kitchenware. 968 00:53:06,240 --> 00:53:09,118 This is more or less the traditional shape 969 00:53:09,160 --> 00:53:11,674 of pots, cooking pots, in Britain. 970 00:53:11,720 --> 00:53:13,711 For over 500 years, 971 00:53:13,760 --> 00:53:16,797 they had been round-bottomed and with legs. 972 00:53:17,760 --> 00:53:19,751 On a wood fire, the flames come up, 973 00:53:19,800 --> 00:53:21,995 they hit the bottom of that round shape 974 00:53:22,040 --> 00:53:24,031 and then, as they come up, 975 00:53:24,080 --> 00:53:27,550 they spread out and lick around the pot. 976 00:53:27,600 --> 00:53:29,591 But look at it on here. 977 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:33,514 The traditional pans of Britain did not work 978 00:53:34,200 --> 00:53:36,350 on these new coal fires. 979 00:53:36,400 --> 00:53:38,391 You just had to replace them! 980 00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:41,034 There was no choice. You suddenly had to go for 981 00:53:41,080 --> 00:53:43,275 flat-bottomed pans, like the kettle, 982 00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:46,039 like the saucepans that we're all used to. 983 00:53:46,480 --> 00:53:49,233 Moreover, on a wood fire, 984 00:53:49,520 --> 00:53:51,875 an iron pot, say something like this, 985 00:53:51,920 --> 00:53:55,071 will, in fact, last 200, 300, 400 years. 986 00:53:55,120 --> 00:53:58,192 The sort of thing that can be passed down in your family. 987 00:53:58,240 --> 00:54:00,435 An heirloom. It's just going nowhere. 988 00:54:02,560 --> 00:54:05,074 But if you put the pan directly over the coal, 989 00:54:05,880 --> 00:54:08,758 you're looking at a lifespan of no more than 20 years. 990 00:54:08,800 --> 00:54:12,395 From something that could last you generation after generation, 991 00:54:12,440 --> 00:54:14,078 that could be passed down, 992 00:54:14,120 --> 00:54:15,519 to something you have to replace 993 00:54:15,560 --> 00:54:17,755 a couple of times in your lifetime. 994 00:54:17,800 --> 00:54:20,712 So all this coal that the railways are bringing in 995 00:54:20,760 --> 00:54:23,638 to towns and villages and cities all over Britain... 996 00:54:23,680 --> 00:54:27,150 are bringing with it a new demand for ironware. 997 00:54:31,480 --> 00:54:34,870 The terraced miners' cottages were all pretty much identical. 998 00:54:34,920 --> 00:54:37,036 But there was one place the occupiers 999 00:54:37,080 --> 00:54:39,196 could express their individuality. 1000 00:54:41,400 --> 00:54:42,958 In the garden. 1001 00:54:44,480 --> 00:54:47,153 These gardens very quickly became a source of pride. 1002 00:54:47,200 --> 00:54:49,668 Because this was the opportunity, really, 1003 00:54:49,720 --> 00:54:52,154 to differentiate yourselves from your neighbours. 1004 00:54:52,200 --> 00:54:55,237 You were all living in essentially the same buildings. 1005 00:54:55,280 --> 00:54:58,750 You needed some way to say, "I'm different. This is about me." 1006 00:54:58,800 --> 00:55:01,598 If you could keep your garden meticulously clean 1007 00:55:02,040 --> 00:55:04,873 and highly productive, then it said something about you 1008 00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:06,956 as a member of this community. 1009 00:55:07,000 --> 00:55:10,470 But of course, the main benefit that all of this was to have... 1010 00:55:12,080 --> 00:55:14,753 ...was the fact that for the first time, really, 1011 00:55:15,800 --> 00:55:18,997 these industrial communities had the opportunity 1012 00:55:19,640 --> 00:55:22,074 to grow their own fresh fruit and veg. 1013 00:55:23,280 --> 00:55:26,158 These will go lovely, I think, with our baked beef. 1014 00:55:36,360 --> 00:55:37,713 - Aha! - Smells good. 1015 00:55:37,760 --> 00:55:39,830 - Good timing, good timing. - Hi, Ruth. 1016 00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:42,792 - Hi, Peter. - Ooh, that looks good! 1017 00:55:42,840 --> 00:55:44,273 Wonderful. 1018 00:55:44,320 --> 00:55:46,311 Absolutely wonderful. 1019 00:55:47,560 --> 00:55:49,755 I'm not even gonna try and do clever carving. 1020 00:55:49,800 --> 00:55:51,791 - This is lumps. - I like lumps. 1021 00:55:51,840 --> 00:55:53,831 I don't like thin slices. 1022 00:55:53,880 --> 00:55:55,393 Thank you. 1023 00:55:55,440 --> 00:55:57,237 Lovely! 1024 00:55:57,280 --> 00:55:59,032 Smells delicious. 1025 00:55:59,080 --> 00:56:00,513 This is a railway dinner. 1026 00:56:00,560 --> 00:56:03,154 Everything about it speaks of that network. 1027 00:56:03,200 --> 00:56:06,317 You know, bringing the coal in, bringing the ironwork, 1028 00:56:06,360 --> 00:56:08,635 so you're having to change your recipes 1029 00:56:08,680 --> 00:56:11,752 and cook in a new, different way from the way you'd done before. 1030 00:56:11,800 --> 00:56:13,597 Everything we're looking at 1031 00:56:13,640 --> 00:56:15,471 is about the connectivity of Britain 1032 00:56:15,520 --> 00:56:16,794 that the railways brought. 1033 00:56:16,840 --> 00:56:19,752 We think of this as our sort of traditional cuisine, 1034 00:56:19,800 --> 00:56:21,791 the meat and the two veg. 1035 00:56:21,840 --> 00:56:23,831 It's a railway cuisine. 1036 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:25,518 And it's a railway dinner 1037 00:56:25,560 --> 00:56:28,358 effectively in a railway cottage as well. 1038 00:56:28,400 --> 00:56:30,675 You couldn't have built, effectively, 1039 00:56:30,720 --> 00:56:33,359 the housing for industrial Britain without the railways. 1040 00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:37,188 The 19th Century itself is just almost the perfect storm, 1041 00:56:37,240 --> 00:56:39,595 in Britain, of advancement. 1042 00:56:39,640 --> 00:56:41,517 You've got a population explosion, 1043 00:56:41,560 --> 00:56:44,279 you've got advances in medicine and materials. 1044 00:56:44,320 --> 00:56:46,709 The railways are that kind of lightning rod 1045 00:56:46,760 --> 00:56:48,910 that conducts it all and just makes it happen. 1046 00:56:48,960 --> 00:56:51,918 For 150 years, nearly 200 years... 1047 00:56:53,480 --> 00:56:57,632 ...the railways allowed a new unique and special way of life. 1048 00:56:58,600 --> 00:57:01,592 It's probably, I think, the most amazing legacy 1049 00:57:01,640 --> 00:57:04,074 from the industrial period, that the railway networks 1050 00:57:04,120 --> 00:57:06,714 still furnish our modern British cities 1051 00:57:06,760 --> 00:57:09,479 and still function and enable those cities to function. 1052 00:57:09,520 --> 00:57:11,112 Exactly! 1053 00:57:12,280 --> 00:57:13,952 So railway food... 1054 00:57:14,000 --> 00:57:17,151 It's good, but it's not quite as good as the old roast beef. 1055 00:57:17,200 --> 00:57:19,031 - You don't think? - No. 1056 00:57:19,080 --> 00:57:20,957 I don't know, Ruth, this is pretty good. 1057 00:57:21,000 --> 00:57:22,877 The same as the one I had in St Pancras. 1058 00:57:22,920 --> 00:57:24,672 - Is it really? - Yeah. 1059 00:57:24,720 --> 00:57:27,314 That's two roast beefs you've had in two days? 1060 00:57:27,360 --> 00:57:28,952 This ain't roast, mate. 1061 00:57:29,000 --> 00:57:31,275 - Two baked beefs in two days. - Baked beef. 1062 00:57:31,320 --> 00:57:33,834 You can see what the railways have done for Peter. 1063 00:57:40,160 --> 00:57:42,037 We see how the railways transformed 1064 00:57:42,080 --> 00:57:44,992 from being a carrier of goods to a carrier of people... 1065 00:57:45,040 --> 00:57:48,157 It's nicely painted. It's all lovely and clean in here. 1066 00:57:48,200 --> 00:57:51,829 But it is just a wooden wagon with some wooden benches. 1067 00:57:52,520 --> 00:57:56,035 ...experience the life of the workers who built the network... 1068 00:57:56,080 --> 00:57:58,275 I think you left it in the pot a bit long, there. 1069 00:57:58,320 --> 00:58:01,153 It's seen better days. Give it a clean, it'll be fine. 1070 00:58:01,200 --> 00:58:03,031 ...and find out what it was like 1071 00:58:03,080 --> 00:58:05,355 to be a passenger in Victorian Britain. 1072 00:58:05,400 --> 00:58:07,709 "In going through a tunnel, it is always as well 1073 00:58:07,760 --> 00:58:10,957 to have the hands and arms ready, disposed for defence." 1074 00:58:11,760 --> 00:58:13,318 - Oh, God. - Tunnel! 1075 00:58:16,000 --> 00:58:20,000 Ripped & Corrected By mstoll