Catch up TV
Series 4: 10. Edmonton to Jasper
Michael Portillo continues west through the Canadian Prairie on his thousand-mile rail journey from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Jasper, Alberta. Following his 1899 Appleton’s guide, Michael explores a glossy, glassy, oil-rich Edmonton, second city of Alberta. On the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, he travels three centuries back in time to experience the life of les voyageurs, who travelled huge distances within Canada by foot and canoe to trade fur with indigenous people. \n\nMichael admires Edmonton’s early 20th-century heritage streetcars, preserved by the Radial Railway Society, and seizes the chance to drive one across a spectacular high-level bridge over the North Saskatchewan River. \n\nEdmonton prides itself on its modern light rail system, offering rapid transit to 80 million passengers per year. Michael hears how this growing city plans to keep pace. His journey across Canada’s vast open spaces reaches a dramatic scenic conclusion in the Rocky Mountains. Deep in the Columbia icefield in a massive, all-terrain Ice Explorer, Michael is awed by the scale, not least of the vehicle, but of the vast Athabasca Glacier. \n \nTravelling via Hinton to Jasper, Michael learns of the race to lay transcontinental rails through the Rocky Mountains on two different routes. \n\nIn the woodland around Hinton, Michael marvels at the scale of Canada’s forestry industry and discovers how the enchanting beaver, once slaughtered for its fur, is now pampered.
Source: BBC 2
Most recent episodes of Great American Railroad Journeys
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 2 Reversions: 9. Chicago To Champaign, Illinois
16-09-2024
BBC 2
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 2 Reversions: 5. Santa Fe, New Mexico, To The Grand Canyon
09-09-2024
BBC 2
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 2 Reversions: 4. La Junta To Colorado Springs
05-09-2024
BBC 2
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 2 Reversions: 2. Sedalia To St Joseph, Missouri
04-09-2024
BBC 2
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 2 Reversions: 1. St Louis To Jefferson City, Missouri
02-09-2024
BBC 2
Most popular episodes of Great American Railroad Journeys
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 3 Reversions: 3. Berkeley To Santa Cruz
Following his Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo makes a trip to the jewel in the crown of America's National Parks, Yosemite, to behold its towering granite cliffs, its giant s ...
06-06-2018
BBC 2
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 3: 7. Montreal, Quebec
Following a special 1899 Canadian edition of his Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo has left the United States and crossed the border to embark on the next leg of his rail journ ...
16-11-2022
BBC 2
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 3: 2. Boston To Concord, Massachusetts
Michael Portillo's 19th-century Appleton's guidebook leads him to the Parker House Hotel, where in his best pinny, he whisks up a Boston cream pie.\n\nIn the fine dome atop Mass ...
08-11-2022
BBC 2
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 3: 11. Reno, Nevada, To Colfax, California
Led by his late 19th-century Appleton's guidebook, Michael Portillo sets off on a 1,000-mile American adventure to discover how the railroad conquered the wild landscapes of the ...
23-11-2022
BBC 2
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 2 Reversions: 1. St Louis To Jefferson City, Missouri
02-09-2024
BBC 2
Great American Railroad Journeys
Series 3: 13. San Francisco To Sausalito, California
Armed with his trusty Appleton's Guide, Michael Portillo's rail journey through California takes him to the commercial metropolis of San Francisco. Riding through the vibrant st ...
28-11-2022
BBC 2
Great American Railroad Journeys
Alaska And Canada: 1. Ninilchik To Spencer Whistlestop
Michael Portillo heads for the Last Frontier of the United States armed with his 1899 Appleton's Guide-Book to Alaska. Written by an intrepid 19th-century female explorer, the b ...
24-07-2023
BBC 2
