Great Western Coffee Shop

Hopefully I'm not duplicating anything here...

Programme website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qzk9r (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qzk9r)

Episode 1 of 3 currently available on Her Majesty's iPlayer - it's about the Darjeeling and Himalaya Railway. Haven't watched it yet but from the programme description looks like there might be some really interesting cultural/social documentary in the programme as well.

I stumbled across this, very interesting.

Very interesting indeed.

Whilst some of the operating procedures wouldn't past effing safety here in Blighty, the views from the trains as they climb the hills more than compensate for any any fear of impending doom!

I really like the way that it's not a pure "rivet counter's" documentary but focuses on the actual stories of people whose lives are entwined with the railway (in a similar vein to Monsoon Railway and others) - some of that first episode was surprisingly powerful stuff.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007rtzs

 Monsoon Railway repeated tonight, have managed to miss them all so far.

 Also one of the classic 10 minute British Transport pictures at 7.00 pm.

Yup. 7pm BBC4: British Transport Films 'John Betjeman Goes By Train'.

One of the very best BTC short films.

I've just watched the Nilgiri Mountain Railway episode - it's absolutely brilliant!

No evidence of any Elfin Safety there - for example, dynamiting boulders on the track, even as the approaching train appears around the bend!  :o

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00qzzlm/Indian_Hill_Railways_The_Nilgiri_Mountain_Railway/

If you can possibly get hold of the other two (Darjeeling Himalaya and Kalka-Shimla railway) them do - all three are superb films. Gerry Troyna (the producer) has a consistent track record of making great documentary films about Indian Railways, made all the more watchable in my view as they focus on the stories of the people who live on and work the line, rather than technical details.

There was another excellent mini-series, going back several years now, on Radio 4: it was called Indian Locomotion and presented by Mark Tully. Amazingly I've just discovered that the programmes are still available to stream from the BBC website here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/indianlocomotion.shtml).

As for the workshop practices  :o grinding no goggles or protecting other staff from flying sparks. 

It was an excellent program, make me want to visit Ooty

There is another programme on BBC Two at 9pm tonight called "India's Hospital Train".  Could be an interesting watch.

Ha...excellent stuff. Thanks for the alert, picked up at 8.55 ;D