Showing posts with label Transports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Transports. Show all posts

Sunday, May 11, 2014

* The Muscle Car (2011)

The muscle car is the most coveted collector car today. These were the dream cars of America's baby boomer generation who came of age during the turbulent 1960s and early 1970s. American Icon chronicles the allure and evolution of the production cars sold to anyone who craved dominating performance. Each episode tells the story of a period during the muscle car era, beginning with the origins of the fire-breathing cars and ending with their demise due to government regulation, insurance costs and the gas crisis.

Episode 1: Origins
Detroit's post war performance cars prior to 1964.

Episode 2 The HEMI and the GTO
A chronicle of the Pontiac Temptest with the GTO package and the powerful 426 cubic inch race Hemi engine.

Episode 3: GMs a Bodies Roll
A-body cars from all four GM divisions.

Episode 4 The Pony Cars
The classic muscle car formula and street supremacy is challenged by Ford and GM pony cars.

Episode 5 NASCAR Style
Aero developments from NASCAR begin to appear on the street.

Episode 6 Chrysler and AMC Pony Cars
MOPAR vies for pony car supremacy in the mid-sixties.

Episode 7 The Street HEMI and the a Body
Chrysler's HEMI race engines are made available to the public in the mid 1960's

Episode 8 The Chrysler B Body
Late 60's street beasts from Dodge and Plymouth.

Episode 9 Muscle in Every Size and Shape
Muscle begins to creep into unlikely cars.

Episode 10: GM Goes Big
GM models offer flashy colors and various levels of oomph under the hood.

Episode 11 Wild Mopars of 1971
American Motors enters the muscle-car arena; Chrysler E-body.

Episode 12 Specials
Special-order, high-performance cars and other factory-authorized vehicles.

Episode 13 End of an Era
Detroit continues to produce powerful vehicles until the 1970s gas crisis and government regulations bring an end to the muscle-car era.

Friday, May 9, 2014

* The 800 Million Pound Railway Station (2007)

St Pancras station sits at the end of a massive £5.8 billion railway line - the first major British line to be built for over a century. This new series tells the story of the architects, engineers and spin doctors who entered a frantic two year race to make the Royal Opening on time. There were huge financial incentives, but many personal reputations at stake.

Episode 1: The Devil in the Detail
This episode tells the story of architect Alastair Lansley, whose expensive artistic vision unnerved the engineers.

Episode 2: Deadline
The engineers and builders are about to hit the biggest deadline on the project so far. The tracks which bring the trains into St Pancras must be moved from the east to the west side of the station, over the course of a single weekend. If they fail, the entire £5.8 billion project will be thrown off-schedule.
Meanwhile, Chief Architect Alastair Lansley receives some terrifying news that may prevent him from seeing the project through.

Episode 3: The Inspections
Engineers race to finish the base build of the station. Huge bonuses are at stake and if the engineers don't meet their deadline they could incur penalties of £50,000 a day until their work is finished. For 30 year old engineer Claire Clarr this is the biggest project of her career and a series of gruelling inspections will determine whether or not work on her section is signed off as complete. To add to the pressure Claire's boss Mark Allison delivers news which will change the course of her working life.

Episode 4: The Icon Men
With the base build complete, St Pancras must start its face lift. Commercial Director Mike Luddy dreams of creating a new style of station and of transforming St Pancras into a luxury destination in its own right.
Instead of fast food outlets he wants to install gastro pubs and fine dining. The highlight will be the longest champagne bar in Europe and a nine metre high bronze statue which he hopes will be an iconic centrepiece for the station.

Episode 5: The Sharp End
A team of spin doctors and marketing gurus have to sell Commercial Director Mike Luddy's vision for St Pancras station. They need to convince press and public that a place synonymous with prostitution, drugs and violent crime has been transformed into the chic destination station for Europe.
But deadlines are slipping and the picture looks very different on the ground. The builders are behind schedule, the 60 shops may not finish work on time and there are critical problems with the cherry on the St Pancras cake - a 9 meter statue specially commissioned for the station. And with the station opening in just a few weeks time and Eurostar already selling tickets from their new destination will St Pancras be ready in time?

Episode 6: The Unveiling
The culmination of 11 years work and £5.8 billion of public and private money.
While the builders and engineers labour 7 days a week to try and finish major construction works Head of Marketing Jon Teeman is planning an enormous opening ceremony. A 1,000 seat arena is being erected and Her Majesty the Queen has agreed to open the station. With an invitation list boasting the great and the good and the eyes of the world's media upon them the opening night has to be a success.
Meanwhile the station is still not finished and the builders must complete works in order for Eurostar to start running. With an expected 50 million passengers per year due to start travelling from the station on November 14th the deadline must be hit at all costs.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

* Mighty Planes (Series)

Season 1


Season 2


Omega
This modified Boeing 707 is one of only two 707 tankers in the world that provide commercial air-to-air re-fueling to the American military.

P-3 Orion
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's hurricane hunting WP-3D Orion aircraft fly where other planes refuse to venture.

Trump
Travel with Donald Trump aboard his luxurious Boeing 757 on a transatlantic flight to the U.K.

C-17 Globemaster
The newest, most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the U.S. airlift force; The C-17 Globemaster III specializes in quick delivery of troops and all types of cargo.

Sofia 747 SP
The largest airborne observatory in the world, boasts a 17-ton telescope capable of making observations impossible for ground-based telescopes.

Blue Angels
Follow the Blue Angels through their unique, specialized training and delve into the physics of their spectacular aerobatic flying.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

* High Flyers: How Britain Took to the Air (2009)

A compelling and colourful documentary celebrating the golden age of air travel when, during the 1920s and 1930s, Britain ruled the skies and style and glamour were a passport to adventure.

In Britain in the 1920s and 30s a revolution took place that would change forever our perspective on the world. While the country was in the grip of recession, dashing pilots and daring socialites took to the air, pushed back boundaries and forged new links across the globe. The era of commercial air travel was born. This documentary tells the story of this golden age of British aviation and of how the original ‘jet set' shaped air travel for generations to come.

* Extreme Railways (2012)

Chris Tarrant takes a series of extreme railway journeys across the world's toughest terrains.

Part 1: Congo's Jungle Railway
Chris travels to the Republic of the Congo for a gruelling but ultimately inspiring journey through the country's heart of darkness.

Part 2: Australia's Outback Railway
Chris crosses the Australian Outback on an amazing rail line - the 2,000 mile-long Adelaide to Darwin railway. Building the line proved to be a huge engineering challenge that took over 100 years to complete. In his quest to uncover the extraordinary story of this railway, Chris travels from Adelaide to Darwin, following the original ill-fated route of the line.

Part 3: India's Monsoon Railway
Chris travels down the Konkan rail line, which runs down the west coast of India, connecting the port cities of Mumbai and Mangalore.