National Geographic: Britain's Greatest Machines - Series 2

In this new series, Chris Barrie seeks out the great British machines that have changed people’s lives and helped shaped Britain as we know it today. Chris tells the stories of these mechanical icons with passion, wit and a great deal of expertise. Tackling the subject one decade at a time, Chris puts the engineering achievements of each era into the... More »

In this new series, Chris Barrie seeks out the great British machines that have changed people’s lives and helped shaped Britain as we know it today. Chris tells the stories of these mechanical icons with passion, wit and a great deal of expertise. Tackling the subject one decade at a time, Chris puts the engineering achievements of each era into the context of the bigger picture of British history. Episodes include 1910s, 1920s, 1940s and Trains.

1910s
Chris Barrie tells the story of a decade of triumphs and tragedies. This was an era of great leaps in technology and mind-blowing new wonders. The start of mass motoring with Charabanc coach trips and the amazing Edwardian cyclecar. New electric machines and the birth of long distance radio communications. Chris demonstrates the equipment that saved 700 lives on Titanic. He investigates the ingenious, deadly machines that first created and then broke the deadly stalemate of trench warfare. And he pays tribute to the Vickers Vimy an extraordinary war plane that at the end of this decade achieved one of the greatest landmarks in aviation history, flying non-stop across the Atlantic.

1920s
Chris Barrie takes on the famous high speed banking at the world’s first purpose–built racing circuit in a 1920s Bentley, races against a plane on a 1925 Brough Superior motorcycle and then takes to the air in a De Havilland Moth – the tiny aircraft beloved of the aerial explorers, which helped pioneer the commercial air routes we still use today.

1940s
Chris Barrie fights fires in the Blitz with the vehicles of the Auxiliary Fire Service, commands High Speed Launch 102 – the nation’s first high speed rescue boat - and charges through the English countryside at 60mph in the groundbreaking Daimler Dingo…in both forward and reverse!

Trains
Grab your anoraks and climb onboard the 1820s, one of the most revolutionary decades in history. In just ten years transportation evolved from foot and horse to the first passenger railway, forever changing British society. Chris follows this breakthrough, heading down a mine to witness rail's beginnings and taking a spin on the Trevithick Puffing Devil - the world's first high-pressure steam engine. Finally, our intrepid presenter climbs on to the footplate of some of the earliest and most famous trains in the world. TV icon and vintage machine enthusiast, Chris Barrie, serves up a big dose of nostalgia in this exclusive series celebrating British design.
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