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Taunton to Minehead

Michael Portillo explores a church that moves in mysterious ways and summons all his strength to move a one hundred and ten tonne steam locomotive.

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with his copy of Bradshaw's Victorian railway guidebook. In a series of railway journeys, Portillo travels the length and breadth of the British Isles to see what of Bradshaw's World remains. Michael follows in the footsteps of the master engineer of the Great Western Railway, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, beginning at the line's London gateway, Paddington Station and ending in Newton Abbot, Devon, the scene of one of Brunel's heroic failures. Michael explores a church that moves in mysterious ways, finds out just what it takes to run a 19th century signal box and summons all his strength, to move a one hundred and ten tonne steam locomotive.

29 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Michael Portillo
Series Producer Michelle Heeley
Director Dave Minchin

Broadcasts

Steam railway programmes on 大象传媒 iPlayer

A collection of programmes from the 大象传媒 archives on the beauty of steam locomotives.