The Railroads that Tamed the West: Back when the History Channel was new, all sorts of programs were produced. Some started out good and then fizzled or had strong episodes and ran out of material, like the Civil War Journal and The Real West series. One series that continues today is Modern Marvels, of which this particular documentary is a part of. The show is a 50 minute format dealing with technology that changed the world.

This episode, as the title suggests, is all about the westward expansion of our country and how the railroad played a big part. Technology such as refrigerated cars, standardized time, air brakes and the knuckle coupler are mentioned. It's quite informative although it's not as brisk paced as the more recent episodes. I would recommend this DVD if not for the fact that I got it at Deep Discount DVD for $14.98 and most likely is still shown in the rotation on the History Channel.

Labels: Documentary