Episode 1

Broadcast live from Didcot Rail Centre, in the middle of the Great Western Railway, Peter Snow is joined by some of the most enthusiastic and passionate train lovers, collectors and enthusiasts from across the country. Peter meets poet and rail fan Ian McMillan, challenging him to write a new poem about the iconic Flying Scotsman to images filmed by members of the public as the train went on a recent journey. Dr Hannah Fry adds mathematical insight to these incredible machines by exploring how these massive engines stay on the rails and the effect that the rail network had on timekeeping across the whole of the country. Engineer Dick Strawbridge is in Doncaster on the trail of a workhorse of the network, the Class 66, and he also visits the National Railway Museum in York to explore how this most British of pastimes began. With spotters based across the length and breadth of the country, including resident spotter Tim Dunn in the Scottish Highlands tracking down the only steam engine working on the line during the live programme, Trainspotting Live provides a snapshot of the whole network during the hour, providing analysis and context, and revelling in this unique and wonderful world.