David Jason: Planes, Trains & Automobiles (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript

'I'm David Jason

'and I'm on a journey
to discover the machines

' that made America
and changed the world.'

You know you are mad?

All the best people are.

'I'm travelling by plane, train,
and automobile in the footsteps

'of pioneers and inventors
down the west coast of America.'

And you kick ass!

Yes.

No, I really, really enjoyed that.

'I will take in some of the best
all-American scenery...'



Good Lord, look at that.
That is just wonderful.

'..and reveal how this part
of the world has led the way

'in adventure and enterprise.'

Look where she's going.

'I will discover the stories

'behind some of the world's
most legendary machines.'

You're responsible
for the nation's treasure.

Exactly.

Come along, James, off we go.

'At last,
Del Boy makes it to Hollywood.'

You don't get much closer than that.

'Join me on my big
American adventure.

'Many years ago,
before I was an actor,

'I trained as a car mechanic.



'I'm also a helicopter pilot
and I have a lifelong love affair

'with motorbikes.'

- Is this it?
- This is it.

- You ready to go flying?
- Let's go.

'So this is my trip of a lifetime.'

'Over five weeks, I will travel
by all means of transport

'through Washington state
and Oregon,

'taking in the breathtaking scenery

'to arrive in the Golden State
of California

'and finish 1,200 miles later
in the City of Angels, Los Angeles.

'My journey begins in the Pacific
Northwest in the city of Seattle.

'Here, I will sample the luxury
of 1930s aviation...'

Oh, yes, now this is
kitted out for me.

'..drive the car that
changed the world...'

Whoo-whoo.

'..and take to the footplate of
a vintage timberland steam engine.

'There is surely no better way
to start a great adventure

'than by a floatplane.'

Is this freshwater
or is it seawater?

This is freshwater.

'I'm flying in a legendary
de Havilland Beaver.

'It's the workhorse of
the Pacific Northwest

'and perhaps the best way to take
in the glorious mountains

'and forests of Washington state
and its biggest city, Seattle.'

Is that Seattle?

There's Seattle right down there,
yes, sir.

'Once a frontier town,

'Seattle boomed
during the 1896 Klondike gold rush.

'It's still booming today
and is the home to huge corporations

'like Microsoft and Amazon.'

It's about this time that you'd say,
"You do know that there isn't

"a runway down there?"

Oh, there's a huge runway,
20 miles long.

Yeah, I know.

'I'm coming into Seattle
with a splash landing.'

I must say,
it was a great experience.

It was lovely.

'Planes have always been
big business here.

'And they don't get much
bigger than Boeing.

'For over 100 years,
Seattle has been home to what is now

'the world's largest
aerospace company.

'Swapping my wings for wheels,
I want to find out how did Boeing

'grow out of a frontier town.

'It all started here in 1916.

'This is the former
shipyard building

'known as the Red Barn.

'And it was the first
home of the Boeing Company.'

Oh, blimey.

It's like a kit you buy and you put
it together with glue, doesn't it?

That's what it looks like.

It's all wood.

Amazing.

'The story goes that in 1915
William Boeing went for a joyride

'in an early aircraft

'and decided he could
make one better.

'And the result is flying
from the ceiling.'

That's the floatplane, of course.

Yeah, I've just been on that.

Well, not that one, but...

Look at the floats on it.

Look.

They're all wood.

Amazing, isn't it?

Is that the beginning of Boeing?

It absolutely is.

That's our very first aeroplane.
The B&W.

Right.

Right, so, named for the initials
of Mr Boeing and his partner

who helped him start
the company, Conrad Westervelt.

Right. But why a floatplane?

There weren't any airfields
in those days.

But there is a lot of water,
as you probably noticed.

- Yeah.
- Right, right. So that's why.

Bill Boeing came to this area
for timber.

A timber baron.

All of his wealth is in timber.

And yet he introduces some
of the very first metal aeroplanes

in the United States.

And this is the Model 40,
this is an air-cooled engine.

And with that engine
on this aeroplane,

they saved
almost 500 pounds of weight.

Yes.

And that
could then be used to carry mail.

How did it happen, the transition
between mail and passengers?

You see that door right there?
Inside is a seat.

It was to carry employees
from one field to the next.

Oh, was it?

And then they realised that, "Well,
we're not carrying an employee

"or mail. Maybe we can get
somebody to pay to go for a ride."

Now, there were about seven stops
on the way

between San Francisco and Chicago.

So if they arrived at a field
and there was a pile of mail to go,

passengers would be left behind.

- No!
- Right.

The mail had to go through.

So, a year after they start
operation, they really started

thinking seriously about
carrying passengers.

So the aeroplane that followed this
was a passenger aeroplane.

And they realised
that this is the future.

'I'm amazed that a timber merchant
who made a small floatplane

'would become the biggest
aircraft maker on the planet.

'50 years after it was founded,
Boeing built the plane

'that changed the world.'

MAN: 'It's Monday
September 30, 1968,

'roll-out day for the Boeing 747.'

DAVID: 'Two and a half times bigger

'than anything
that Boeing had built before,

'this is the actual prototype
that was rolled out 50 years ago.'

Oh, blimey.

This is stripped down
to the bone.

It's like the skeleton, isn't it?

How on Earth can a thing
this size leave the ground?

Who thought of it?

Well, it almost looks like him
and he's still scratching his head

about how he's going to
get it off the ground.

Well, come on, I'm going to get
up and see where the pilot sits.

'It's hard to believe that
half a century ago

'this 747 took its first flight
into history.

'On board were three people,

'two pilots and an engineer.

'Co-pilot Brien Wygle,
now 93 years old,

'has come back to the cockpit
to relive that amazing moment.'

Ah, here he is.

The very man.

- Brien, lovely to meet you.
- Glad to meet you.

You fit better than I do.

Well, for a big aeroplane,
it doesn't have much room up front.

I understand that you were on
the very first flight of this.

- Yes, yeah.
- This actual 747.

The actual aeroplane,
yeah, I was here.

- You were there?
- Yeah.

Brien, did you have a lot of
trepidation when you were sitting

on the end of the runway
with the engines going?

No.

Knowing you've got 400 tons
to get into the air?

I think we had butterflies
when we were waiting.

We were waiting for the weather

and finally we decided to go.

'Designed and built
in just 26 months,

'the largest civilian aircraft ever
made hurtled down the runway.'

DAVID: Now, it lifts into the air.

You must have felt
a bit of relief for that.

- Oh, yes. Oh, I think so.
- Do you think?

The more we went along,
the more relaxed we got

because so far
everything was working.

This aeroplane was a delight.

It was tailored just right.

It felt great to fly.

Of course, it was a big machine
but it responded beautifully.

It wasn't all perfect sailing,
though, was it?

No. We had one incident.

And one of the flap segments
hung up.

- It got jammed a little.
- Yeah.

So, we decided that it was
a good idea to go in and land.

'After a one-hour 15-minute
test flight,

'Brien and the crew safely brought
the 747 back to Earth.'

If you think back, though, Brien,
to that very, very first flight,

what did it mean to you?

I think you feel proud that
you're part of this team

that's putting this marvellous
machine together.

'This is Brien and his chums
leaving the aircraft.

'They've made history

'but they're dressed like they've
just left the office.

'The 747 opened the world
to everyone.'

There was a period when flying
abroad meant 747, so that was it.

Yeah, yeah.

She certainly did change
the aviation world.

We wouldn't have got
halfway around the world

without this little baby.

Yeah, that's what did it.

'I have discovered
the birth of Boeing

'and now I want to
experience the glamour

'of those early days of aviation.

'I've come to the Historic Flight
Foundation to try my hand

'at the controls
of a flying legend.'

Ah, now, this is interesting. 1927.

'This unique collection represents
the golden age of aviation

'from 1927 to 1957.

'30 years of innovation.'

Ah, look at that.

What a lovely accolade for the Brits
to have an actual Spitfire.

What a stunning collection
of old aircraft.

'I'm here to meet John Sessions,

'successful lawyer
and aircraft enthusiast.'

Mr Sessions, I do believe?

Welcome.

Thank you.

- Hello, John.
- So nice to see you, sir.

Yeah, and you.

I couldn't help noticing
as I came round the corner...

Yeah.

..that you've got crutches.

Do tell us why you need crutches.

David, I had an accident
a little less than a month ago

and I will receive a prosthetic foot
in a couple of weeks,

and that's where I am.

Why?
What happened? Were you flying?

Yes, I had an accident on take-off
at the end of an air show.

So, the aircraft,
how did that come off?

Shall we say it's a restoration
project in waiting?

DAVID LAUGHS

'It's no laughing matter.

'Just weeks ago,
John was seriously injured

'when his de Havilland Rapide
crashed on take-off.

'But what's wonderful about
this aircraft collection

'is they're all airworthy,

'giving people a chance to taste
the thrill of early aviation.'

I don't know
what your first flight was

but, I think most of us
remember our first flight.

It's spiritual, it's inspirational,
it's unbinding the bonds of Earth.

Escape.

Escape from planet Earth,
as it were...

Yeah.

..and be the master of the skies

is something that I never,
ever lose when I fly.

So we have an offer.

Is it an offer I can't refuse?

I would imagine so.
We're about to take up our DC-3

for a bit of a photo shoot.

We wonder if you'd
like to come along.

Maybe get your hand on the controls,
see how it feels?

Oh, wonderful. The DC...

You know, that is a bit of an iconic
aircraft because, when I was a lad,

just, you know, I'm not going to say
when, but I had a DC-3

made out of aluminium.

And it was my favourite thing.

I would be absolutely delighted
for a trip in your aircraft.

'First flown in 1935,

'the Douglas DC-3 is credited

'with making air travel popular,
affordable, and profitable.

'This beauty was the best plane
of its generation.

'We are joined by Eugene Vezzetti,
a veteran DC-3 pilot.'

EUGENE: As we approach our DC-3,
which was very instrumental

in winning World War II...

It started as a passenger airplane

and was quickly drafted
into military service.

And that's what this one was.
This was actually a warbird.

So what would it have
been carrying? Troops?

They were built as paratroop
drop aeroplanes.

They were built as traders.

This one was
specifically built to fly

between India and interior China,

when the Japanese
controlled the seaports.

'This old girl was built in 1944
and has a remarkable history.

'This rare film footage shows
it flying over the Himalayas,

'supplying our Chinese allies
in World War II.'

EUGENE:
When this came back from the war,

it was modified in California
for Johnson & Johnson.

And this was their
corporate aeroplane.

'54 luxury.

'54, yeah, well, that's all right.

Hello?

Oh, yeah,
now this is kitted out for me.

'In the 1930s,
a DC-3 could take 15 hours

'to cross the United States,
with three stops to refuel.'

DAVID:
You know, she's surprisingly quiet.

I was expecting to be, in a way,

sort of, not be able to be heard.

It's conversational at cruise power.

It's a little louder
when we're taking off.

Yeah.

'The DC-3 was
an overnight success.

'Just three years
after its introduction,

'it was carrying over 90%

'of all airline passengers
in the United States.'

Here she goes.

'As we take off over the Boeing
aircraft factory,

'it's worth reflecting
that the Douglas DC-3

'almost put Boeing out of business
in the 1930s.

'Thousands were built and over
400 are still flying today,

'including this old beauty,
which is 75 years old.'

DAVID: Keep going, dear, keep going.

You may be a pensioner by now but...

..you're still flying.

'I was just wondering if I could
poke my nose into the cockpit

'when Doug Burton,
the co-pilot, popped in to see me.'

It's pretty good, huh?
You ready to go fly?

- Yeah.
- Alrighty.

'Yours truly can fly a glider
and a helicopter.

'So a DC-3 shouldn't be
too hard to master.'

Oh, yes.

- How are you doing, David?
- Very good.

I'm surprised how smooth
she is for an old girl.

Well, today is a pretty
good day for it.

The wind out over the water
is not bad here.

When we get back down
close to ground,

- it might not be as smooth.
- Right.

You know, one thing about the DC-3
is it's heavy on the controls.

Do you have to put some...
feed some rudder in?

Well, if we do them nice and gentle
like we're doing, we're OK.

You're OK. Yeah.

Take the yoke and try to make
a little turn to the left here.

'What a wonderful feeling this was.

'I never thought when I was a kid
that I'd be doing this for real.'

And as long as you're making nice,
gentle turns like this

it's pretty easy.

Then to roll it out.

But she is quite heavy but,
as you said, she's quite responsive.

Yeah.

I mean, you've got to put a bit in,
haven't you?

- We're all right on course, are we?
- Oh, yeah, yeah.

'What a treat

'to fly the most glamorous plane
in aviation history!

'It was lovely just pottering
about in the sky.

'I could have stayed up there
for hours.'

David, you had enough?

No, I'm quite happy to fly
around here.

'But all good things come
to an end

'and I have to hand
her back to Eugene.'

Thank you.

Oh, you're welcome.

DAVID: It's just nice to get
the controls of an aircraft.

Yeah, OK, she's big and a bit heavy
and a bit sluggish,

but you'd soon get used to that.

You wouldn't notice it.

Flying is flying, really.

It is, you have to be a little
more patient with this one.

'Of all the tasks
the DC-3 has performed,

'none was more crucial

'than the role it played delivering
troops for the liberation

'of Europe on D-Day.

'For John Sessions,
his connection with this aircraft

'is deeply personal.

'His father was one of them.'

The DC-3 was the principal
transport for the paratroopers.

And my father was a member
of the 101st Airborne

Charlie Company, 501st

Paratroop Infantry Regiment.
Jumped behind Utah Beach on D-Day.

Survived.

He was the jump master
so he was the last one out.

He was often at 500 feet
before he left the aeroplane.

Bloody hell.

I can't help but feel the emotion
when you say things like that.

If we didn't have those brave,
committed people,

I probably wouldn't be here
talking to you.

The world would be
completely different.

This is Sergeant Guy Sessions.

That's about three days
after the jump into France.

In the fall of 1944,
he was severely wounded,

and my mother, a Canadian,
was his final nurse.

And that picture just goes to show
that we were all beautiful once.

Yeah.

No wonder he fell in love with her.

I think we all would have done.

'It's back down to earth for me.

'What a great experience.

'I can quite understand the passion
that drives people

'to save these marvellous machines,
keeping them flying for all of us

'to remember the role
they played in our history.'

Well, what a lovely experience, eh?

There is something very romantic
about a piston-engined aircraft.

And...

..it was great.

Thank you, old girl.

Got us back safe and sound.

'It is time to leave Seattle.

'I'm on a journey down
the west coast of America,

'discovering stories behind
extraordinary machines.

'But first I have
to find my wheels.'

I've got no idea what sort of
car it is, but all will be revealed,

I'm sure.

Oh, my good grief, Penfold.

Look at that, eh?

They don't come much
smoother than that.

I love that period of car.

Yes.

Yes, lead me to it, my son.

I think I'll take this home.

Oh, could you imagine, eh,

driving around Berwick Street
in this?

Yes!

What we are in is a 1952 Packard.

To see cars like this
as very young lads, God!

It made you think the Americans used
to live in heaven,

and we were on the other side.

I did promise I'd look
after it if I took it home,

but they said,
"No, drive it to where it lives."

'My lovely Packard lives 30 miles
south of Seattle in Tacoma.

'I've come to meet Nancy LeMay,
the widow of Harold LeMay,

'who made his fortune in
waste disposal and amassed

'one of the largest private
collections of automobiles

'in the world.'

- Thank you.
- Welcome, Sir David.

So nice to have you here.

So, where is the house?

It's right back there.

That's the house?

- Yes.
- And all of this...

..is the collection?

Right.

'Harold LeMay referred to his home
as a house with a 300-car garage.

'Can't wait to take a peek inside.'

What I really got to remember
is how to turn all the lights on.

Look at it.

How on earth did
one man collect this?

This is amazing.

The age of this, what is it?
1904?

I've never heard of it.
An Orient Buckboard.

The place is absolutely stuffed
chock-full of everything, isn't it?

Oh, I know, I know.

I can't even think of anything
he didn't collect.

What is the history of this?

It says,
"To Nancy, with love, Harold!"

Well, this is one of the first
automatic dishwashers.

No!
DAVID LAUGHS

Brilliant.

Gosh, let loose in here
for a while, eh...

There'd be some things
I wouldn't mind.

We'll have to... Somebody will
have to check our pockets

when we leave...

..or check mine.

Oh, she's gone. Where is she?
Is that Dolly Parton over there?

Yes, it is.

DAVID: Yes. John Wayne.
"Like the hell I am."

- Right.
- Yeah.

What an amazing character
Harold was, wasn't he?

He certainly was an adventurer.

Yeah, I bet.

'That adventure began back in 1963
when Nancy married Harold.

'And it was the start of 30 years
of passionate collecting.'

What job did he do?

He owned garbage companies.

What, so there is money
in rubbish, is that it?

- That's exactly right.
- Good Lord.

He loved the history, he loved
to find where you go to get them.

DAVID: So it was the passion
of collecting, it seems.

- No, no.
- DAVID: No?

It was more...

saving, saving history.

He used to say,

"I don't smoke, and I don't drink,
I collect cars."

Yeah.

'If you think this is amazing,
you ain't seen nothing yet.

'Harold ran out of space at home,

'so he bought more properties
for storage,

'the largest
an entire school and grounds.

'His son, Doug,
is continuing the grand tour.'

Good Lord.

Look at it. It's never-ending.

DOUG:
We have cars from 1886 to 2013.

'Harold lived on to 81,
passing away in 2000.

'By then, the collection was
estimated at over 3,000 vehicles.'

Now, look at this.

Now, what is this?
What is the date...

This is the first
patented automobile,

which was an 1886 Benz.

That's the car I want
to have a look at.

That one there.

That one reminds me of that film
The Great Gatsby.

DOUG: Yeah, that's that era,
it's the '36 Auburn.

God, it's so ostentatious, isn't it?

So what is that engine?

That is a what?
A six, eight, ten inline?

Eight.

And look at the colour of it, look.

And what would she do if you had it
flat out, do you reckon?

Oh...

As fast as you wanted to hold onto
the steering wheel.

Because some of them are
just beautiful.

DAVID: Well, they are.

It's like the gas cap here.

That's where they put the gas cap.

Isn't that beautiful?

So they hid it in
the design of the car.

It's outrageous.

Do you know why he had this passion,
this obsession to collect cars?

- I don't, really.
- No?

You're not going to buy
any more cars, are you?

I buy 'em all the time, yeah.

God, do you?

You are incorrigible,
you're worse than your father.

- Yeah, well, no, he trained me.
- Yeah, he did.

'Among the thousands of cars
that Harold saved,

'he had a particular fondness
for the Ford Model T.'

And is this a Model T?

This is a Model T.

Basically, the same engine
you got today.

And the Model T was the one
that really started

the whole revolution
of the motor industry, wasn't it?

He did an awful lot,
building so many and so cheap.

- Yeah.
- A working man could buy a Model T.

ENGINE HUMS

Well, it sounds, to the untrained
ear, very sweet!

Oh, yeah.

Do you want to learn
how to drive a Model T?

I wouldn't mind the challenge,
I must tell you.

No, there's really not too much
challenge to it.

Just forget everything
you know about driving cars

except how to turn
the steering wheel.

'One of the most important cars
ever made, the Model T Ford

'was mass-produced and affordable
for working people.

'This one,
named Nancy after his wife,

'is one of the first cars
that Harold acquired.

'I'm going to take her for a spin.'

You have three pedals.

The left pedal is high and low.
In the middle is neutral.

- Yeah, all right.
- OK?

The right pedal is the brake.

- Yeah.
- I'll do the starting.

- Is he ready?
- Yeah.

ENGINE STARTS

OK, so, basically,
we are ready to go.

So, this is the throttle.

Yeah.

Now, to go, you are going to
give it a little bit of throttle

and you step on that pedal,
the left pedal.

There you go.

So then you just push it
all the way to the floor.

It's not going to go much faster.

'She is plenty fast enough
for me, thank you.

'I am driving a piece of history,
after all.'

BOB: Not like anything you've ever
driven before.

No!
I don't want it to run away with me.

You probably don't have
to give it so much throttle.

BOB: About 1,000 miles,
you'll be doing good.

'Between 1908 and 1927,

'the Ford company built
15 million of these boneshakers,

'and it put the whole world
on wheels.'

Quite a sharp turn.
I'm going to help you.

DAVID:
It's like driving a bloody bat!

You could imagine, though, that
when this was first on the road,

and you were the fellow
that had one,

cor, the bee's knees.

- DOUG: Yeah.
- DAVID: Cor.

DAVID: She would go quite fast,
if you let her.

- DOUG: Yes.
- BOB: Oh, yeah.

'I am none the wiser
why Harold LeMay

'was so obsessed
with collecting cars.'

Whoo-whoo!

'But I'm glad that he did.

'You have to admire a man
who has saved so much

'for us to enjoy today.'

Cor, dear.

What an experience!

Thank you, Doug.

- You did an excellent job.
- Bless you.

You can come back
and teach our class now.

I will.
It definitely was an experience,

one that I don't think I shall enjoy
encountering again.

It's really been a pleasure.

Thank you, great.

I'm now going to see if I can
stagger off to my car now.

Oh, blimey.

I'm going back to power steering!

'I am travelling south into
the foothills of Mount Rainier.

'Long before plane makers, coffee
bars and global tech companies

'dominated the Pacific Northwest,
the wealth in this region

'came from trains and trees.

'I've come to a museum
which preserves an old timber camp

'and the unique steam engines
that helped make timber king.

'I love trains,
but I am about to meet a man

'who is actually
living his boyhood dream.'

ENGINE CHUGGING
I think I know that sound.

Good grief, Penfold.

Well, I was going to say
good morning,

but I don't know what to say.

And you are Rowdy?

- I am Rowdy, and you must be David.
- That's it, yeah.

So what is it, then, this?

This was a Model T one-ton truck

that was built to haul
one log to a mill.

And whoever was the man that was
driving it with one log on it,

because the logs then were huge,

was a much braver man than me.

BOTH LAUGH

I have, for you, right here
the designated uniform

that we are going to need to be able
to go into the railroad section

of this museum.

I see.

You never told me about this.

Engine driver mark one.

'Rowdy looks after the most
comprehensive collection

'of steam-powered logging trains
in North America.

'These turn-of-the-century
timber trains

'pushed steam technology
to the limit.'

ROWDY: This engine built in 1929
was known as the Climax.

Why did anybody decide
to call it the Climax?

You have me on that.

HE LAUGHS

I rest my case, I am not going
to discuss it any further,

but it is very interesting
that a steam engine is called

the Climax.

Let's just put it this way,
this locomotive, when it's running,

it vibrates and bounces a lot.

Well, that probably
answers the question, then.

Yes, good, well done, Rowdy.

You tactfully got out of that.

'Rowdy has a treat in store for me.

'It has been my childhood dream
to drive a train.

'I can't miss the chance
to take a ride

'on this classic diesel engine.'

HORN TOOTS

This is a real beast, isn't it?

ROWDY: It is a monstrous beast.

This diesel is very iconic
to the American railroad system.

Yes. It is.

- This is Josh Kaivo.
- Hello, Josh.

He is our diesel man.

We've got 1,700 horsepower
of American iron.

Would you like to take a look at it?

1,700 of American horsepower.

- That's right.
- I like it, sir.

Well, let's take a look at it.

DAVID: Yeah, come on.
Let's get this thing rolling.

These overalls...

..they're a bit skin-tight here.

Would you like to blow
the horn, David?

That sounds a bit rude.

HORN TOOTS

Terribly butch, isn't it?

I've never been in one
of these monsters,

but the thing about it,
you feel as though you know them

because it's so iconic.

Yeah, looking forward,
it is quite exciting, really.

HORN TOOTS

DAVID: Here we go.

I've got no steering wheel here,
and I have no brakes on my side.

So if anything happens, I can't...

STEAM HISSING

STEAM HISSING

Manners.

It's better out than in, innit, eh?

What would be your top speed
do you dare take it?

The maximum speed
on this railroad is 15 mph.

15. Well, not very fast.

How old is this track, then, Josh?

It's well over 100 years old
at this point.

'This vintage diesel locomotive
hauled the freight trains

'that built America
in the post-war years.

'She was built for
the Northern Pacific Railroad,

'known as
the Main Street of the Northwest,

'linking Seattle
to the east coast of America.'

JOSH: She was built for
the Northern Pacific, 1956,

and she was on
transcontinental crate trains,

going over mountain passes,
through and across the prairies.

She'd be pulling tons
and tons of freight.

HORN TOOTS

It's kind of nice to be able
to take the old gal out,

put her through its paces and make
sure she's still earning her keep.

Why do you call this
mechanical machine a she?

All the old boys that spent
so much time working on machines,

they didn't have time for
a girlfriend or wife,

you end up married to the thing,
might as well be your wife.

That's the best explanation
I've ever heard.

HORN TOOTS

'I have arrived at Elk,
a small town that's big on trains.'

David, I hope you enjoyed your ride.

- I certainly did.
- A pleasure meeting you.

Well done, sir.

'Well, that was a thrill,
and there's more to come.'

Did you have fun?

Very interesting. Lovely.

Well, now we are going to go
and get onto, in my opinion,

what a real engine is.
- Oh, right.

What we have here
is we have a Willamette.

A what?

A Willamette geared locomotive.

It is one of six left in existence,
and it's the only one that operates.

What was the attraction
of these old machines?

Long story short, the second
highway crossing up the line here,

that's my uncle's place.

And we'd visit in the summertime,
and every day that we were here,

six times a day, little Rowdy would
run out there and wave at the train

as it would go by.
- No!

And it became
a yearly tradition to ride it,

and I'm turning 30 next month.

I've been doing it for 17 years,
and I literally grew up with them.

'Rowdy's geared loco is not
everybody's cup of tea,

'but I love them.

'Just look at the cogs on that.'

This is the bit that fascinates me.
This is what you were talking about.

Yes, this engine is geared 3:1.

So what that means is the engine set
is spinning over three times

to every one time that
the wheel spins over.

So that gives this locomotive
a huge volume of torque

at very slow speeds.

So, all of this gearing
along here that looks

very complicated is, in fact,
what was designed to give it

the torque...
- Exactly.

..that it needs to pull all the log.

So I've got to wear this because
I am an engine driver now, am I?

Mmm-hmm.

How's that?

Right, I'll get up here.

Stand by!

Chief engineer coming aboard!

ROWDY: OK. Here we go!

'Turn-of-the-century timber barons
needed trains

'with the power to haul
logs over rough ground.

'The geared engine was born.'

As you can see,
it doesn't go very fast,

but I am pulling this entire train
with very little effort!

This engine could pull probably
another three or four cars

that we have back there easily.

The gear system transfers
the engine's power to every wheel.

'She may not be
the fastest train on the track,

'but she is one of the strongest.'

HORN TOOTS

'I imagine she must have been
a sight for five-year-old Rowdy.'

That crossing right there,
that's where I grew up!

That's right where I used to watch
these, six times a day.

Pretty romantic, isn't it?

'Good grief, Penfold,
it's hot and noisy in here.

'This is a steam train,
but it is not coal fired.

'Timber trains were oil burners

'because coal cinders caused forest
fires, a hazard then as now.

'The highlight of
my timberland journey

'was the crossing over
the Nisqually River.

'It's fed by glaciers high up
in the slopes of Mount Rainier,

'which is hidden today by clouds.'

Where's the gauge that tells us
how much water we have for our...

That's why these two glasses
right here, that tells us

where the water is at.

I hope we've got plenty of water,
then, have we?

We got plenty of water!

Famous last words.

'Built in the '20s,

'this engine spent
its working life hauling timber

'before she was sold for scrap
in 1962.

'Rowdy knows her every nut and bolt
after spending two years

'helping to restore her
to her former glory.

'There is plenty of life
in the old girl.

'She now easily hauls tourists
instead of timber,

'giving them a real taste
of local history.'

ROWDY: OK, Steven, that's all!

Thank you, Steve.

You're welcome, thank you.

Quiet chap, Steve.
I didn't even know he was there.

Down we go.

It's been a sort of a boyhood
dream to drive the real deal.

- Thanks a lot.
- It was my boyhood dream.

And now I'm doing it.

- You're still doing it.
- I still do it every day.

Good for you. Oh-oh!

Hot.

'I have loved every minute
in the Pacific Northwest.

'Now I am heading south.

'On the way, I will fly
into the heart of a volcano,

'try my hand at drag racing...

HE EXCLAIMS

'..and take to the air in
the legendary P-51 Mustang.'

Lovely jubbly!