Filmed on location across the UK, the one-time owner of the Flying Scotsman presents the second in a four-part series examining the history of Britain's railways. He investigates the golden years of steam and the measures engineers took to ensure their locomotives were capable of setting world speed records. Looks at steam trains from the 1920s and 1930s, including their development in terms of design and speed, with new speed records being set, and also their style. Considers The Flying Scotsman, Mallard, and the Orient Express.