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Amazing Railway Adventures with Nick Knowles: Series 2 Premiere (Channel 5 Friday 22 September 2023)

Published

3 months ago

September 21, 2023

Amazing Railway Adventures with Nick Knowles: Series 2 Premiere airs Friday 22 September 2023 on Channel 5.

What is this episode about

Nick’s newest Railway Adventure is a triptych covering the capitals of the Czech Republic (Prague), Slovakia (Bratislava), and Hungary (Budapest). His adventure kicks off in Prague, where he meets the keeper of the city’s impressive and intricate 600-year-old astronomical clock. Even better, he is permitted to operate its extraordinary striking mechanism.

He stops to speak with a Dvorak expert before boarding a train to Bratislava, and learns that the Czech composer was an avid train watcher who frequented the Prague train station.

Nick’s trip to Bratislava begins with a hair-raising climb around the edge of a lookout tower. Balancing on a thin ledge with a nearly 300-foot drop is the ultimate challenge, and it takes its toll, for a man with an extreme fear of heights.

Nick gets better quickly and goes for a stroll through Bratislava, where he sees nearly a hundred classic and vintage cars that have just finished a 500-kilometer race.

After changing trains, Nick arrives in Hungary, where he learns that Swabian traditions are being preserved. The Danube Swabians are originally from southwest Germany, and they show Nick a dance they learned there.

The Hungarian Railway Museum, a dream come true for railfans, is up next. Nick’s favourite part is turning a 147-ton steam engine by himself on one of the largest operational turntables in the world.

Nick takes a steam train ride and a river cruise in Budapest to learn about the perspectives of young Hungarians on the country’s past, present, and future. Just over seven miles long, it is the longest railway operated by children (with adult supervision, of course). The discovery of these remarkable young ticket sellers, guards, and their coworkers is a charming capstone to an exciting journey.

Series 2 Episode 1