Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Smooth, sleek, and glamorous, they appeal to a certain kind of "businessman" - the kind with enemies. Ride along as we check out cars built to keep their owners from getting clipped.

At the birth of railways, trains moved about as fast as a horse; but as speeds increased, so did man's pursuit of even faster trains. Examine the train's evolution from steam to diesel and up through the electrical age.

Unpack the particular engineering problems of the world's most extreme airports, from unsafe layouts caused by centuries-old territorial battles to natural obstacles that make these places unfit for travel.

A new and revolutionary machine-the automobile-is set to transform the country in unimaginable ways, as a handful of young visionaries prepare to ruthlessly battle for control of the new industry.

In the 1950s and '60s, automakers ordered hand-built prototype fantasy machines in an effort to lure the masses to staged traveling shows. Ride through the past and see how we thought the future would look.

At one time, more than 35 cities across the globe used cable cars. But today, they only run in San Francisco. Climb aboard as Ron Hazelton drives a cable car through the streets and history of the city.

Examine rides from Britain, Italy, Germany, Japan, and the U.S. to see how in a little over a hundred years, sports car design has evolved from crude to sublime.

The automobile industry is now dominated by just three companies-Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler-known simply as The Big Three. But as The Big Three become larger and more powerful, the battle to be number one heats up.

Examine tools and techniques used to build tracks, bridges, and tunnels through mountains of solid granite, and explore technology developed to make trains less vulnerable to bandits and train wrecks.

In the aftermath of WWII, America is moving to the suburbs, fueling a huge demand for new cars. It's a race to give new American consumers what they want, and the result is the Golden Age of the American automobile.

Roger Daltrey buckles up and heads to Georgia's dirt tracks and super-speedways for a road trip through the unlikely evolution of NASCAR, America's top spectator sport.

Inside GM's 1 million square-foot facility, the C6 Corvette travels 7.2 miles along the assembly line. Join host Ron Hazelton as he test-drives one of the first finished cars.

The history of transportation is hidden in the lines of the map. From canals to trains and cars, how did getting around help draw the American map?

The 1,522-mile long Alaska Highway took 11,000 soldiers only eight months to build. Travel back to 1942 as they bulldoze their way into history while connecting the Lower 48 to the Alaskan Territory.

Mix together 100 vintage automobiles, 300 die-hard enthusiasts, 14 summer days, and 3,900 miles of the most beautiful U.S. back-roads and you've got a roadside seat for a truly great automotive adventure.

Hop into the cab for the ride of your life as we examine extreme trucks, including a 4-wheel-drive truck that can convert from mower to street sweeper to backhoe to snow blower in mere minutes.

It's the longest, most expensive, and most complicated railroad ever built. Ordered by the Czar in an effort to unify his country at the twilight of the 19th century, the Trans-Siberian Railroad nearly tore Russia apart.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride of your life as we review the history of chauffeured limousines, from weddings, proms, and funerals to the ultimate adult playpen and the President's "Cadillac One."

Fly with the deadliest helicopter in world, watch the Coast Guard train for water rescues in the Gulf, learn how million-dollar Bell 'copters are customized, and discover how to build your own - affordably.

Dismantling large aircraft is a complex and challenging process, and for awe-inspiring aircraft whose flying days are over, there's a fine line between destruction and restoration.

Examine an American success story that began in 1903 when four men - the Davidsons and William Harley - launched a motorcycle marketing wonder from a Milwaukee shed.

Imaginative entrepreneurs have found new and innovative uses for every single component of the railroads, from tracks and ties to the trains themselves.

Scream down the road in our hopped-up salute to those little deuce coupes that signified youth and horsepower

Meet Enzo Ferrari, whose dream to be a race car driver led to some of the most formidable racing machines ever built; and Nicola Romeo, who took over a fledgling company and turned it into a sports car legend.

Discover the unusual after-life of millions of autos sent to the boneyard every year due to old age, obsolescence, or lack of parts.