Edison Tech Center

Edison Tech Center makes educational films about engineering. Its channel covers the history, present and future of technology, with a strong focus on electrical engineering. An older channel under its earlier name, EdisonExploratorium, holds more of its archive.

The videos are mostly short and to the point. Some explain a single idea, such as how a generator turns movement into electricity or why power cables come in different sizes. Others visit historic machines, from phonographs to locomotives, and show them working. Newer uploads include interviews with engineers about their careers and the problems they solved, including lasers and high voltage power transmission. The narration is plain and unhurried, so the films are easy to follow without a technical background.

Some highlights include:

A look inside the cab of a steam locomotive, showing how the crew controls fire, water and steam to keep it moving.

A tour of the diesel engines that power an EMD F7 locomotive, and how they drive the train through electric motors.

A demonstration of how a cylinder phonograph records and plays back sound with no electronics at all.

The channel has over 88,000 subscribers.

These films connect the past to the present. Seeing how early engineers solved problems makes modern electrical, mechanical and power engineering easier to understand. It suits anyone drawn to electrical power, railways or the story of how inventions turn into industries.