Air-powered
suspension systems
with large shock absorbers
help give a smooth ride.All carriages are
air-conditioned
to maintain
a comfortable,
fresh atmosphere.526
switches
Track-laying vehicles
usually weld the rails into
one continuous track as
they are laid, which allows
the train to run very
smoothly. Intersections
in the rails, called switches,
move trains on to a new
stretch of track.The driver’s cab is equipped with
a computer screen to check for
faults in the train, and a radio to
keep in contact with the signaling
center and other trains on the line.HIgH-speed TraIn
The Train à Grande Vitesse (TgV), a high-speed electric
train in France, is one of the world’s fastest trains, able to
reach 200 mph (320 km/h). But the TgVs have to run on
specially built tracks with gentle grades and curves.locomoTIVe
The part that
pulls or pushes a
high-speed train, like the
TgV, is called the power car.
It contains powerful motors to
drive the train. most high-speed
trains have a power car at each end.TrucksTrains 526-
run on “trucks”
of four or more
wheels. The trucks
swivel to allow the train
to go around curves.Streamlined shape reduces air
resistance, allowing the TGV
to speed to its destination
with a minimum
of power.A short pair of rails turns so
that the train moves on to
the new track.Normally the train goes
straight ahead.The track rests on beams
of wood or concrete
called ties.trains
WheelWHen THe FIrsT raIlroads were built more than 150 years ago, many people said
they were the most wonderful of all inventions. others said the snorting, smoking steam
engines were like ugly metal monsters. Trains and railroads certainly changed our world.
not only did embankments and cuttings alter the landscape, but also, for the first time,
people and goods could be carried long distances in vast
quantities—and at speeds previously undreamed of.
railroads also allowed cities to grow more than ever before.
Today, large networks of railroads stretch through many
countries. If the tracks of the world’s main rail routes were
laid end to end, they would circle earth about 30 times.
Trains are an efficient method of transportation. They
use less fuel and produce less pollution than cars
and trucks, because they carry large cargoes
in a single journey. Because of the damage
road vehicles do to our environment,
many people believe that trains are
the best form of transportation
for the future. Electric trains pick
up a high-voltage current
from overhead cables
through an arm called
a pantograph.Windows are
designed to reduce
outside noise.Rod moves switches.US_526_Trains_1.indd 526 27/01/16 2:39 pm