Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

trains

527

Steam locomotives

of the 1930s were

very sophisticated

compared to the

first engines.

Engines could

reach 126 mph

(200 km/h) by the

1930s—the peak

of the steam age.

Maglevs and Monorails

One day we may be whisked along silently at speeds

of 300 mph (480 km/h) on trains that glide a small

distance above special tracks, held up by magnetic

force—which is why they are called maglevs (for

magnetic levitation). Some countries, such as China,

already have maglev lines. Other new designs

include monorail trains, which are electric trains

that run on, or are suspended

from, a single rail.

tranSCOntinental

railrOad

the building of the 1,800 mile

(2,900 km) transcontinental

railroad linking the east and West

coasts of the US allowed people

to travel from new York to San

Francisco in just eight days; it had

previously taken three months.

the railroad was completed in

1869, when tracks built by the

Central Pacific companies met at

Promontory Summit, Utah. at the

ceremony, a golden spike was driven

into the ground to link the two tracks.

Steam railrOadS

railroads date back 4,000 years to

the Babylonians, who pushed carts along grooves.

But the age of railroads really began in the early

1800s, when steam engines first ran on rails.

in 1825 the first passenger line opened in

england; 30 years later, vast railroad systems

stretched across europe and north america.

By the 1890s, steam engines could reach

speeds of more than 100 mph (160 km/h).

SignalS and SaFetY

trackside signals tell the driver how

fast to go and when to stop. in the

past, signals were mechanical arms

worked by levers in the signal box.

today they are usually sets of

colored lights controlled by

computers that monitor the

position of every train.

riChard trevithiCk

in 1804 a steam locomotive

(right) built by englishman richard

trevithick ran on rails for the first

time. trevithick thought that steam

power had a future and bet that his

steam engine could haul 9 tons of

iron 9.5 miles (15 km) along a mine

railroad in Wales. trevithick won

his bet;

the engine

carried not

only the iron

but also 70

cheering coal

miners who

climbed aboard.

The Rocket, built

by English engineer

George Stephenson

in 1829, was a new

design that heralded

the age of the

passenger train.

During the mid-

1800s, England’s

railway system

developed into

a large network.

A front truck was

introduced on

early American

locomotives to give

a smoother ride

around curves.

UndergrOUnd trainS

in crowded cities underground trains are the

quickest way to travel. the first underground

system was opened in london in

1863. now many cities have
      their own network. the
      metro in Paris
      is one of the
      most efficient
      underground
      systems in
      the world.

Find out more

engines

industrial revolution

technology

528- Transportation, history of

The Shanghai

maglev

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