Trains

The idea of trains all started back in 1550 when Wagonways were starting to be used. Wagonways were roads that were lined with wooden rails to make a horse drawn carriage travel easier, compared to traveling on dirt roads. By 1803, all the wooden rails had been replaced with iron, and Richard Trevithick was the one who built the first steam powered engine to replace horses pulling the carriages, and so larger loads could be carried farther distances. On February 22, 1804, the train made it's first run, a distance of 9 miles, hauling 10 tons of iron, 70 men, and 5 extra train cars, all in 2 hours. (The History of Railroad Innovations, 2012). Trains have come a long way considering the trains we know today are nowhere near the trains that were first built. Passenger capacities have improved, distances able to travel have improved as the engines have gotten better and as more railways were built, and speeds have improved incredibly. The first train had a speed of approximately 4 miles
This is where the idea of trains first started, with Wagonways (Unenumerated:Trotting ahead of Malthus)

an hour, and today the fastest train on record is a Japanese test train with a speed of 361 miles an hour. (High-speed Rail, 2012) That's incredible! Today, trains are used as passenger trains, and as freight trains. Passenger trains are like a school bus; they're able to carry hundreds of people to one place and saves hundreds of cars from polluting the environment and from crowding up the roads, that are all going to the same place. Riding a train is effective for a lot of people because it's cheaper than buying gas, it's fast, and lounging on a train is more comfortable than sitting in your car, which also helps make it very appealing to many people. For carrying passengers, a train is best this because it can get you where you want to go in a fast and cost effective way. (Why are Trains Used for Transportation?, 2012) Freight trains are also like a school bus, but instead of carrying people, they carry cargo. Using a freight train to ship cargo is cheaper than using a truck, ships, airplanes, but the downside of trains is that they can only go where there is tracks built for them. Trains are the best for hauling freight because of the capability it has to pull a
VIA Rail Passenger train going through Jasper National Park, Alberta (Via Rail Passenger train Jasper National Park Canada, 2012)

very large load with a low energy usage. One locomotive itself can pull many train cars alone, and some companies double up the locomotives to ensure there is enough power to get up any steep hills. (What is a Freight Train?, 2012) In my experience, I've even seen 4 locomotives on one freight train.

In order for a train to be able to run, it needs a proper working locomotive to pull the rest of the train cars that follow, and a railroad track free of obstructions to properly steer the train. The main part of a train is the locomotive, and needs all the following parts, as well as many others, working properly to be able to run smoothly: Main Engine Fuel Tank Coupler Throttle Air brakes Hand Brakes Air Compressor Compressed Air Tank The locomotive's job is to take the chemical energy created by the fuel, most commonly is diesel fuel, and change it into motion energy. People control the speed of the whole train with the throttle in the locomotive, and are able to stop and reverse using the brakes and the reversing gear. There is two types of brakes on a train, air brakes and a hand brake. Air brakes use high pressured air, from the air compressor, to push the brake pad against the wheel, and the wheels eventually come to a stop from the friction created between the wheel and brake pad. The hand brake is mechanical and not powered by air, and is used when the air brakes don't have enough air pressure to make them work. On the rail cars are an undercarriage, which holds the wheels and the suspension system, and on the end of each undercarriage are couplers, which are like hooks, that connect each of the cars together. (How Trains Work, 2012)
Freight Train with many locomotives. (Inertia, 2011)

While I was researching, I found that how far trains had developed was interesting, especially the speed changes. I didn't even realize trains had broken the 300 miles per hour mark. Its also interesting how the engine type has changed so much. It started out depending on coal or wood to run, and now runs on diesel or even electricity.

Works Cited
High-speed Rail. Wikipedia. 2012. Accessed: February 17, 2012 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highspeed_rail> How Trains Work. HowStuffWorks. 2012. Accessed: February 17, 2012 <http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/train1.htm> Inertia. Viral Jesus. 2011. Accessed: February 17, 2012 <http://thejesusvirus.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/03/Freight-Train.jpg> The History of Railroad Innovations. About.com, Inventors. 2012. Accessed: February 17, 2012 <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrailroad.htm> Unenumerated: Trotting ahead of Malthus. Blogspot. 2011. Accessed: February 17, 2012 <http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HF4z1DERw3M/TFEfATez4UI/AAAAAAAAAIM/mHJ3i1XGAv M/s400/wagonway_painting.jpg> VIA Rail Passenger Train Jasper National Park Canada. World of Stock. 2012. Accessed: February 17, 2012 <http://www.worldofstock.com/slides/TRT1198.jpg> What is a Freight Train?. WiseGEEK. 2012. Accessed: February 17, 2012 <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-freight-train.htm> Why are Trains Used for Transportation?. Blurt It. 2012. Accessed: February 17, 2012 <http://www.blurtit.com/q7611789.html>