History facts about the worst railway roads. Interesting facts about trains (15 photos)
In which country did a cat work as a stationmaster and attract many new clients?
In 2006, a Japanese railway company in Wakayama Prefecture hired part-time caretakers for small stations in order to optimize costs. One of the new employees took care of several stray cats, and soon one of them named Tama was officially appointed as the stationmaster. Her main duty was to greet passengers in a branded cap, and the news about this significantly increased their flow. It was estimated that Tama's appointment contributed over a billion yen to the local economy. For these accomplishments, Tama was promoted to CEO and served with the company until her death in 2015.
Which country produced an armored car that could move both on tracks and on rails?
Planning expansion into China and Siberia, the Japanese developed a special Type 2595 "So-Ki" armored car in the 1930s. Its distinctive advantage was the possibility of movement both on caterpillar tracks and on railroads. Transferring the car from tracks to wheels took three minutes, back - just a minute. Armament consisted of one machine gun in a conical turret. "So-Ki", being able to reach speeds on rails up to 72 km / h, was widely used in China for transportation and patrolling.
Why does the train reverse before moving forward?
If the driver of a heavy freight train tries to start moving sharply forward, then the train may not budge, since the total static friction force acting from the side of the rails on the wheels of the cars will exceed the sliding force of the driving wheels of the locomotive. Often, the operator must first back up to loosen the hitch tension. And only then go forward, setting the cars in motion one by one.
Which country has a market with a railroad right in the middle?
Right in the middle of the Maeklong Market in Thailand, there is a railway track that runs every day. Warned by the siren, the sellers are able to quickly roll up the sheds and remove the goods, and then just as quickly return everything back, and the trade continues. Many vegetables and fruits remain lying on the ground right next to the rails, as the composition does not touch them. When the road was laid in 1905, they wanted to move the market to the side, but its workers chose to stay and adapt.
Where and when did a baboon who did not make a single mistake work as a railway signalman?
At the end of the 19th century, James Wide worked as a signalman on the railway tracks of the port of Cape Town, having lost both legs in an accident. After some time, he bought a baboon Jack in the market, whom he trained to carry him on a cart between the hut and the signal box, and also to help him switch signals using levers. One day, the railroad management received a complaint, and Wide was almost fired, but he asked to test the abilities of the baboon, who did well in all the tests and was enrolled in the state. Jack worked as a signalman until his death and is said to have never made a single mistake.
Where does the train run that you can hitchhike at any point on its route?
The Hurricane Turn train runs in Alaska between Talkeetna and Hurricane Gulch. The length of the route is just under 93 km, and there are no intermediate stations along this distance. But at any point along the way, those wishing to board the train can stop it by waving a white cloth.
Which toy part was used in the first electrocardiograph?
The first version of the design of the electrocardiograph was developed in 1887 by Augustus Waller, an employee of the London hospital, and included a platform from a toy railway. On it was a movable photographic plate on which the cardiogram was recorded. However, due to the weak sensitivity of the electrometer used, Waller's apparatus was not yet suitable for a full-fledged diagnosis.
What intellectual abilities are revealed in slime molds?
Slime molds are organisms of the kingdom of protozoa. At different stages of development, they either have the appearance of mucus from a single multinucleated cell, or take on a more solid form, similar to the fruiting body of fungi, but in any case do not even have a hint of a nervous system. However, several studies have identified the "intellectual" abilities of Physarum polycephalum slime molds. For example, they can take the shortest path through a labyrinth, at the entrance and exit of which pieces of food are placed. In another work, scientists laid out oatmeal to match the size and position of the Japanese capital Tokyo and its 36 suburbs, and the slime mold built a structure similar to the existing railroad network.
What were the chauffeurs doing in the first place?
The word "chauffeur" was originally called people who did not drive a vehicle, but threw coal or firewood into the furnace of the engine room. Literally translated from French, where it came from, chauffeur means "stoker, stoker." Since the engine of the first cars was a steam engine, the drivers had to melt it, therefore, by analogy with the stokers of steam locomotives, they also began to be called drivers.
Where is the railway laid, in the train cars of which oxygen is supplied?
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway in China is the highest in the world, rising at its highest point to a height of more than 5 kilometers. For this road trains have been developed with special wagons in which oxygen is supplied. In addition, each passenger can wear an individual oxygen mask.
Where do trains run with wagons tilting when turning?
In 1973, railways in Japan were the first to use trains with cars that lean when turning, allowing them to take turns at higher speeds. The original technology was imperfect and caused seasickness in passengers, so it was not widely adopted. Modern systems based on digital signal processing that actively control the inclination of each car have eliminated this problem, and now such trains are used in a dozen and a half countries from Australia to Norway.
When and where did the tram run on rails laid at the bottom of the sea?
In 1896, between the English cities of Brighton and Rottingdean, an unusual vehicle called Daddy Long Legs began to run - a cross between a tram and a ferry. Laying the railway overland on this route required a lot of engineering structures, and engineer Magnus Volk proposed laying the rails directly on the seabed - the total length of the track was 4.5 km. The platform with passengers rose above the rails on four supports 7 meters long and had a flag, lifeboat and other maritime attributes, as it was formally considered a vessel. The service was canceled in 1901 when it was decided to build new breakwaters near Brighton, and the transfer of the track was considered too costly.
When and where did an uncontrolled train travel more than 100 km, accelerating to a speed of 76 km/h?
On May 15, 2001, in Ohio, USA, a railroad crew was moving a 47-car train from one track to another. Due to a technical error, an unmanned train called CSX 8888 picked up speed and left for independent travel, during which it accelerated to a speed of 76 km / h. Having traveled more than 100 km, the train was stopped by the driver of the diesel locomotive that caught up with him, who grappled with the last car and applied rheostatic braking.
Which mechanism is named after the inventor of the prototype bicycle?
The prototype of the bicycle was designed and patented by the German baron Karl von Dres in 1818. This mechanism had a wooden frame, metal wheels and a steering wheel, but there were no pedals - in order for it to move, it was necessary to push off the ground with your feet. The surname of the inventor in the name of the bicycle was not fixed, but gave the name to the trolley - a device for moving on rails with mechanical traction.
How did the anti-alcohol campaign affect the lyrics of The Time Machine?
During Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign, many works of art were censored. For example, Andrey Makarevich changed the text in the song “Conversation on the Train”: after the line “Carriage disputes are the last thing,” instead of “when there is nothing else to drink,” he began to sing “and you can’t cook porridge from them.”
What was the main reason for the transition to a time zone system in the 19th century?
Until the 19th century, there was no division into time zones, everywhere the time was determined by the Sun. There was no need for time zones, as there was no high-speed transport. Unification was driven by the development of railways in England, because due to time differences in each city it was very difficult to draw up a normal timetable. It was the railway companies who ensured that there was one GMT time zone throughout the country. And then gradually the system of time zones began to spread around the world.
Who was the victim of the murderer, whose brother had previously saved the life of the son of the victim?
US President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in a theater by John Booth in 1865. Shortly before this, by coincidence, the brother of the latter, Edwin Booth, saved the life of the president's son, Robert Lincoln, on a railway platform.
Where did the train crash happen due to the language barrier?
In 2001, there was a railway accident in Belgium in which 8 people, including both drivers, died as a result of a head-on collision of trains. Among other accidents, this one is unique in that its main cause was the language barrier. When the driver of the first train left the station despite the red traffic light, the dispatcher called the next station to warn about it. However, the controllers did not understand each other, as one spoke French and the other Dutch. Both of these languages are official in Belgium, and according to the rules of the railway company, staff must know at least one of them.
What accident did the Americans stage in 1896 for the entertainment of the public?
In 1896, one of the American railroad companies staged a show - a deliberate collision of two trains at full speed. 40,000 tickets were sold for the "performance", and a temporary campus was built for the spectators who bought tickets. However, the engineers miscalculated the force of the blast and the crowd was not withdrawn to a safe enough distance, resulting in three deaths and several others being injured.
What were military armored tires?
It is known that in the wars of the 19th century, as well as the First and Second World Wars, many countries used armored trains. However, in addition to this, they tried to fight with the help of individual combat units - armored rubber. They were almost like tanks, but limited in movement only by rails.
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Trains are one of the most popular modes of transport. Every day they carry more than a million passengers around the world. But at the same time, few people know that many interesting facts are connected with trains.
1. Abandoned station
In New York there is a subway station, City Hall, passing through which the train slows down without stopping and without opening the doors. This beautiful station was opened in 1904 on a new metro line, but in 1945 it was closed due to low passenger flow and unsafe use. But today, train number 6 passes very slowly through this station every day so that passengers can admire its luxurious interior.
2. From kamikaze planes to high-speed trains
During World War II, the Japanese used special aircraft designed by designer Miki Tadanao to attack American warships. Thanks to an optimized streamlined shape, they picketed at great speed, hitting the target with lightning speed. But realizing how many pilots had died because of his kamikaze planes, Miki Tadanao focused on more peaceful projects. Using his knowledge, he helped build the first generation of bullet trains. During a trial run in 1963, they achieved a speed of 256 km / h. Today's bullet trains can reach speeds of over 600 km/h.
3. Steam vs Horse
In 1830, a railroad was built between Baltimore and Ohio, which ran horses and carts. Peter Cooper suggested using a steam engine instead of horses. To implement this idea, Peter designed and built a small steam locomotive, "Tom Thumb" - "Boy with a finger." His test was very successful. After that, Peter Cooper decided to arrange a demonstration race "Steam against a horse."
At the beginning of the race, the advantage was on the side of the horse, since the locomotive needed time to accelerate, but, gaining a speed of 29 km / h, it easily overtook the horse. However, after some time, the drive belt came off the locomotive, it slowed down, and the horse came to the finish line first. But, nevertheless, the superiority of the steam locomotive was obvious, and soon trains with steam locomotives began to run on the railway.
4 Hogwarts Express
The world of Harry Potter is filled with magic, and, of course, we all would like to see it in reality. And some traces of that world still remain in our lives. Arriving in Scotland, you will be able to ride on the same express train, on which students, including Harry Potter, traveled to Hogwarts, the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Trains with those same red trailers still run along the picturesque West Highland route today. They drive along the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, and the same wonderful landscapes flash through the windows as in the Harry Potter movie.
5. American Civil War
Steam locomotives were widely used to transport passengers and goods. But, starting in 1861, during the civil war, they also began to transport soldiers and military equipment. In September 1863, the Allies delivered 20,000 soldiers to the front with the help of trains that covered 1,900 km in 11 days. Unfortunately, in the future, the widely used railways became the target of multiple terrorist attacks.
6. “Horsepower”
The horsepower unit of measure for power has been used for hundreds of years. But what is this unit and where did it come from? James Watt suggested using steam instead of horses in breweries. Watching horses, Watt noticed that a horse could drag a load weighing 14.774 kg over a distance of 0.3 m in 1 minute. Rounding 14.774 kg to 15 kg, he introduced the unit of power "horsepower". Comparing the performance of a horse and a steam engine using this unit, Watt convinced brewers to replace horses with steam, and as a result, the efficiency of the brewing process increased significantly. And the term “horsepower” has been widely used since that time.
7 Presidential Funeral Train
George Pullman drew attention to the fact that train cars were not very convenient for night trips and decided to improve them. In partnership with his close friend, Benjamin Field, he created a company to design comfortable railroad cars, and six years later the company produced two such cars, the Springfield and the Pioneer. In 1865, after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, his body had to be transported by train to Springfield. All along the route, in dozens of cities, there were mourning people. Lincoln's widow, seeing all this, upon arrival in Chicago, fainted from nervous exhaustion. Pullman, in order to make it easier for her to endure the rest of the journey, offered to use his Pioneer car. The convenience of this car was appreciated, and since then all trains have been equipped with sleeping cars.
8. Time zones
How to determine the time on the territory of a large country, in different parts of which the daylight hours are not synchronous. For these purposes, time zones were invented. In 1883, representatives of the railroad companies of the United States met to develop a convention to determine the common time. On November 18, at 12 noon, a telegraph signal was sent from the American observatory, according to which all railway stations adjusted their clocks. In 1918, the US Congress officially approved nine time zones in the country.
9. Railway fever
After steam locomotives began to be used in America, there was a need for large-scale construction railway tracks. In 1830, when the first steam locomotive was tested, the length of railroad tracks in the United States was 37 km. By 1861 it had reached 48,000 km, between 1890 and 1900 another 64,000 km had been added, and by 1916 the length of railroads in the United States (402,000 km) exceeded the distance from the Earth to the Moon. By 1930, the length of the roads was 692,000 km. In the future, with the advent of cars, the construction of railway lines began to decline.
10. Right on schedule
All trains in Japan run without delay, even a one-minute delay is very rare. The Japanese achieved this by taking train drivers seriously and punishing them severely for being late. If passengers are late at the station, an apology is made over the loudspeaker, and a document is issued confirming the delay of the train, indicating the reason. Passengers can present this official document to their employer if problems arise due to their being late for work.
And in continuation of the topic, a story about.
Railways in Russia transport 1 billion 300 million passengers every year. On average, each of us is a train passenger 9 times a year, but this is a very small figure. In Soviet times, this figure reached 15 times a year.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is considered the longest in the world. Its length is almost 9,300 kilometers.
Station "Half" is the very middle of the Trans-Siberian. From this station the same distance, both to Moscow and to Vladivostok.
After the opening of the first railway in Russia (between Moscow and St. Petersburg), the first three days the journey was free. Because no one wanted to ride this "terrible thing."
France still has a law that bans kissing at train stations. The reason for the ban was delays in the departure of trains. The law was issued 100 years ago and still no one has repealed it.
It turns out that linemen who tap the wheels of trains have an ideal ear for music. By changing the tone, they should determine the malfunction of the wheel.
On a train that runs in western Peru, conductors offer passengers oxygen bag. Because the train goes along the highest mountain railway in the world (at an altitude of more than 3 kilometers).
Once on a railway in Ohio (USA) a train collided with a steamboat. The fact is that Lake Ohio overflowed its banks, and the railway track was under a meter layer of water. However, the driver decided to take the train along the flooded track, but collided with the steamer.
The head of the Bavarian railways in 1910 was forced to issue an order forbidding machinists and stokers to buy beer during stops at stations.
In Argentina, you can now take a tour on the legendary Patagonia Express train, which was restored specifically for tourists. In addition to the impressions of the surrounding landscapes, passengers can become participants in the carefully planned "Train Robbery" action without their consent.
A few years ago, a special "train of love" began to run between Paris and Venice. In the compartment of such a train: VIP-service, there is a TV, a shower cabin and a special double shelf.
Once, a train set off on a tour of Switzerland, on which the cream of Swiss society rode: ministers, deputies, honorary citizens, etc. On the occasion of the celebration, the train was made up of only dining cars. But the organizers did not take into account a small nuance: there are no toilets in Swiss dining cars. Therefore, when the train approached the station, the locals who had gathered to meet him were very surprised: the guests of honor poured out of the doors of the cars like peas.
As you know, some trains have their own name. For example, "Red Arrow", "Russia", "Baikal", etc. Often the names of the trains are given by the passengers themselves: for example, the Rostov-Odessa train is affectionately called by the passengers "Papa - Mama"
The Japanese firm Toshiba built a maglev train. The train is capable of speeds of 517 km/h.
Once a group of German engineers surveyed the Isthmus of Panama in order to build a trans-American railroad. And in the end, she decided that the rails here should be made not from iron, which is rare in these places, but ... from gold.
Third class carriages on the first Russian railways followed in front of the train and were equipped with hard benches. But passengers were more likely to ride under the benches. Because these cars did not have a roof, and passengers were hiding from bad weather and sparks.
In Australia, a railway was laid on the desert plain, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. It is famous for the fact that over 500 km there is not a single turn on it.
Among the collection of Faberge there is an egg "Trans-Siberian Railway", which contains a clockwork model of the imperial Trans-Siberian train made of gold and platinum.
In the near future, two-tiered passenger cars. Such cars will be much more economical for the railway and much more comfortable for passengers. Each compartment of such a carriage has a shower, toilet and air conditioning.
In Monte Carlo, you can see people meeting trains in anticipation of those who have arrived in the Principality for the first time. After that, passengers are offered money to play, promising a share of the winnings in return. It's all the fault of the sign that newcomers are lucky.
But at the Shibuya station in Japan there is a monument to a dog with a "station master's cap" on his head. The dog was awarded this honor for its feat, for 10 years it met the owner who left by train.
When the first section of the railway between Liverpool and Manchester was built in England, they decided to arrange a kind of competition between five steam locomotives. However, just before the start of the competition, the fifth car was suspended from participation in them "due to an outdated engine." Under the steel sheathing there were hidden ordinary horses.
The longest freight train in the world ran in the Soviet Union on the route Ekibastuz - Ural. The train, 6.5 kilometers long, transported 42,000 tons of coal in 440 wagons.
In the early 90s. such a scam was known: an African was promised emigration to Europe, they took the agreed amount, brought it to Moscow (then it was simple and cheap). And then this African was put on a train, assuring that it was a train to Germany. But in fact, it was a subway train that moved along a circular route. The poor fellow could go for a very long time.
The machinist of the Ahvaz-Tehran train once deserved a severe punishment. His fault was that he did not stop the train during namaz (prayer). Because of this, the passengers were forced to pray in the compartment, moreover, at every turn of the train they had to spin in place.
Experts advise, for security reasons, to give preference to the central carriages when buying tickets. In the event of an accident, they suffer less than the head or tail ones. And also it is better to choose seats against the movement of the train. By the way, according to statistics, trains are 45 times safer than cars.
The maximum speed on the rail track is fixed at around 9851 km/h! It was this speed that was developed during the experiment by a platform with a rocket engine in the state of New Mexico (USA)
For all mankind, trains have already become more than a familiar mode of transport. However, the world of wagons and railroad tracks is not at all simple. In this article, we will talk about some interesting facts related to this vehicle: from historical to funny.
- The railway connects cities, countries, and sometimes entire parts of the world! Such a road is the Trans-Siberian Railway. Its length is about 9300 km.
- The collection of Faberge eggs also has a copy depicting the Trans-Siberian Railway. The egg contains a clockwork model of the imperial train, made of gold and platinum.
- As in Bologoye, where, according to legend, the St. Petersburg curb turns into the Moscow curb, the Trans-Siberian Railway has its own middle - this is the Polovina station. Historically, the Trans-Siberian Railway ran from Vladivostok to Miass, and the "Half" divided this path in half.
- The first railway line was the road between Moscow and St. Petersburg. In the year of the death of Nicholas I, during which construction began, it was named Nikolaevskaya. For the first three days, the trip along the Nikolaev railway was free, since no one wanted to ride on an unfamiliar "terrible thing."
- The first train in our country with a refrigeration unit was designed and built specifically for transporting fresh oysters from Sevastopol to the royal table.
- In France, for a hundred years now, there has been a law prohibiting kissing at train stations. The reason for the release of such a rule was the frequent delays of the train due to the touching farewells of passengers and mourners.
In Russia, so far they are limited to simple warnings - at one of the airports you can see a poster with the words: “We ask passengers to start kissing right now so that the plane takes off on time.”
- Do you know what the similarities between a violinist and a lineman are? They both need absolute pitch. A railroad worker needs it in order to determine the presence of malfunctions in the wheels. But many thought that any person could cope with this work - go and knock at your pleasure.
- In our relatively flat country, there is no problem with the construction of high mountain roads. But in Peru, the paths pass high in the mountains - at an altitude of 3 km from sea level. Passengers on this section are offered oxygen bags.
- All branded trains in Russia have their own name written on the side of the carriage. But some trains also have names given to them by passengers. Such, for example, is the Rostov-Odessa train. He was nicknamed "Papa - Mama."
- The Australian Railway, passing through the desert plain, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. On its section of 500 km there is not a single turn.
- A monument to a dog that has been waiting for the return of its owner who left by train for nine years stands at Shibuya Station in Japan. This story has become the most famous illustration of canine devotion and loyalty.
- On the first section of the road built between Liverpool and Manchester, the British decided to hold a competition between five locomotives. However, immediately before the race, the fifth participant was suspended from the competition with the wording "due to an outdated engine." Real horses were hidden under the skin of the locomotive.
- The Ahvaz-Tehran train driver was severely punished for moving during namaz (prayer). The fact is that during the ceremony, a Muslim must be turned strictly towards Mecca, and at each turn of the train, passengers had to spin in place.
- Safety experts advise buying tickets for seating in the center and avoiding the first and last carriages in case of an accident. In general, the safety of a train is estimated to be 45 times higher than that of a car.
- They say that once there was a case of a collision of completely different types of transport - a train and a steamboat. Lake Ohio in the United States burst its banks and flooded the railroad tracks with a meter layer of water. The driver decided to continue along the flooded track, but collided with the steamer. Obviously, neither life nor education prepared these drivers for such a turn.
People have always been fascinated by trains. And some of them gave rise to creativity. The Lumière brothers chose a steam locomotive as the subject of their first film. As we remember, the film was called "Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station" and plunged the audience into horror with its realism.
The advent of the steam locomotive at the beginning of the 19th century changed the world, since it was from that moment on that people and goods could move around the world at unprecedented speeds. In 1830, the first steam-powered American railroad, Liverpool - Manchester, opened. Decades later, hundreds of thousands of railroad miles crossed the United States. Today, the descendants of these early railroads, including the CSX railroad, continue to play a key role in American life, transporting millions of freight cars annually. Scrolling through events from the time of the earliest steam locomotives to today's high-speed express trains, we've picked up the most interesting facts about trains and railroads that you probably don't know.
The term "horsepower" originated as a marketing tool
James Eckford Loder: James Watt and the Steam Engine: the Dawn of the Nineteenth Century, 1855. Photo: www.wikipedia.orgJames Watt did not invent the steam engine, but he created the world's first modern engine and developed a means of measuring its power. In the 1760s, a Scottish inventor began fiddling with an earlier version of the engine designed by Thomas Newcomen, whose design required constant cooling and reheating, thus wasting enormous amounts of energy. Watt's innovation was the addition of a separate capacitor, which greatly improved the engine's efficiency. The savvy Watt knew he needed to find a way to sell his new product. He calculated how much energy one horse working at the mill could produce in one period (many scientists believe that his estimates are too high) - a figure that he called "horsepower". Using this unit of measurement, he began to indicate in numbers how many horses could be replaced by only one of his engines. The sales ploy worked - today we use the term "horsepower" and its engines soon became the industry standard, leading directly to the creation of the first steam locomotive in 1804.
The first American steam locomotive lost the horse race
Tom Thumb locomotive. Photo: www.neoauto.com In 1827, Baltimore and Ohio became the first American company to receive a charter to carry passengers and various cargoes. The company struggled to create a steam engine that would help overcome rough and uneven terrain and eliminate horse-drawn power. The inventor Peter Cooper came to the rescue, who offered to design and build just such an engine. On August 28, 1830, the Cooper engine, (translated as "Thumb Boy"), on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in the vicinity of Baltimore, went out to face off with a horse-drawn train. The locomotive immediately pulled ahead, but soon there was a problem with the belt and the horse was the first to cross the finish line. Nevertheless, the leaders of Baltimore and Ohio, who were impressed by what they saw, decided to convert their railroad to steam traction. Soon, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad became one of the most successful railroads in the United States, and Cooper continued his career as an investor and philanthropist, founding New York's Cooper Union College to promote science and the arts.
The railroad helped the North win the American Civil War
Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863. Photo: Kurz & Allison/www.wikipedia.org Throughout the war, railroads made it possible to quickly transport large numbers of soldiers and heavy artillery over long distances. One of the most significant events came after the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, when Abraham Lincoln sent 20,000 badly needed troops nearly 2,000 miles from Washington, D.C., to Georgia (only 11 days) to reinforce the Allied forces. - the longest and fastest military movement of the 19th century. Control of the railroad in the region was critical to military success, as it was often the target of military attacks aimed at cutting off supplies to the enemy. The famous General William Tecumseh Sherman was particularly well versed in the art of railway sabotage. During his infamous march through Georgia and the Carolinas, his soldiers destroyed thousands of miles of Confederate rail, leaving behind piles of heated and bent iron that Southerners dubbed "Sherman's ties."
Lincoln's death promoted Pullman trains
The interior of one of the Pullman carriages. Photo: www.barnfinds.com George Pullman, who made his name in the 1850s as a self-taught engineer and Chicago industrialist, had the idea of developing a comfortable railroad sleeping car after a gruesome train ride in upstate New York. By 1863 he had produced his first two models, the Pioneer and the Springfield, the latter named after then President Abraham Lincoln's home capital of Illinois. His carriages did prove to be very comfortable, but they were also prohibitively expensive, and only a few railroad companies were interested in leasing them until President Lincoln's assassination in April 1865. After Lincoln's death, Pullman's cars were used as part of a motorcade that traveled through several Northern states before returning his body to Illinois. made front-page news when Pullman temporarily loaned one of his luxurious sleeping cars to a grieving Mary Todd Lincoln—an advertisement a success. Two years later, he founded the Pullman Palace Car Company, which revolutionized train travel around the world. It is curious that after the death of Pullman in 1897, none other than Robert Todd Lincoln, the eldest son of the murdered president, became the head of his company.
The world's first travel agency appeared thanks to the train
Photo: www.pinterest.de In 1841, British businessman and Baptist preacher Thomas Cook organized an excursion for 540 parishioners to walk on the railroad. Cook developed fixed fares for passengers, which included tickets and meals. The trip proved so successful that he expanded his operations first to the UK and then to the United States of America and Europe, providing passengers with all-inclusive packages including transport, accommodation and meals. In 1873, a company known as Thomas Cook and Son launched international rail routes, and by 1890 it was selling over 3 million railroad tickets annually.
Railroads gave rise to time zones
Plaque commemorating The General Time Convention of 1883. Photo: Municipal Reference Guy In 1847, Great Britain adopted a unified time system, but it took about 40 years before the United States of America joined it. The US still operates on local time, which can vary from city to city (and within cities), making it nearly impossible to schedule arrival and departure times. After years of lobbying for the standardization of time, on October 11, 1883, representatives of all major US railroads met at a conference known as The General Time Convention, during which they supported the proposal to create five time zones covering the entire country: Eastern North American Time, Central American Time , Mountain Time and North American Pacific Time. The plan originally called for a fifth time zone, "Intercontinental", which was established a few years later and became known as Atlantic Standard Time. However, standard time only became officially legal when, in 1918, Congress passed legislation recognizing the time zone system and established a new " summer time».
The railroad boom in the United States peaked in 1916.
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. Photo: Drew Jacksich/www.wikipedia.org It didn't take long for railroads to catch on in the United States. In the same year that Tom Thumb lost the horse race, only 23 miles of railroad track were laid in the US. But within 20 years there were more than 9,000 since the US government passed its first Railroad Land Grant Act, designed to attract settlers to underdeveloped areas of the country. By the start of the Civil War in 1861, there were already 30,000 miles (more than 21,000 of them in the north), but lobbyists demanded a transcontinental system throughout the country. The number of railroad miles continued to rise until it reached its peak in 1916. This year, 250,000 miles have already been covered - enough to reach the Moon from our planet Earth.
Modern trains reach 600 km per hour
High-speed train ICE 3 on the Frankfurt-Cologne section near the Oberhaider Wald tunnel on August 25, 2007. Photo: Sebastian Terfloth/www.wikipedia.org When the Englishman Richard Trevithick started his first practical steam locomotive in 1804, it was running at less than 16 kilometers per hour. Today, trains run 30 times faster on high-speed rail lines. When the first Japanese Shinkansen appeared before the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, its speed exceeded 209 km per hour. Since then, the maximum speed of these trains has been steadily increasing. The current world record is 603 km per hour. However, Japan is no longer the only one in high-speed rail: France, China and Germany are also working on trains that can reach extreme speeds. The United States is currently developing plans to build a high-speed rail line that will connect the California cities of San Francisco and Anaheim.