Interesting facts about railways. Intellectual game "We know everything about the railway Unknown facts from the history of Russian railways

1. The railway is a common thing for a modern person. Few people today have never traveled by train or long-distance train.

2. Traveling by rail is 45 times safer than traveling by road. The risk of getting into an accident in a train is much lower than in a car.

3. Today (on average) every Russian travels by rail about 9 times a year. And the total number of guests has long exceeded 1.3 billion people a year.

4. And the first trains in Russia and Europe were available to about 9% of the population of those cities between which rail links were being established.

5. The advent of the steam locomotive at the beginning of the 19th century changed the world, since it was from that moment that people and goods could move around the world at unprecedented speeds.

6. The first passenger train in the world went on rails at a speed barely reaching the mark of 33 km/h. A little later, it was already possible to accelerate to 38 and even 42 kilometers per hour.

7. The opening of the railway communication Moscow - St. Petersburg was a real event. But ordinary people were in no hurry to use the innovation. A terrible rumbling thing caused genuine fear.

8. In order to promote rail transport to the masses, it was decided to make travel free. And this measure had an effect. Trains very soon ceased to be afraid.

9. But the stock's history was short-lived. It was possible to ride back and forth for free only in the first three days after the opening of the corresponding railway line.

MODERN HIGH-SPEED TRAIN "SAPSAN"

It is a pity that free travel from Moscow to St. Petersburg is a thing of the past.

10. In 1830, the first steam-powered American railroad, Liverpool - Manchester, opened. Decades later, hundreds of thousands of railroad miles crossed the United States.

11. Today, the descendants of these early railroads, including the CSX railroad, continue to play a key role in American life, carrying millions of freight cars annually.

QINGHAI-TIBET SINGLE-TRACK RAILWAY

12. Qinghai-Tibet single-track railway - the highest mountain road on the planet annually attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world to admire the magical Tibetan landscapes of the "roof of the world" at an altitude of more than 5000 km above sea level.

13. No sea or air company can offer such romance. Of course, such extreme conditions require special trains.

14. The cars are fully sealed, equipped with personal oxygen masks and an oxygen supply system if necessary, and at intermediate and observation stations, passenger cars naturally do not open, because there is nothing to breathe outside them. The Chinese themselves are extremely proud of their engineering structure and put it on a par with the Great Wall of China.

15. When 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.

TRANSSIBERIAN HIGHWAY

16. Among the domestic railways, the most remarkable was and remains the Trans-Siberian Railway. She has many statuses. For example, this railway is known as the longest in the world. To date, it has more than 9,400 kilometers of tracks and is a whole network of railways between Moscow and the Russian Far East. In addition, the road has branches to all neighboring border countries.

17. The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began in full force back in 1891, under the personal control of Sergei Witte, who, being then the Minister of Finance, clearly understood that Russia simply had to be a strategic partner between West and East.

18. In order for the construction of the road and related infrastructure to keep pace with each other, the Russian leadership began construction from the east and west at the same time, striving inland. To understand the scale of the project, suffice it to say that only in 2002 was the full electrification of the Trans-Siberian Railway completed!

19. Having reconstructed some sections of the Trans-Siberian Railway in the early 2000s, Russia organized the first permanent corridor of large-scale freight traffic between China, Mongolia, Belarus, Poland and Germany, which significantly increased the turnover of trade and contributed to the further development of the Far East as a strategic region.

20. The original name of the road is the Great Siberian Way. And it is great not because the construction of the road was carried out for almost a century, but because the Russian government then deliberately refused Western "aid", not wanting to allow the strengthening of the influence of foreign capitalists in the Far East. They built only with their own forces! And they did! Built!

21. No wonder they say that to drive along the Trans-Siberian Railway means to see half the world. Is it a joke? The famous Photographer Todd Selby, who has made a long journey from Paris to Shanghai by rail, claims that this is the real truth: “It’s fantastic to wake up every time, tear yourself away from the map and try to figure out where you are ... still in Siberia! Siberia is very big. And Baikal is very big. But this is just a part of great Russia!”.

OMSK RAILWAY STATION

22. Trans-Siberian is 9438 kilometers, more than 8 days on the road. On the route, the train stops at 97 major stations and passes through many smaller ones.

23. And there is also half the way on the Trans-Siberian. The station, located exactly in the middle of the railway between Moscow and Vladivostok, is called so. The distance from the "Half" to both cities is the same.

24.Transsib is also considered the coldest railway. Part of it passes through the climatic zone, where -62˚С is the usual temperature. Interestingly, the coldest point of the route does not coincide with the northernmost.

25. 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 kilometers per hour.

RAILWAY IN THAILAND, IN MAEKLONG

26. No less amazing is the Thai railway, which passes through a real market! 60 km west of Bangkok in the town of Maeklong, the food market, located right on the railway tracks, quickly turns its food trays several times a day, twists the awnings and scatters right in front of the trains.

27. But the most amazing thing is that even at this time, trading does not stop! From the open windows of the train, a coin flies into the merchants, and fish, sweets, fruits and other purchases fly back through the windows. The main thing here is to be able to catch!

28. Although passengers have a knack for this business after rubbing their eyes from broken tomatoes and the phrase “I didn’t catch it again!” After the trains have passed, boxes with the remaining vegetables, fish and other goods are returned to the rails and trade becomes more civilized.

29. 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.

30. 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.

RAIL TRACK IN NEW ZEALAND

31. The Napier-Gisborne railway is unique in that it crosses the main runway of Gisborne Airport in New Zealand. This is the only railway in the world where it is the air traffic control service that allows or prohibits trains from crossing the runway to continue their route.

32. Sometimes planes and trains are separated from each other in just a matter of seconds! This outlandish "denouement" is perhaps the first offer to tourists from New Zealand guides! A locomotive and a plane rushing towards each other, a sight common for Hollywood or Indian films, but not for everyday life!

33. The first freight railway in Russia was only 2 kilometers long. This miracle of science and technology of its time was powered by horse traction!

34. The longest freight trains in the history of the railway traveled to different parts of the world. One transported coal (no less - 42,000 tons per flight) to Uraliz Ekibastuz back in the era of the USSR. The train consisted of 440 cars. Their total length exceeded 6.5 kilometers.

35. The record was broken in South Africa. Here, a train of 660 wagons entered the route. Their total length was 7.3 kilometers. But the experiment, unlike the Soviet one, had no practical meaning. The canvas could not withstand the load, and the railway had to be closed for a long time for repairs.

"TUNNEL OF LOVE" IN UKRAINE

36. The “Tunnel of Love” is a picturesque three-kilometer section of the railway located near the village of Klevan in Ukraine. It leads to a fibreboard factory.

37. The train runs here three times a day, delivering wood to the Orzhevsky woodworking plant. It is the train that makes the growing tree branches bend around the tracks and maintains the tunnel in this state.

38. A beautiful sunny summer green corridor attracts couples in love, and in autumn and winter photographers who want to capture this beautiful miracle of nature. It is believed that if you visit the "Tunnel of Love" and make a cherished wish, it will surely come true.

BAIKAL-AMUR MAINLINE

39. The Baikal-Amur Mainline was built by the whole country. The best young people from all over the Soviet Union came, worked, settled down. Families were created here, real labor feats were accomplished, discoveries were made.

40. The BAM was designed as part of a systemic project for the development of significant natural resources in little-explored areas, through which, in fact, the road ran.

41. On the way to the BAM, it was planned to build about ten territorial-industrial giant complexes, but Gorbachev's perestroika made it possible to complete the construction of only one South Yakutsk coal complex.

42. Then, with great hopes, privatization transferred a number of resource deposits into private hands, but instead of loading the capacities of the BAM and massive development of mineral deposits in the “output” zone of the highway, only oligarchs with yachts turned out.

43. By the beginning of the 2000s, almost all projects for the development of the Baikal-Amur Mainline zone were suspended under “ideological” pretexts of inexpediency, and the decision of the Soviet leadership to build the BAM was diligently stigmatized as erroneous and hopeless. Although this project for half a century was considered simply vital for Siberia and the Far East, according to all experts.

44. It is gratifying that the current leadership of the country is seriously focused on the revival of the BAM and the region as a whole. And it's not just words. Recently, the Elga deposit has been successfully operating, where the first coal was mined in the summer of 2011. An access railway line is being built, connecting it with the highway.

45. The first super-heavy freight trains went along BAM, allowing to transport 7100 tons instead of the previous weight norm of 4800 tons, which should increase the profitability of transportation several times. This became possible after the commissioning of new powerful two-section locomotives of the 2ES5K Ermak series and diesel locomotives 2TE25A Vityaz. The trains successfully overcome the most difficult section of the route - the Kuznetsovsky Pass.

46. ​​The railway tracks themselves at the pass were reconstructed and strengthened, the New Kuznetsovsky Tunnel was put into operation. I will note for critics: “The trains have gone, but they will not go. The pass has been reconstructed, but will never be. "Ermaki" and "Vityazi" are put into operation, and are not at the design stage. So BAM has a bright future, because a road built with love cannot but live forever!

BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILWAY

47. In 1827, Baltimore and Ohio became the first American company to receive a charter for the carriage of passengers and various goods. The company struggled to create a steam engine that would help overcome rough and uneven terrain and eliminate horse-drawn power.

48. Inventor Peter Cooper came to the rescue, who offered to design and build just such an engine. On August 28, 1830, Cooper's steam locomotive, named Tom Thumb (translated as "Thumb Boy"), on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad near Baltimore, went out to face off with a horse-drawn train. The locomotive immediately pulled ahead, and the leaders of Baltimore and Ohio, who were impressed by what they saw, decided to transfer their railway to steam traction. Soon, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad became one of the most successful railroads in the United States.

49. Want maximum security guarantees? Choose branded wagons of the carrier TKS. Their location in the composition and modern technical equipment ensure safety and comfort during the trip.

50. Modern high-speed trains drive along the railway at a speed of 320-430 km / h. And experimental innovative compositions are capable of accelerating to 603 km / h. And this, as scientists and engineers say, is far from the limit.

photo from open sources

The very first railway in the world, designed to use steam engines, connected the coal mines located near the English village of Shildon with the cities of Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington. Its official opening took place in 1825. The economic meaning of this project was the prompt delivery of coal from the mines to the port for loading onto sea ships. Transportation on the first railroad in the world quickly turned into a very profitable business. Commercial gain led to the construction of an additional line to the Port of Middlesbrough. In the early stages of the operation of the world's first railway, coal trains were powered by steam locomotives, and passenger cars were pulled by horses.

background

Underground mines in the vicinity of Shildon have existed since ancient times. Before the advent of the world's first railway, coal was transported by carts. At the very beginning of the 19th century, a project to build a canal arose, which could become a solution to the transport problem, but this idea was not realized. The main obstacle was the dissent of John Scott, Peer of England and second Earl of Eldon. In accordance with the plan drawn up by the engineers, the canal was supposed to be drawn through his land holdings.

The birth of an idea

The project for the construction of the first railway in the world was submitted to the British Parliament for approval in 1821. The main investor was the businessman Edward Pease, who invested in this enterprise a huge sum of seven thousand pounds sterling at that time. As the largest shareholder, he had a significant impact on the process of building the world's first railway. The project was approved by Parliament and the King, but there was no mention of the use of steam locomotives in the text of the official building permit.

George Stephenson

The main investor and inspirer of the project of the world's first railway sought to find the most competent specialist capable of implementing advanced technologies for the early 19th century. He chose George Stephenson, a talented engineer who already had experience building steam engines. To manage the project, a special committee was created, whose members were appointed by the meeting of shareholders. The main investors of the enterprise belonged to the Christian Protestant Quaker movement. Among them was Edward Pease, who was later called "the father of the world's first railway." Due to the sectarian affiliation of the project's authors, the Stockton-Darlington rail track is also known as the "Quaker line".

George Stephenson was assisted in the planning process by his son Robert. The engineer made a number of suggestions designed to facilitate the implementation of a task that was quite difficult by the standards of that era. For example, he recommended using a malleable grade of iron for making rails. In 1822, a meeting of stockholders formally named Stephenson chief engineer. In accordance with the final version of the project, the length of the world's first railway was to be about 40 kilometers. The distance between the rails is four feet and eight inches (1.42 meters). Stephenson actively advocated the operation of steam locomotives and managed to convince shareholders of the prospects of this idea. In 1823, the British Parliament gave special permission for the use of "self-propelled machines".

Opening

Edward Pease and George Stephenson together founded the first locomotive building factory in history. It was located in Newcastle. On September 16, 1825, the first steam locomotive left the plant. Soon it was presented to the general public.

The cost of creating the first railway in the world greatly exceeded the original calculations. The company was forced to take out a short-term loan of £60,000. Shareholders hoped that the project would soon begin to make a profit, which would make it possible to repay a huge debt. The first railroad in the world was built in 1825. Its official opening took place on September 27. The locomotive, pulling 21 wagons, set off at about 7 o'clock in the morning. A rider with a flag rode ahead of the train. In a train equipped with seats, there were from 450 to 600 passengers. On some sections of the route, the train developed a speed of up to 24 kilometers per hour.

The first test was not without technical problems. The train made a forced stop lasting 20 minutes due to the fact that the wheel fell off the car in which the company representatives and engineers were traveling. Another half an hour had to be spent repairing the steam locomotive. The train covered a distance of 14 kilometers and was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of 10,000 people in Darlington. This journey took a total of two hours. The owners of the enterprise considered the opening successful and organized a festive banquet.

Operation in the early stages

When the first railway in the world appeared, the financial situation of the company that built it left much to be desired. The enterprise was under the burden of debts and could not attract new loans. The beginning of the operation of the road was the key to solving financial problems. By 1827, the company paid off its debts. Its share price quickly rose from £120 to £160. The company began to make a profit that could be invested in the development of the world's first railway.

In the early stages, the rail track was used exclusively for transporting coal. During the first three months of operation, the volume of transportation amounted to 10 thousand tons. The use of steam engines increased the amount of coal supplied and caused a significant drop in its market price. Soon the volume of transportation reached 52 thousand tons per year.

Profitability

The first locomotives were not very reliable. Their cast-iron wheels often became a source of problems. Regular repairs took a lot of time and required additional financial costs. In the early period, steam locomotives were less economically advantageous than horses. However, as technical problems were solved, their profitability increased. In 1828, a report was presented to the shareholders' meeting stating that the use of steam engines cut transportation costs in half. However, part of the passenger trains still used horse traction.

Founding of Middlesbrough

The coal transportation business, which had become the main source of profit for the railway company, needed further development and expansion. The port of Stockton could not accommodate enough ships. One of the company's engineers suggested building a new branch to Middlesbrough. This plan received approval from George Stephenson and the shareholders' meeting. The deepwater port of Middlesbrough could greatly speed up the delivery of coal. Before the advent of the railway line, there were only a few residential buildings in this area. The transformation of Middlesbrough into an important transport hub was the reason for the emergence of the city. Currently, its population is 174 thousand people.

Improvements

The railway was constantly modernized. In 1832 the second tracks were built. Around the same time, the use of horse-drawn passenger trains ceased. Steam locomotives replaced horses. Train timetables and signaling were introduced, which later became common on all British railways. Gradually increased the power of locomotives. In 1839, the average speed of passenger trains was 35 kilometers per hour. The number of flights between Stockton and Darlington reached six per day. An average of 200,000 passengers used the railway services annually. The division of wagons into three classes began, depending on which the fare was set. In 1863 the Stockton-Darlington line became part of the North Eastern Railway of Great Britain.

• In 1804, Richard Trevithick, a native of England, invented the first locomotive-powered train. There was also a passenger car. But he did not cause anything but smiles on the faces of the audience. They simply did not dare to sit in it.
• The epic of passenger mainline trains began on September 15, 1830, when a train departed from Liverpool to Manchester, accommodating not only emboldened passengers, but also the world's first mail car.
• For three whole days, the first train in Russia ran free of charge, connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg. The “terrible thing” scared potential passengers so much that they tried to bypass it.
• In 1830, in England, they decided to arrange a stunning competition between five steam locomotives. Unfortunately, one of the participants was not honest and hid live horses under the metal sheathing. You can not worry. He was suspended from participation in the competition. Not a single horse was harmed.
• The first third-class passengers on Russian trains had to travel under benches. The thing is that the cars of the front part of the train traveled without a roof, and the passengers had no choice but to hide “under” their seats in bad weather.
• An unprecedented incident happened once in the state of Ohio on the railroad. The train collided with the ship. This happened due to the fact that the lake closest to the railway overflowed its banks and “drowned” the tracks one meter under water. The train driver turned out to be a brave fellow and decided not to stop. Unfortunately, such courage led to a collision with the steamer.
• Like smooth roads? Feel free to go to Australia. 500 kilometers across the desert plain and not a single turn. Of course, such a road settled on the pages of the Guinness Book of Records.
• But Russia has distinguished itself with the longest railway line in the world. 9.3 thousand kilometers - this is the length of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
• "Half" - this is the name of the station of the Trans-Siberian Railway. From there, an equal distance, both to distant Vladivostok, and to the same distant Moscow.
• Going on a tour on the famous Patagonia Express train, be prepared for a robbery. This offer is very attractive to tourists. After all, you can not only admire the scenery, but also feel like victims of a carefully planned crime.
• If you are in Japan, be sure to check out Shibuya Station. The monument to a dog that met its owner for 10 years, who left by train, is a local landmark and a touching story.

  

• 100 years ago, kissing was forbidden at railway stations in France, so that there would be no delays in sending trains. By the way, the law still applies today.
• 6.5 kilometers and 440 wagons - this is the length of the longest freight train, made, by the way, in Russia, and following the route Ekibastuz - Ural.
• An oxygen bag is a must for every passenger boarding a train in western Peru. Still would! You will travel at an altitude of more than 3 kilometers - along the highest mountain railway.
• Beginners are always lucky - it is this sign that makes the most reckless residents of Monte Carlo go out to the newly arrived trains and meet the newcomers. You will not only be met, but also offered money for the game (after all, you will definitely be lucky as a beginner), the owner of the money will take the winnings, but you will definitely receive your percentage.
• The most romantic cities in Europe - Paris and Venice are connected by a "train of love". TV, shower, double shelf and VIP service - what else do you need for romance?!

  

• "Russia", "Baikal", "Red Arrow" - the trains also have names and names. The Rostov-Odessa route was the most distinguished. Passengers nicknamed him "Papa-Mama".
• The Japanese always take care of the comfort of their trains. They created a composition on a magnetic cushion. At a speed of 517 km/h you will be delivered to any point of your route.
• A rocket-powered platform in the state of New Mexico allowed the train to reach the maximum speed to date - 9851 km / h!
• Russian railways promise to put into operation double-deck passenger cars in the future, where everything will be done for the maximum comfort of people - showers, toilets, air conditioning, and they will cost much less.

As you can see, there are a lot of funny cases and funny and fascinating facts about trains and railways. Travel! Watch! Learn new! Let railway crossings be always interesting and informative for you!

1. 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.

2. The Trans-Siberian Railway is considered the longest in the world. Its length is almost 9,300 kilometers.

3. Station "Half" is the very middle of the Trans-Siberian. From this station the same distance, both to Moscow and to Vladivostok.

4. 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."

5. In France, there is still a law that prohibits 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.

6. 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.

7. In a train that runs in the west of Peru, conductors offer passengers an oxygen bag. Because the train goes along the highest mountain railway in the world (at an altitude of more than 3 kilometers).

8. Once on a railroad 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.

9. The head of the Bavarian railways in 1910 was forced to issue an order forbidding machinists and stokers to buy beer during stops at the stations.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Once on a tour of Switzerland, a train set off, 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.

13. 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"

14. The Japanese company Toshiba built a maglev train. The train is capable of speeds of 517 km/h.

15. One day 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. In the near future, double-deck passenger cars may appear in Russia. 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.

20. In Monte Carlo you can see people who meet 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. The longest freight train in the world ran in the Soviet Union along the route Ekibastuz - Ural. The train, 6.5 kilometers long, transported 42,000 tons of coal in 440 wagons.

24. 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.

25. Once the machinist of the Ahvaz-Tehran train 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.

26. Experts advise, for security reasons, to give preference to 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.

27. 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)

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 can ride on the same express train that 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, the need arose for large-scale construction of railroad 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.

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