The most amazing thing in the history of railways. Interesting facts about railways. American Civil War

: the history of the appearance of the first locomotive and the first railways. The most unusual railway stations and railway communications. "Station" laws of France and a monument to a dog on Shibui.

1. The first trains, which are trolleys moving with the help of horses, arose back in the 17th century.. In Europe. The first steam locomotive in history, pushing cars, was built by the English inventor Richard Trevithick. It happened in 1801. The purpose of such transport was the transportation of iron ore at the Pen-and-Darren plant, and the speed of its movement was 8 kilometers per hour.
2. The movement on the first railway in the world was opened in England in the first half of the 19th century.. The final stops of the train route were located in the cities of Stockton and Darlington, and the road itself was intended to transport both goods and passengers. The length of such a section was 50 km, and the train consisted of only 6 cars.
3. The first competition of the American steam locomotive Tom Thumb (translated as "Boy with a finger") with a horse-drawn carriage took place in September 1830. The action took place along the railroad track from the village of Reilly Tavern to the city of Baltimore. A mechanical failure of the transport itself and a malfunction in the operation of the boiler decided the fate of the competition. The victory was won by the animal, and "Thumb boy" did not reach the finish line.

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4. What can be in common between professional musicians and linemen? It turns out that he has an exceptional ear for music. It is the sensitive hearing of the latter that makes it possible to detect wheel defects in time by changes in the tone of the knock.
5. At the beginning of the XX century. In France, a law was passed forbidding couples in love to kiss in the territory of railway stations. The reason for this was the frequent failures in the train schedule, caused by long, "passionate" goodbyes. This rule still applies today. Warning signs are placed everywhere, and separate zones are allocated for farewells of lovers.
6. The Ferrocaril Austral Fueguino (Argentina) railway is called the train to the very ends of the earth. It is the state's narrowest gauge railway (gauge is 50 cm). On the trajectory of the train there is a station called "End of the World", which is incredibly popular among those who want to get to the final stop on the "iron horse", and not on a cheaper bus. Interestingly, this road was originally intended to transport prisoners to corrective labor.

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7. The monument to Hachiko, dedicated to the faithful and devoted dog, is located on the territory of the Shibuya railway station (Japan). The animal became famous throughout the country in the 30s. XX century, after the publication in one of the largest newspapers of an article about an old dog waiting daily at the station for its owner, who died a few years ago. At the opening of the monument, a year before his death, Hachiko was present in person.

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8. You can travel between the most romantic cities in the world - Venice and Paris on the "train of love".

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9. The food market of one of the settlements in Thailand is located right on the railway tracks. Several times a day, 10-15 minutes before the approach of the transport, traders pack their food and lower the awnings. After the trains have passed, the market fully resumes its work.
10. Passengers arriving in Monte Carlo for the first time by train are often met by locals. Strangers offer beginners to play instead of them in a casino, while promising a solid reward.
11. The smoothest railway, without a single turn, is in Australia. Its length is 500 km.
12. The fare for the express train "The Eastern & Oriental", the route of which passes through Southeast Asia, is 3000-9000 USD. The train includes several restaurant cars decorated in different styles, a library, a shop, a bar, and a magnificent viewing terrace is equipped on its back platform.

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13. A three-kilometer section of the railway, located near the village of Klevan (Ukraine), is called the "Tunnel of Love".
14. At the end of the XIX century. the locomotive became the protagonist of the Lumiere brothers film. Today, dozens of films have been shot about trains, among the most famous are “Runaway Train”, “Magistral”, “Station for Two”, etc.

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15. Although a train is considered several dozen times safer than a car, it is advisable to give preference to seating in the center cars when buying tickets.

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In the modern world, there are many options for overcoming long distances. You can travel by bus, car, plane or train, and all these means of transportation do not seem to be something surprising.

However, a few centuries ago, none of the above existed, and people were just starting to create the things we are used to.

Even before the advent of the steam engine, there was a prototype of the railway in the world. The origin of railway transport, as we now imagine it, began in the 18th-19th centuries.

For several centuries, humanity has gone from a steam locomotive to high-speed peregrine falcons. Many scientists and inventors who managed to make a real breakthrough had a hand in the development of railway transport.

pre-steam era

In fact, rails existed long before the advent of the steam engine. It is believed that the first railroad was the Diolk portage, where slaves pushed carts through depressions in limestone as early as the 6th century BC.

Then railroads appeared in Europe, they worked due to the traction of people or animals. The rails were wooden and were widely used in mines for transporting mined rock to ships.

The history of the modern road began at the beginning of the 18th century, during the industrial revolution. Machine production gradually supplanted manual production, and a breakthrough was also outlined in the field of railroads.

The inventors were preoccupied with creating an engine that would not be driven by human resources. The first "swallow" was the steam engine of Thomas Savery, which he patented in 1698. After a few decades, it was improved and became a real breakthrough.

The oldest railroad in the world was founded at the end of the 15th century near the city of Salzburg. Previously, the Reiszug lift was powered by the traction of people or animals, but now it operates on an electric motor.

steam engines

The next milestone in the development of the railroad was the steam engine, which radically changed the concept of this type of transport. The idea arose to replace the resource for traction from a person (animal) to a mobile steam locomotive that could move cars along rails.

The implementation of this idea accelerated after the creation of the first steam engine in history. In 1769, Scottish inventor James Watt patented a heavy steam engine, which he improved by 1782. The updated version was suitable for use in steam locomotives, as it was more compact and powerful.

The first person to introduce a steam-powered wagon to the world was the Frenchman Nicolas Cugno. His invention can safely be called the predecessor of steam locomotives, although the test ended in failure.

Success came to Richard Tretiwick, who in 1797 managed to introduce a steam wagon. He began to develop a wagon that could move on rails, since the dirt roads were in a sad state. And, starting in 1801, he created several successful models of steam locomotives, which were first used on the amusement railway.

Indirectly, the emperor Napoleon himself had a hand in a sharp jump in the development of railway communication. His wars with most European countries led to a rise in the price of many products, including cereals, which were fed to horses. Since all large enterprises used horse traction, they had to urgently take measures in order to replace horses with steam locomotives without loss.

The Middleton Railway began to be used as an experimental site, which began to use steam traction. She began work in 1758 and at first carried out transportation at the expense of horses, who pulled carts along the rails. It was for Middleton that the first commercially successful Salamanca steam locomotive was designed in 1812.

It is worth noting that experiments on the operation of steam traction were not always successful. The boiler exploded there twice, and in 1866 the road again switched to the use of horses. By the way, it was here that the very first professional machinist, James Hewitt, was trained, who died during the second explosion.

Thus, experiments to create a successful steam locomotive continued for several decades, and only in 1825 did the opening of the railway available to the public take place. It was officially opened on September 27, and carried 600 passengers on the opening day. The train was pulled by the Locomotion No. 1 steam locomotive, built by inventor George Stephenson.

The road stretched for 40 kilometers and at that time was the first one intended for public use. Since that time, the railway boom has spread to other countries and has become a real breakthrough in the industrial revolution.

Golden age

It is not surprising that with the creation of the first successful steam locomotives, the railway network began to develop by leaps and bounds. In 1830, the world's first railroad was opened in England, connecting two cities, Manchester and Liverpool. It was, as expected, with stations and stretched for 56 kilometers.

After 20 years in England there were already 11,000 km of railways that entangled the whole country. In other European countries, this transport was also very popular.

The first prerequisites for the emergence of railroad tracks on the American continent appeared in the second decade of the 19th century, when Colonel John Stevens acquired the right to build a company.

By 1826, Stevens had introduced his first steam-powered locomotive, which was successfully tested. And already in 1830, the United States caught up with Europe and opened the first public road.

By 1840, the total length of railroads in the country stretched for 4.4 thousand kilometers, and by 1860 - for 48 thousand kilometers! Although the inhabitants of the country did not immediately like the innovation, many considered the locomotives to be "sons of the devil" and preferred to travel the old fashioned way.

From the 1860s, the golden age of railroad transport began in the United States. This area fell into the hands of magnates, the government provided generous subsidies for every mile of rail, so it is not surprising that in half a century the number of kilometers grew to 408 thousand.

The railway contributed to the unification of the country into a single domestic market and helped develop metallurgy and engineering.

Russian railway

For Russia, the history of this convenient mode of transport began much later, in the 1830s. The prerequisites already existed, for example, in the mines of Altai, there were narrow-gauge tracks with rails for transporting rock.

In 1788, in the city of Petrozavodsk, the first railway line in the Russian Empire called "Pig-iron wheel line" appeared.

However, the railway accessible to all appeared much later, in 1836 Nicholas I ordered the construction of the Tsarskoye Selo road. A year later, a grand opening took place, and the emperor himself swept from St. Petersburg to Tsarskoye Selo.

A serious impetus for the development of this type of transport was the defeat in the Crimean War. In the 1850s, one of the reasons for the failure was that this part of the Russian Empire did not yet have a railway connection. By decree of the government, a railway network throughout the country began to be actively built.

The longest road in the world, the Trans-Siberian Railway, was founded in 1891. At the moment, her record could not be broken, because the length is 9.2 thousand kilometers.

During the period of the USSR, railway transport continued to develop actively, Boris Beshchev made an invaluable contribution. He served as Minister of Railways from 1948 for 29 years. By 1965, he managed to reduce the use of steam traction to 24%, the rest of the communication was carried out by electricity and diesel locomotives.

At the moment, most of the railway track belongs to Russian Railways. In total, there are 124,000 km of tracks, and 86,000 of them are for public use.

Rail transport now

Of course, now trains run not due to steam locomotives, but due to electric traction. For the first time this invention was presented in 1879, when Vernet Siemens at the exhibition presented the only railway at that time 300 meters long, powered by electricity. In the same year, this technology was used in a factory in France.

Then, in 1880, the Russian engineer F. Pirotsky in Russia launched a car with 40 passengers using electric current. And already in 1881, the first railway line in history, powered by electricity, was opened in Berlin.

A significant impetus to the mass electrification of railways was the end of the First World War. Gradually, the countries of Europe, the USA and Russia began to electrify their railways.

Having mastered trains running on electric traction, the world has taken up the development of high-speed trains. The first successes were recorded back in 1903, when the train overcame the speed limit of 200 km/h.

European countries began to prepare projects for the creation of high-speed traffic, but Japan became the first country with such a network. In 1959, construction began on a road between Tokyo and Osaka, with traffic reaching 210 km/h. At the moment, the development of high-speed rail communication does not stop.

Railway records

As we have already mentioned, the longest railway in the world is the Trans-Siberian Railway. It can be overcome, on average, in a week of travel.

As far as speed records are concerned, now technology can no longer be compared with what it was a hundred years ago. The latest speed record among trains belongs to the Japanese MLX01, which accelerated to a speed of 603 km/h.

The deepest part of the railway is the Seikan Tunnel, which runs at a depth of 240 meters below sea level. But the highest station is Tangla in Chinese Tibet at an altitude of 5068 km above sea level.

Railway communication gave a huge impetus to the development of industry and allowed humanity to reach a new level of development. To this day, railways are one of the safest and most convenient modes of transport.

Today we want to tell you some interesting facts about railways. Perhaps some of you will think: “Trains are so banal and predictable, whether it’s airplanes with their Bermuda Triangle or ocean-going ships covered with a halo of romance.” But believe me, the history of the development of railway communication is full of all sorts of interesting facts: insignificant and of great importance, curious and sad. Together with our readers, we have already found out in which country it runs, where and when they were created - this information, in principle, is well known. In the same article, we want to bring to your attention some little-known and at the same time extremely interesting facts about railways.

Where did seasickness come from on the train passengers?

Everyone knows that one of the many advantages of railway transport is that practically no one gets sick in it. But it turns out that the Japanese designers, with their invention, managed to cause seasickness in passengers. In 1973, a train with wagons tilting to the sides was designed and put into operation in Japan. The idea was good, because thanks to this design, the train could fit into the turns of the track without slowing down. The developers did not take into account one nuance: most of the passengers of the new train, having reached the final station, got out of the cars, to put it mildly, turned green from the fact that they were very sick.

Tilt trains were an invention that was ahead of its time: the development of technology in those years did not allow the design to be finalized and such a significant drawback to be eliminated. But in our age of digital technology, train drivers have the ability to control the inclination of train cars literally up to one degree, and today passenger trains that fit into bends without losing speed run in more than 15 countries. When the cars are tilted in trains of the “new generation”, passengers not only do not experience discomfort, but often do not even notice anything.

On a train with an oxygen bag

Trains are so in demand in the transport infrastructure that railroad tracks for them are being laid wherever possible. So in China there is the famous Qinghai-Tibet railway - the highest mountain line in the world. The highest point of the road is located more than 5000 meters above sea level. Naturally, such conditions require special trains. All wagons for trains running along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway are fully sealed, next to each passenger seat there is a connector to which, if necessary, you can connect an oxygen tube, and an oxygen supply control panel. At rare intermediate stations, passenger cars do not even open, because outside of them, simply speaking, there is nothing to breathe.

Train without driver

Thirteen years ago, in the USA, a repair team was engaged in dragging a train of 47 cars from one track to another, and made a technical error, as a result of which the train started moving and ... rolled away. And not just rolled away, but uncontrollably rushed along the rails at a speed of 76 km / h. It is not known how this story would have ended if it were not for the intervention of a brave driver: having caught up with the “fugitive” on a diesel locomotive, he managed to grapple with the last car and slow down the entire train. At the time of the stop of the uncontrolled train, he managed to drive more than 100 km.

Introduction of time zones - an initiative of the British railway companies

The time zones familiar to us simply did not exist before the beginning of the 19th century - there was no need for them, since the time in each city was determined by the sun. Everything changed with the advent of railway transport: the lack of a “single” time in all cities became not only a serious obstacle to scheduling trains, but also a possible cause of accidents on railway roads.

On December 1, 1847, at all railway stations in Great Britain, the transition to a single time took place, that is, one time zone was set in the country, Greenwich Mean Time. The introduction of standard time and time zones on their territory, America and Canada are also obliged to the railway companies.

Didn't think about the main

In Switzerland, for the local beau monde: politicians, guests of honor, etc., a railway tour was organized. The railway workers did their best and, for the greatest comfort of passengers, formed a train exclusively from dining cars ... forgetting that toilets were not structurally provided for in them. The result is obvious: at the destination, the guests of honor, having forgotten about the importance and etiquette, practically jumped out of the train, and, pushing those who met them on the platform, rushed in a certain direction.

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)

Railways and aviation have long been competing with each other, attracting passengers with inexpensive, fast and convenient transportation. The average statistical person uses rail transport more than 9 times a year.

Here are some interesting facts about railroads.

The longest line in the world - 9300 km, is the Trans-Siberian railway.

After the appearance of the first railway in Russia, travel was free for some time. Most likely, this was done so that residents could get used to this type of transport. The phrases "this is such a scary thing" were coming from everywhere.

A hundred years ago, a law appeared in France that forbade kissing at train stations. And all because because of this "criminal action" the trains left with a strong delay in time. The law is still "respected".

People who inspect the "iron horses" must have an ear for music in order to take action in time if a breakdown occurs. They determine it by ear - the way the wheel knocks must be of a certain frequency. Railway workers are distinguished from representatives of other professions by a special uniform; everyone has seen these people at railway stations. Today, you can freely buy a similar uniform for everyone, as well as for any other specialty https://specovka.by/obuv-rabochaya-specialnaya

In the city of love, in Paris, there is a similar "love train" to match. His route is not so big, Paris - Venice and back. But, suddenly, at such a distance, people in the compartment want to indulge in love pleasures, they will have all the conditions: a double shelf, a shower cabin and "room service".

There is a train that does not move on rails, but on a magnetic cushion. It was created by the Japanese, and the speed that it can develop reaches 517 km / h.

The first trains in Russia of the third class were equipped with ordinary wooden benches. But, it's still half the trouble. The fact that there was no roof in these cars is a real disaster.

Therefore, people who decided to "ride with the breeze" hid under these lavas from rain and snow.

Railways also visited the Guinness Book of Records. The Australian railway broke all records, not having a single turn for 500 km.

Today, the "iron world" does not stand still. Technologies are moving forward, new, "fast-moving" trains are appearing - electric trains, ready to deliver us to the place we need in the shortest possible time. The only downside is the price we have to pay for it.

By the way, the speed that modern high-speed trains can develop has already exceeded 580 km / h.