Little known facts about trains. Photo

Trains today – one of the most popular modes of transport.

Every day they deliver around the world more than one million passengers. And that’s with trains involves a lot of interesting stories and facts unknown to the General public.

1. The Hogwarts Express

The world of Harry Potter is filled with magic, and, of course, all of us would like to see it in reality. Some traces of peace in our lives is still there. Arriving in Scotland, you can ride on the same Express train on which the students, including Harry Potter get to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The scenic route the West highland today trains with those red wagons. They are passing on the famous viaduct Glenfinnan, and glimpses of the same wonderful scenery as in the movie Harry Potter.

2. Abandoned station

In new York there is a subway station, city Hall, passing which, the train is slowing down, not stopping and not opening the door. This beautiful station was opened in 1904 on a new metro line, but in 1945 it was closed due to low flow of passengers and unsafe to use. But today, train No. 6 every day very slowly passes through this station, so that passengers could admire its luxurious interior.

3. Aircraft-torpedoes to high speed trains

During world war II for attacks on American warships and the Japanese used special aircraft, developed by designer Miki Tadanao. Thanks to optimised streamlined form they picketed with great speed, lightning fast when striking a target. But realizing how many pilots died due to its aircraft-torpedoes, Mickey, Tadano focused on more peaceful projects.

Using his knowledge, he participated in the creation of the first generation of ultra-fast passenger Express trains. During a test run in 1963, they had achieved a speed of 256 km/h. Today’s bullet trains can reach speeds over 600 km/h.

4. Pairs against horses

In 1830, between Baltimore and Ohio railroad was built, along which plied the horse with carts. Peter Cooper suggested using horses instead of a steam engine. To implement this idea, Peter designed and built a small steam locomotive, “Tom Thumb” – the “Boy-with-finger”. His test was very successful. After that Peter Cooper has decided to hold a demonstration race “Couples against the horse.”

In the beginning of the race, the advantage was on the side of the horse, because the engine had time to accelerate, but typing speed is 29 km/h, it is easily overtaken by a horse. However, after some time the engine jumped the timing belt, he slowed down, and the horse came to the finish line first. But, nevertheless, the superiority of the engine was obvious, and soon the railway began to run trains with steam locomotives.

5. The civil war in the United States

Steam locomotives were widely used for transportation of passengers and goods. But, since 1861, during the civil war, they were also transporting soldiers and military equipment. In September 1863, the allies brought to the front 20,000 men train, break in 11 days of 1900 km. unfortunately, in the future, a widely used railroad became the object of multiple attacks.

6. “Horsepower”

The unit of power is “horsepower” has been used for hundreds of years. But what is this unit and where did it come from? James watt suggested to Breweries instead of horses to use the power of steam. Watching the horses, watt observed that a horse could drag a weight 14,774 kg at a distance of 0.3 m in 1 minute.

Rounding 14,774 kg to 15 kg, he introduced a unit of power is “horsepower”. Comparing the performance of the horse and the steam engine with the help of this unit, watt had convinced the brewers to replace the horses in pairs, and as a result, the efficiency of the brewing process has increased significantly. And the term “horsepower” has been since that time widely used.

7. The presidential funeral train

George Pullman drew attention to the fact that the trains are not very comfortable for overnight trips and decided to improve them. In partnership with his close friend, Benjamin Field, he created a company to develop a comfortable railway carriages, and six years later the company has released two of the car, “Springfield” and “pioneer”. In 1865, after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, his body had to be transported by train to Springfield. On all transit in dozens of cities stood grieving people.

The widow Lincoln, seeing all this, on arrival in Chicago, he fainted from nervous exhaustion. Pullman, to her it was easier to endure the rest of the way, offered to use his car “pioneer.” The convenience of this car was appreciated, and since all the trains were equipped with sleeping cars.

8. Time zones

How to tell time on a large country, different parts of which daylight is leaking out of sync. For these purposes we have invented time zones. In 1883 the representatives of the railway companies in the United States gathered with the purpose of drafting a Convention on the definition of the total time. November 18, at 12 noon, with the American Observatory was sent to Telegraph the signal that all railway stations have adjusted their hours. In 1918, the U.S. Congress officially approved in the country nine time zones.

9. Train fever

After America began to use steam locomotives, there is a need of large-scale construction of railway tracks. In 1830, when it passed the first test of the engine, length of railway lines in the United States amounted to 37 km. By 1861 it had reached 48000 miles, between 1890 and 1900 he added another 64000 km, and by 1916, the length of Railways in the United States (402000 km) exceeded the distance from the Earth to the moon. By 1930, the length of roads was 692000 km. later, with the advent of automobiles, the construction of railroads began to decline.

10. Right on schedule

All trains in Japan go, without delay, the delay of even one minute is very rare. The Japanese have achieved this thanks to the serious attitude to learning drivers operating trains, and severely punished them for being late. In case of delay to passengers at the station on the loudspeaker apologies are conveyed, and receives a document confirming the delay of the train stating the reason. This official document passengers can present to your employer, if you have problems in connection with their being late for work.

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