The History of Trains Part 3

Trains are not an uncommon sight within the 21st Century and, as we have discovered over the past two blogs in this series, they also have a rich history. From their beginning, which saw them employed on railways and manually moved by slave labour to transport coal- to now, where they transport people via electricity; it is safe to say that the development of trains has come a long way. Here is the final part in this trio of historical blogs…

Fastest Steam Trains

The countries of the world have always been competitive. Whether they are competing in sports or war, there always seems to be some kind of reason to compete. During the 1930’s, the reason boiled down to setting new speed records. In the UK, a man named Sir Nigel Gresley realised that fitting a streamlined casting would increase the speed of locomotives. This lead to some of the fastest steam trains being produced, with the Mallard holding the world record even today.

Diesel Locomotives

Trains with diesel were introduced after the end of World War One and, coupled with the electric trains, they brought the use of steam trains to an end. The power in diesel trains came from an engine which burned diesel oil, which in turn powered a generator that supplied electricity to the motors, thus turning the wheels. Diesel trains were less polluting than steam and did not require water in order to be used.

High Speed Trains

In 1964, the bullet trains which were invented by the Japanese, began running between Tokyo and Osaka. They got their name from the bullet shaped nose at the very front of the train and were capable of travelling 131 mph, making them the fastest trains in the world. Today, these types of trains are seen in many countries, including the TGV in France, and have adapted to reach even higher speeds in those seen in the 1960’s.

As interesting as the history of trains happens to be, when our trains are delayed all of this information suddenly become useless. You will be happy to know that commuters whose train was delayed by 30 minutes or longer are owed train delay compensation! If this sounds like you, get in contact to claim your refund today!

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