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Jan 1, 1550
Wagonways
Wagon ways were wooden rails that carts and wagons used to travel on. The carts and horse-drawn wagons could travel on the rails better than the dirt road. The Germans used these in 1550! Wagon ways were the beginning of trains and railroads. APA Bellis, M. (n.d.). Railroad Invention and History. Railroad Invention and History. Retrieved from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrailroad.htm -
Period: Jan 1, 1550 to
Timespan of the Train
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Tramways
Iron took the spot of wood carts, and wagons. Horses still gave power to pull the wagons. The iron rails were developed in 1776, and the wagon with flanged wheels was invented in 1789.The flanged wheel gave the cart an extra grip on the rail. Tramways spread throughout Europe. This allowed people to get to their destinations faster than the wagonway -
Tramways continued..
APA Citation: Bellis, M. (n.d.). Railroad Invention and History. Railroad Invention and History. Retrieved from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrailroad.htm -
Steam Engine
In 1830 Samuel Homfray funded the development of the steam engine. The steam engine replaced horse-drawn carts. Richard Trevithick built the first steam engine locomotive. The first locomotive carried 10 tons of iron, 70 men and 5 extra wagons.
Bellis, M. (n.d.). Railroad Invention and History. Railroad Invention and History. Retrieved from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrailroad.htm -
Tom Thumb
Peter Cooper designed and built it in 1830. This was the first American-built steam locomotive to be operated on a common-carrier railroad. The steam engine was a better way of moving the train because the horses were not always reliable.
Bellis, M. (n.d.). Railroad Invention and History. Railroad Invention and History. Retrieved from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrailroad.htm -
Pullman Sleeping Car
George Pullman invented The Pullman Sleeping car. It was invented in 1857, and it was designed for passengers to sleep. Sleeping cars have been used since the 1830s, but they were not comfortable like The Pullman Sleeping car.
Bellis, M. (n.d.). Railroad Invention and History. Railroad Invention and History. Retrieved from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blrailroad.htm -
Pullman Sleeping Car Continued..
"American Trains Were Once the Safest in the World. In Los Angeles METROLINK Gives New Meaning to DEATH TRAIN!" Cruising the Past. Michael Grace, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2009. http://cruiselinehistory.com/american-trains-were-once-the-safest-in-the-world-today-are-they-the-most-dangerous/. -
Maglev Vehicle
The maglev trains moves passengers and goods at an extremely high speed, for a low cost. The term “maglev” is short for magnetic levitation. Alfred Zehdan invented the first maglev train. The first maglev train that operated with passengers was in 1995.
Zhou, D. (n.d.). The Maglev Train. The Maglev Train. Retrieved from http://www.odec.ca/projects/2007/zhou7d2/history.html "Maglev." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Mar. 2012. Web. 04 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikip