The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1997/The_Epic_Interactive_Encyclopedia_97.iso/r/railway/infotext

Text File | 1992-09-02 | 3KB | 77 lines

Method of transport in which trains convey
passengers and goods along a twin rail track.
Following the work of English steam pioneers
such as James Watt, George Stephenson built
the first public steam railway, from Stockton
to Darlington, 1825. This heralded extensive
railway building in Britain, continental
Europe, and North America, providing a fast
and economical means of transport and
communication. After World War II, steam was
replaced by electric and diesel engines. At
the same time, growth of road building and
air services destroyed the supremacy of the
railways. Four years after building the first
steam railway, Stephenson opened the first
steam passenger line, inaugurating it with
his locomotive Rocket, which achieved speeds
of 50 kph/30 mph. The railway building that
followed resulted in 250 separate companies
in Britain, which resolved into four systems
1921 and became the nationalized British
Railways 1948, known as British Rail from
1965. In North America the growth of railways
during the 19th century made shipping from
the central and western territories
economical and helped the North to win the
American Civil War. Railways were extended
into Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin
America in the late 19th century and were
used for troop and supply transport in both
world wars. With the increasing use of
private cars and government-encouraged road
haulage after World War II, and the demise of
steam, rising costs on the railways meant
higher fares, fewer passengers, and declining
freight traffic. During the 1960s and 1970s
many rural rail services closed down. From
the 1970s national railway companies began
investing in faster intercity services: in
the UK, the diesel high-speed train (HST) was
introduced; elsewhere such trains run on
specially built tracks such as the Shinkansen
(Japan) and TGV (France) networks. The track
is prepared, the steel rails laid, and
equidistant ties are wedged between the rails
to keep them parallel. Four years after
building the first steam railway, Stephenson
opened the first steam passenger line,
inaugurating it with his locomotive Rocket,
which achieved speeds of 50 kph/30 mph. In
North America the growth of railways, such as
the Union Pacific, during the 19th century
made shipping from the central and western
territories economical and helped the North
to win the American Civil War. Railways were
extended into Asia, the Middle East, Africa,
and Latin America in the late 19th century
and were used for troop and supply transport
in both world wars. With the increasing use
of automobile use and truck freight lines
after World War II, and the demise of steam,
rising costs on the railways meant higher
fares, fewer passengers, and declining
freight traffic. By 1970 many train services
in the US had been discontinued or were under
threat of extinction. Short-run commuter
service survived and economical train trips
are being reestablished to help counter
automotive pollution. High-speed trains,
developed in the 1970s, continue to serve
passenger needs between large urban centers.
Elsewhere in the world super-fast trains
running on specially built tracks, such as
the Shinkansen (Japan) and TGV (France)
networks, are important to public
transportation.