The invention of the steam engine was one of the biggest transformations which the trains had seen. In 1803 a man named Samuel Homfray funded the development of a steam-powered vehicle to get rid of the horse drawn carts. Richard Trevithick (1771-1833) built the first steam engine locomotive. On February 22 1804 the engine made its first haulage from Pen-y-Darron to Merthyr Tydfil which is a journey of 9 miles carrying 10 tonnes of iron, 70 men and five extra wagons. The journey took 2 hours.
In 1821, an english man, Julius Griffiths was the first person to patent a passenger road locomotive. In September, 1825, the first railroad company began called Stockton and Darlington. This company transported both bulk goods and passengers on regular schedules using stronger locomotives designed by English inventor George Stephenson. This new and improved locomotive pulled 6 fully loaded carts full of coal and 21 passenger carts carrying 450 passengers over 9 miles in about an hour.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Earliest Signs
The earliest signs of any type of railway were found in ancient greece which go as far back as the 1st century. The wagonways were'nt used the same way then as we use them today, they were carried by horses for food and other heavy goods.
The wagonways were used in germany as early as the 1500's. The difference between wagonway's and railway's is that wagonways were the ones used in the early times and these were made out of wood. People found wagonways a lot easier then roads because at the time the roads wood have been very poor to carry goods because there would have been a lot of pot holes and uneven road surfaces.
In 1776 the railways were made out of iron which was a lot more effective as the iron would have been a lot more smooth and durable. Wagonways evolved into tramways through out europe. In 1789 a man named William jessup desighned flanges on the wheels of a wagon. A flange is a groove on the internal side of the wheel that improoved the grip on the tramways. This was very succesful then and is still in use on all trains today.
The wagonways were used in germany as early as the 1500's. The difference between wagonway's and railway's is that wagonways were the ones used in the early times and these were made out of wood. People found wagonways a lot easier then roads because at the time the roads wood have been very poor to carry goods because there would have been a lot of pot holes and uneven road surfaces.
In 1776 the railways were made out of iron which was a lot more effective as the iron would have been a lot more smooth and durable. Wagonways evolved into tramways through out europe. In 1789 a man named William jessup desighned flanges on the wheels of a wagon. A flange is a groove on the internal side of the wheel that improoved the grip on the tramways. This was very succesful then and is still in use on all trains today.
Monday, September 7, 2009
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