Page 262 - DK Children's Encyclopedia
P. 262

Trains                                                                            SEE ALSO

                                                                                               ▸ ▸ Asia  p.29
                                                                                               ▸ ▸ Engines  p.92
           Trains are vehicles that move along tracks. The first trains                        ▸ ▸ Inventions
           were powered by steam, but modern trains use diesel,                                 pp.136–137
           electricity, or even magnets. They are a fast way for                               ▸ ▸ Magnets  p.151

           passengers to travel and for goods to be transported.                               ▸ ▸ Trade  p.257
                                                                                               ▸ ▸ Transportation
                                                                                                pp.258–259
                  There are three            Each train can
                  types of seating,          carry more than
                  the most luxurious         900 passengers
                  being “Gran Class.”        in 12 cars.                                    Bullet train
                                                                                            The Shinkansen is also known
                                                                                            as a bullet train. It travels long
                                                                      The driver uses levers
                                                                      and computer screens   distances between Japanese
                                                                      to control the train.  cities at speeds of up to
                                                                                            199 mph (320 kph).


                                                                                                           The nose is
                                                                                                           angled so the
                                                                                                           train can move
       Shinkansen
                                                                                                           faster through
                                                                                                           the air.



             The world’s
           longest train had    Shinkansen trains
          eight engines         operate on special
            and 682 cars!       high-speed tracks.








                                                  In the cab, coal is fed into a fire.
                                                  This heats water in a boiler to
                                                  create steam that powers the train.





                                                                           Underground
                                                                           trains
                                                                           Many cities have
                                                                           underground trains
                                                                           known as subway, or
                                                                           metro, systems.
                Aerolite, 1902                  The large, powered wheel   Avoiding the busy
                                                is called the driving wheel.  traffic above, these
                                                                           trains can quickly move
       Steam engine                                                        people around a city.
       The earliest trains used steam for power. Water was
       heated by a coal fire in the engine. The first working                                 The Paris metro
       train, Stephenson’s Rocket, was built in 1829.

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