RSS Feed
A look at the history of rail travel
Early railways are primarily wagonways, thought to have been created in Germany in the 1500s used for transporting coal primarily from mines, the rails were formed from wood, the only evidence of this is by Georgius Agricola who illustrated the wagonways in 1556.
By the 1800s word had spread about the wagonways and they were found throughout Europe and were being developed in various different ways including the use of iron, steel and other metals to form the rails. Then in 1804 Richard Trevithick from Cornwall, England invented the first steam powered railway locomotive a massive milestone in the industrial revolution, Richard's invention never surfaced as a commercial product, mainly due to the weight of his invention. In 1812 Matthew Murray launched the first commercially used railway locomotive which he named "The Salamanca". George Stephenson however was the man behind the first public steam railway in 1825.
In contrast, today's rail vehicles can reach speeds in excess of 200 mph and can transport over 1000 people at a time, considerably more than the 6 per cart previously possible! Today's carriages can be fun, comfortable and even have games on them! The French TGVs are the fastest trains in Europe offering trips from London to Disneyland Paris in under two and a half hours! You can now buy train tickets online, and for very little can venture forth into countries previously difficult and expense to travel to.
