The Invention of Trains - Historical Curiosities - See U in History

The invention of trains during the 19th century fueled industrialization and urbanization in much of the developed world. Allowing faster transportation of goods and people, long-distance travel was made possible for people from all social classes, increasing migration and tourism. In today's video, we will learn about the invention of trains and the importance of this to the development of modern society. The history of trains is much older than many people think. The predecessor of trains were wagons, wheeled vehicles pulled by men and animals, sometimes simple wooden carts. The wagon wheels turned in grooves dug in limestone, preventing the wagons from leaving their assigned route. The first example of the use of wagons for transportation dates back to the 2nd and 1st millennia BC, when the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians began using wagons to transport material from mines and excavations. Although wagons were relatively fast and safe, they became obsolete over the centuries. That all changed in the 17th century, when the first steam engine was invented in 1698 by the British Thomas Savoy. But Thomas' invention was extremely simple and low-powered, unable to propel heavy vehicles. Because of this, steam engines took more than 60 years before they could move trains. It wasn't until 1804 that the first railroad steam locomotive was built in the United Kingdom by Richard Trevithick, a British engineer born in Cornwall. The locomotive completed its first rail journey on February 21, 1804, pulling five wagons, ten tons of iron, and 70 passengers. Unfortunately, there were major flaws in Trevithick's designs and his work went unnoticed at the time. The first commercially successful steam locomotive was created by Matthew Murray, an English steam engine manufacturer. Entitled Salamanca, Murray's locomotive was built in 1812 for the Middleton Railway, the world's oldest railway still operating, located in the English city of Leeds. In the following years, steam locomotives gained increased importance in England. Two examples stand out, the Locomotion No. 1, built in 1825, and Stevenson's Rocket Locomotive, built in 1829. News of steam locomotive success quickly reached the United States, where the first steam railroad opened in 1829. American railroad pioneers began to manufacture their own locomotives, designed to tackle tighter curves and rougher tracks. European nations also noticed British railroad developments, and most continental countries built and opened their first railroads in the 1830s and 1840s. Trains played an extremely key role during the American Civil War. Throughout the conflict, railroads allowed for the rapid transportation of a large number of troops and heavy artillery over long distances. One of the most significant uses of trains came after the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, when Abraham Lincoln sent 20,000 replacement troops from Washington to Georgia in just 11 days to bolster Union forces. Electric trains first appeared in the 1880s after the successful use of an electric tramway in Berlin, Germany. Electric-powered vehicles became more feasible and practical in the following decades. Many electric railroads were built around the world. Today's trains have mostly been developed based on early electric train designs. During World War II, trains served a variety of purposes, from transporting troops to rescuing refugees and the wounded. But trains were also created for offensive purposes, such as armored convoys. They usually consisted of railroad cars, armed with artillery, machine guns, and automatic cannons. Armored convoys were used mainly during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when they were considered an innovative way to swiftly move massive quantities of artillery. With the development of popular cars, trucks, and vast highway networks, which increased mobility rates, as well as faster and safer airplanes, trains lost importance over the years and many rail lines were abandoned. The proliferation of buses prompted the closure of electric tram systems in numerous cities. However, many environmentalists advocate the importance of electric trains, as they are low-polluting to the environment. Today, train technology continues to develop, most notably the impressive bullet train, which originated in Japan and was inaugurated in the 1926 Tokyo Olympics. Bullet trains reach speeds of over 300 kilometers per hour. Long journeys, which previously took a long time, are now much faster. In addition to Japan, countries such as France, China, or Germany already use these super-powered machines. Trains continue to be one of the world's most widely used means of transportation, whether through city subway lines, small urban tramways, trains equipped with dining cars, and sleeping cabins for longer journeys, or even freight trains, which are particularly important for transporting materials and food. Trains will continue to serve humanity for many years to come.