115-750: The Green Diamond was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Illinois Central Railroad between Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri . It operated from 1936 until 1968. It was the Illinois Central's first streamliner. Initially it operated with Illinois Central 121 , the last of the 1930s fixed-consist articulated streamliners built in the United States. After 1947, the Green Diamond operated with more conventional streamlined equipment until its discontinuance. The name honored
230-708: A third rail electric system , which is then used to power traction motors that drive the wheels. Electric traction offers a lower cost per mile of train operation but at a higher initial cost, which can only be justified on high traffic lines. Even though the cost per mile of construction is much higher, electric traction is cheaper to operate thanks to lower maintenance and purchase costs for locomotives and equipment. Compared to diesel locomotives, electric locomotives produce no direct emissions and accelerate much faster, making them better suited to passenger service, especially underground. Various other types of train propulsion have been tried, some more successful than others. In
345-612: A train driver controls the train's operation. They may also be installed on unpowered train cars known as cab or control cars , to allow for a train to operate with the locomotive at the rear. To prevent collisions or other accidents, trains are often scheduled, and almost always are under the control of train dispatchers . Historically, trains operated based on timetables ; most trains (including nearly all passenger trains), continue to operate based on fixed schedules, though freight trains may instead run on an as-needed basis, or when enough freight cars are available to justify running
460-582: A 1,200-+-900-horsepower (890 + 670 kW) cab/booster locomotive pulling nine cars of the same form. Automotive-styled cab/booster locomotive sets with 1,200-horsepower (890 kW) engines powered the Union Pacific's City of San Francisco and City of Denver sets. The two City of Denver sets started service two cars shorter than the M-10002 and M-10004 sets, with roomier and heavier straight-sided cars. The Union Pacific's initial streamliner service to
575-417: A Century of Progress exhibit. The Zephyr covered the distance in 13 hours, reaching a top speed of 112.5 mph (181.1 km/h) and running an average speed of 77.6 mph (124.9 km/h). The fuel for the run cost US$ 14.64 at 4¢ per U.S. gallon (equivalent to $ 333 and $ 9 per gallon respectively in 2023 after inflation). The Burlington's event was covered live on radio and drew large, cheering crowds as
690-463: A driver directly present. Around the world, various track gauges are in use for trains. In most cases, trains can only operate on tracks that are of the same gauge; where different gauge trains meet, it is known as a break of gauge . Standard gauge , defined as 1,435 mm (4 ft 8.5 in) between the rails, is the most common gauge worldwide, though both broad-gauge and narrow-gauge trains are also in use. Trains also need to fit within
805-505: A few holdouts in Europe and South America. China was the last country to fully dieselize, due to its abundant coal reserves; steam locomotives were used to haul mainline trains as late as 2005 in Inner Mongolia . Trains began to face strong competition from automobiles and freight trucks in the 1930s, which greatly intensified following World War II. After the war, air transport also became
920-564: A fixed schedule and have priority over freight trains . Passenger trains can be divided into short and long distance services. Long distance passenger trains travel over hundreds or even thousands of miles between cities. The longest passenger train service in the world is Russia's Trans-Siberian Railway between Moscow and Vladivostok , a distance of 9,289 kilometers (5,772 mi). In general, long distance trains may take days to complete their journeys, and stop at dozens of stations along their routes. For many rural communities, they are
1035-484: A locomotive) is referred to as a rake . A collection of rail vehicles may also be called a consist. A set of vehicles that are coupled together (such as the Pioneer Zephyr ) is called a trainset. The term rolling stock is used to describe any kind of railway vehicle. Trains are an evolution of wheeled wagons running on stone wagonways , the earliest of which were built by Babylon circa 2,200 BCE. Starting in
1150-591: A means of fighting traffic congestion on highways in urban areas. Bogies, also known in North America as trucks, support the wheels and axles of trains. Trucks range from just one axle to as many as four or more. Two-axle trucks are in the widest use worldwide, as they are better able to handle curves and support heavy loads than single axle trucks. Train vehicles are linked to one another by various systems of coupling. In much of Europe, India, and South America, trains primarily use buffers and chain couplers . In
1265-615: A mile of stopping distance. As such, emphasis is on educating motorists to yield to trains at crossings and avoid trespassing. The first trains were rope-hauled, gravity powered or pulled by horses. Steam locomotives work by burning coal, wood or oil fuel in a boiler to heat water into steam, which powers the locomotive's pistons which are in turn connected to the wheels. In the mid 20th century, most steam locomotives were replaced by diesel or electric locomotives, which were cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable. Steam locomotives are still used in heritage railways operated in many countries for
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#17328511747321380-740: A more streamlined nose than do previous TGVs. In 2015, Eurostar began to operate the electric multiple unit (EMU) British Rail Class 374 , also known as the Eurostar e320, on its high-speed services through the Channel Tunnel . The train serves destinations beyond Eurostar's core routes to the Gare du Nord station in Paris and the Brussels-South railway station . Owned by Eurostar International Limited and capable of operating at 320 km/h (199 mph),
1495-837: A pair of partially-articulated ten-car trainsets in November 1936. The Burlington moved the Denver Zephyr ' s six-cat sets to the Twin Cities Zephyr , transferring that train's original streamlined cars to other Burlington routes. The last of the classic Zephyrs was built for the Burlington's Kansas City–Saint Louis General Pershing Zephyr route. That trainset, which contained GM's newest 1,000-horsepower (750 kW) engine and conventional coupling, entered service in June 1939. The Burlington's original Zephyr trainsets remained in service in
1610-400: A significant competitor for passenger trains. Large amounts of traffic shifted to these new forms of transportation, resulting in a widespread decline in train service, both freight and passenger. A new development in the 1960s was high-speed rail , which runs on dedicated rights of way and travels at speeds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 mph) or greater. The first high-speed rail service
1725-874: A single rail, while funiculars and rack railways are uniquely designed to traverse steep slopes. Experimental trains such as high speed maglevs , which use magnetic levitation to float above a guideway, are under development in the 2020s and offer higher speeds than even the fastest conventional trains. Trains which use alternative fuels such as natural gas and hydrogen are another 21st-century development. Trains can be sorted into types based on whether they haul passengers or freight (though mixed trains which haul both exist), by their weight ( heavy rail for regular trains, light rail for lighter transit systems), by their speed, by their distance (short haul, long distance , transcontinental ), and by what form of track they use. Conventional trains operate on two rails, but several other types of track systems are also in use around
1840-536: A streamlined style. The South Manchuria Railway , which was under Japanese control at that time, also designed the Pashina class streamlined locomotive. The Railway operated the Asia Express , whose style was coordinated with that of Pashina locomotives. These streamlined steam locomotives took many man-hours to repair due to their casing. After the outbreak of World War II , the lack of an experienced labor force made
1955-557: A streamlined style. The selected locomotive was No. 43 of class C53. However Hideo Shima , the chief engineer of the conversion, thought streamlining had no practical effect on reducing air resistance, because Japanese trains at that time did not exceed a speed of 62 mph (100 km/h). Shima therefore designed the locomotive to create airflow that lifted exhaust smoke away from the locomotive. He had expected no practical effect on reducing air resistance completely, therefore he never tried to test fuel consumption or tractive force of
2070-528: A top speed of 112.5 mph (181.1 km/h). This was the fastest authenticated speed reached by a steam locomotive at the time, making #2 the rail speed record holder for steam and the first steam locomotive to top 110 mph (180 km/h). That record lasted until a German DRG Class 05 locomotive exceeded it the following year. The Illinois Central 121 trainset was the first of the Green Diamond streamliners running between Chicago and St Louis. It
2185-595: A train. Simple repairs may be done while a train is parked on the tracks, but more extensive repairs will be done at a motive power depot . Similar facilities exist for repairing damaged or defective train cars. Maintenance of way trains are used to build and repair railroad tracks and other equipment. Train drivers , also known as engineers, are responsible for operating trains. Conductors are in charge of trains and their cargo, and help passengers on passenger trains. Brakeman , also known as trainmen, were historically responsible for manually applying brakes, though
2300-432: A variety of systems, which may include characteristics of trams, heavier passenger trains, and rapid transit systems. There are a number of specialized trains which differ from the traditional definition of a train as a set of vehicles which travels on two rails. Monorails were developed to meet medium-demand traffic in urban transit, and consist of a train running on a single rail, typically elevated. Monorails represent
2415-563: A wide variety of cargo, flatcars (also known as flat wagons ) which have flat tops to hold cargo, hopper cars which carry bulk commodities, and tank cars which carry liquids and gases. Examples of more specialized types of train cars include bottle cars which hold molten steel, Schnabel cars which handle very heavy loads, and refrigerator cars which carry perishable goods. Early train cars were small and light, much like early locomotives, but over time they have become larger as locomotives have become more powerful. A passenger train
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#17328511747322530-481: Is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight . Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often known simply as "engines"), though some are self-propelled, such as multiple units or railcars . Passengers and cargo are carried in railroad cars , also known as wagons or carriages. Trains are designed to a certain gauge , or distance between rails. Most trains operate on steel tracks with steel wheels,
2645-428: Is used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self propelled passenger trains are known as multiple units or railcars . Passenger trains travel between stations or depots , where passengers may board and disembark. In most cases, passenger trains operate on
2760-603: The M-10000 (designated first as The Streamliner and later as the City of Salina when in revenue service from 1935 to 1941). The Burlington initially named its first train the Burlington Zephyr . The two railroads' trains each entered service as three-car articulated sets (including the power car). The Winton Engine Corporation , a subsidiary of General Motors (GM) , manufactured the engines for both locomotives. The prime mover for
2875-489: The Texas Eagle on a longer route since the 1980s. Pullman-Standard constructed the Green Diamond' s original fixed consist, which included a power car, baggage/mail car , coach, coach-dinette, and kitchen-dinette-parlor-observation car. The cars were numbered 121-125. The coach seated 56, while the coach-dinette seated 44 in the coach section and the dinette area had seating for 16. The parlor car had seating for 22. It
2990-750: The Twin Cities Hiawatha run. The Hudsons could cruise above 110 mph (177 km/h) and were said to exceed 120 mph (193 km/h) on occasion. Otto Kuhler designed the Milwaukee Road's speedsters with "shovel nose" styling. Some of the class 7's details were evocative of those of the Zephyrs . Also in 1937, the Electro-Motive Corporation (EMC)—later incorporated into GM's Electro-Motive Division (EMD) —started production of streamlined diesel-electric passenger locomotives, incorporating
3105-525: The Burlington Zephyr' s diesel-electric propulsion was a new 600 hp diesel engine. The Union Pacific's M-10000 had a 600-horsepower (450 kW) spark-ignition engine that ran on "petroleum distillate", a fuel similar to kerosene. The two trainsets were star attractions at the 1934 World's Fair (" A Century of Progress ") in Chicago, Illinois . During its set's demonstration period, the Union Pacific named
3220-596: The City of Denver trains. The train's cars then became spare equipment. The two City of Denver trainsets ( M–10005 and M–10006), after cannibalizing power from the M-10001 and M-10004 , remained in service until 1953. Class GG1 electric locomotives brought streamlined styling to the Pennsylvania Railroad 's fleet of electric locomotives in late 1934. Meanwhile, the Boston and Maine 's Flying Yankee , identical to
3335-629: The ETR 401 ("Pendolino") , the ETR 450 ("Pendolino") and the ETR 500 . Streamliner service temporarily ended in the United Kingdom with the outbreak of WWII. During the war, the LNER and LMS streamlined locomotives had part of their streamlining removed to aid maintenance. By the late 1940s and early 1950s, the state of the railways was improving as deteriorated track conditions caused by delayed maintenance work were corrected. The repairs and new improvements enabled
3450-672: The Ford Motor Company concurrent with Ford's development of its Trimotor aircraft. In 1931, Pullman enlisted the services of the Trimotor design contributor William Bushnell Stout to apply airplane fuselage design concepts to railcars. The result was the Railplane (not the Bennie Railplane ), a streamlined self-propelled railcar with a tapered cross-section, lightweight tubular aluminum space frame and duralumin skin. In testing with
3565-616: The Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad in 1932, it reportedly reached 90 mph (145 km/h). The Union Pacific had been seeking improvements to self-propelled railcars based on European design ideas. The performance of the Railplane encouraged the railroad to increase its efforts in partnership with Pullman-Standard. In 1931, the Budd Company reached an agreement with the French tire company Michelin to produce pneumatic-tired rail motorcars in
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3680-529: The Hobart to Launceston expresses. Despite — or perhaps because of — the strategic priorities of World War II, some new streamliner locomotives were built in Australia during and immediately after the war. The first five New South Wales C38 class locomotives were modestly streamlined with distinctive conical noses, while the twelve South Australian Railways 520 class locomotives featured extravagant streamlining in
3795-457: The Iron Curtain ) and advances in technology to convert their trains to diesel or electric power. France, Russia, Switzerland, and Japan were leaders in adopting widespread electrified railroads, while other nations focused primarily on dieselization . By 1980, the majority of the world's steam locomotives had been retired, though they continued to be used in parts of Africa and Asia, along with
3910-471: The M-10000 as a three-car set until the railroad was retired the set in 1941. The trainset's 1942 scrapping provided Duralumin that was recycled for use in war-time military aircraft. The Union Pacific also commissioned the construction of five modified trainsets that had evolved from the initial M-10000 design. Those streamlined trains inaugurated the railroad's high-speed service out of Chicago while bearing
4025-534: The M-10000 as the Streamliner , providing the first use of the term with respect to trains. The Streamliner ' s publicity tour in February–May 1934 attracted over a million visitors and gained attention in national media as the herald of a new era in rail transportation. On 26 May 1934, the Burlington's Zephyr made a record-breaking "Dawn to Dusk" run from Denver, Colorado , to Chicago for its grand entry as
4140-755: The New York Central Railroad 's Ohio Xplorer and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad 's Dan'l Webster . The pair were problematic and were withdrawn from service by 1960. GM 's project, originally called Train Y , was marketed as the Aerotrain . It featured a futuristic, automotive-styled EMD LWT12 diesel–electric locomotive pulling aluminum coaches adapted from GM's long-distance bus design. Two trainsets were produced in 1955 and were trialed by several railroads, but no orders were forthcoming. The two demonstration units were eventually sold to
4255-679: The Northlander until 1992. From 1961, the SBB used for TEE service the RAe TEE II , a set of five streamlined electric trains compatible with four different railway electrification systems . Italy used pre-war trains and new trains that the Italian State Railways—Ferrovie dello Stato (FS)—developed. The new trains included the FS Class ETR 250 ("Arlecchino") , the ETR 300 ("Settebello") ,
4370-543: The Portland–Seattle run until the railroad took it out of service again in March 1943. After running for 18 months as the City of San Francisco M-10004 , the locomotive spent six months being refurbished and then served from July 1938 as a second unit on the City of Los Angeles . The Union Pacific retired the locomotive in March 1939. The Union Pacific converted the M-10001 and M-10004 power units to additional boosters for
4485-551: The Rock Island Line , which was already operating an EMD LWT12 paired with Talgo II cars from ACF Industries as the Jet Rocket . Rock Island operated them in commuter service until 1966. The Speed Merchant project also produced only two examples. They consisted of Fairbanks-Morse P-12-42 locomotives paired with Talgo II cars from ACF Industries, and were used by the Boston and Maine Railroad for commuter service and by
4600-502: The Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. British engineer George Stephenson ran a steam locomotive named Locomotion No. 1 on this 40-kilometer (25-mile) long line, hauling over 400 passengers at up to 13 kilometers per hour (8 mph). The success of this locomotive, and Stephenson's Rocket in 1829, convinced many of the value in steam locomotives, and within a decade the stock market bubble known as " Railway Mania " started across
4715-473: The aluminum trains are sixteen-unit versions of the Siemens Velaro . High-speed steam service continued in the United States after World War II, but became increasingly uneconomical. The New York Central's Super Hudsons went out of service in 1948 as the line converted to diesel for passenger service. The Milwaukee Road retired its high speed Hiawatha steam locomotives between 1949 and 1951. The last of
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4830-640: The loading gauge profile to avoid fouling bridges and lineside infrastructure with this being a potential limiting factor on loads such as intermodal container types that may be carried. Train accidents sometimes occur, including derailments (when a train leaves the tracks) and train wrecks (collisions between trains). Accidents were more common in the early days of trains, when railway signal systems, centralized traffic control , and failsafe systems to prevent collisions were primitive or did not yet exist. To prevent accidents, systems such as automatic train stop are used; these are failsafe systems that apply
4945-539: The "green diamond" in the Illinois Central's logo as well as the Diamond Special , the Illinois Central's oldest train on the Chicago-St. Louis run. The Green Diamond first ran in regular service on May 17, 1936. It was the Illinois Central's first streamlined passenger train and proved popular with the traveling public to the point that demand outstripped the streamliner's fixed capacity. The Green Diamond covered
5060-580: The "silver streak" zipped by. Adding to the sensation of the Zephyr were the striking appearance of its fluted stainless steel bodywork and its raked, rounded, aerodynamic front end that symbolized its modernity. The train's design echoed in steam locomotive styling throughout the following years. After its Worlds Fair display and a nationwide demonstration tour, the Zephyr entered revenue service between Kansas City, Missouri, and Lincoln, Nebraska, on 11 November 1934. A total of nine Zephyr trainsets were built for
5175-405: The 1500s, wagonways were introduced to haul material from mines; from the 1790s, stronger iron rails were introduced. Following early developments in the second half of the 1700s, in 1804 a steam locomotive built by British inventor Richard Trevithick powered the first ever steam train. Outside of coal mines, where fuel was readily available, steam locomotives remained untried until the opening of
5290-559: The 1920s. In 1931, the J. G. Brill Company introduced the Bullet , a lightweight, wind-tunnel designed car with a rounded front that could run either singly or in multiple-unit sets, capable of speeds over 90 mph (145 km/h). Although Depression -era economics cut into sales, the design was highly successful in service, lasting into the 1980s. In 1925, the recently-formed Pullman Car & Manufacturing Corporation experimented with lightweight self-propelled railcars in co-operation with
5405-502: The 1970s as an alternative to congested highways and a means to promote development , as has light rail in the 21st century. Freight trains remain important for the transport of bulk commodities such as coal and grain, as well as being a means of reducing road traffic congestion by freight trucks. While conventional trains operate on relatively flat tracks with two rails, a number of specialized trains exist which are significantly different in their mode of operation. Monorails operate on
5520-399: The 294 miles (473 km) from Chicago to St. Louis in 4 hours 55 minutes, averaging 59 miles per hour (95 km/h). The Green Diamond required a single consist to operate, departing Chicago for St. Louis in the morning and returning that same evening. The name honored the "green diamond" in the Illinois Central's logo as well as the Diamond Special , the Illinois Central's oldest train on
5635-476: The Budd Company just a (much) more powerful engine away from producing a history-making streamlined trainset. The Great Depression caused a catastrophic loss of business for the rail industry as a whole and for manufacturers of motorized railcars whose primary markets, branch line services, were among the first to be cut. The interests of lightweight equipment manufacturers and rail operators therefore focused on
5750-652: The Burlington and put into service over longer routes. Twin-engine power units and eventually booster power units met the trainsets' additional power requirements. The Burlington's four-car Mark Twain Zephyr entered revenue service in October 1935 on the railroad's Saint Louis– Burlington, Iowa , route. Two partially-articulated six-car trainsets entered service in May 1936 on the Burlington's Denver Zephyr route, which connected Chicago and Denver. The Burlington then replaced those sets with
5865-582: The Burlington between 1934 and 1939. Each ran as named trains on various Burlington midwestern routes. The Burlington later renamed the Burlington Zephyr as the Pioneer Zephyr in honor of that train's status as the first of the fleet. In April 1935, two Twin Cities Zephyrs that bore the same three-car configuration entered service on the railroad's Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul route. Larger trainsets with more powerful Winton engines were built for
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#17328511747325980-463: The Chicago-St. Louis run. Conventional equipment with expanded seating capacity replaced the articulated streamliner in 1947. After the discontinuance of the Daylight and Night Diamond on October 27, 1958, the Green Diamond became the Illinois Central's last train between Chicago and St. Louis and its departure from St. Louis moved up to mid-afternoon. On May 20, 1968 the Illinois Central truncated
6095-525: The Dutch NS procured five diesel-electric RAm TEE I (Swiss) and NS DE4 (Dutch) trainsets for Zürich - Amsterdam and Amsterdam- Brussels -Paris services. One set was lost in an accident 1971. The remaining four sets operated as TEE trains until 1974, were transferred to Canada for use on the Ontario Northland Railway (ONR) in 1976. The ONR operated three trains on its Toronto – Moosonee line as
6210-617: The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad's John Quincy Adams . Both were retired by 1964. In 1956, the Budd Company produced a single streamlined, lightweight, six car DMU trainset that the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad operated as the Roger Williams . After a short period of time in high speed service, the train was split up and the cars were used in service with the New Haven's other RDCs . The advent of jet air travel in
6325-654: The Pennsylvania Railroad's class K4 locomotives. In 1937, Otto Kuhler used a variation of the bullet-front design on a 4-6-2 locomotive constructed for the Baltimore & Ohio 's streamlined Royal Blue . Henry Dreyfuss used a similar variation for the J-3a Super Hudsons that pulled the 20th Century Limited and other NYC express trains. In 1937, the Milwaukee Road introduced the class F7 Hudsons on
6440-611: The Pennsylvania Railroad's short-lived T1 class locomotives went out of service in 1952. All of those iconic locomotives were scrapped. The last steam streamliners built were three Norfolk and Western class J locomotives in 1950, which operated until 1959. In 1951, the Interstate Commerce Commission implemented regulations restricting most trains to speeds of 79 mph (127 km/h) or below unless automatic train stop , automatic train control , or cab signalling were installed. The new regulations minimized one of
6555-472: The US, as an improvement on the heavy, underpowered and shimmy-prone " doodlebugs " that ran on American tracks. In that endeavor, Budd would produce lightweight rail equipment utilizing unibody construction and the high strength alloy stainless steel , enabled by shot welding , a breakthrough in electrical welding technique. The venture produced articulated power-trailer car sets with streamlined styling, which left
6670-419: The United Kingdom. News of the success of steam locomotives quickly reached the United States, where the first steam railroad opened in 1829. American railroad pioneers soon started manufacturing their own locomotives, designed to handle the sharper curves and rougher track typical of the country's railroads. The other nations of Europe also took note of British railroad developments, and most countries on
6785-768: The United States, the Gatimaan Express in India, and the KTM ETS in Malaysia. A number of types of trains are used to provide rapid transit to urban areas. These are distinct from traditional passenger trains in that they operate more frequently, typically do not share tracks with freight trains, and cover relatively short distances. Many different kinds of systems are in use globally. Rapid transit trains that operate in tunnels below ground are known as subways, undergrounds, or metros. Elevated railways operate on viaducts or bridges above
6900-399: The advantages of diesel became compelling enough for a growing number of rail lines to select diesel over steam for new passenger equipment. The power and top speed advantages of state-of-the-art steam locomotives were more than offset by diesel's advantages in service flexibility, downtime, maintenance costs and economic efficiency for most operators. The American Locomotive Company (ALCO),
7015-567: The benefits of trains for transport led to a revival in their use and importance. Freight trains are significantly more efficient than trucks, while also emitting far fewer greenhouse gas emissions per ton-mile; passenger trains are also far more energy efficient than other modes of transport. According to the International Energy Agency , "On average, rail requires 12 times less energy and emits 7–11 times less GHGs per passenger-km travelled than private vehicles and airplanes, making it
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#17328511747327130-525: The boiler in shrouding, streamlining of the GS-3/GS-4 series locomotives consisted of skyline casing flush with the smokestack and smoke-lifting skirting along the boiler that left the silver-painted smokebox on full display. The trend of streamliners also came to Japan. In 1934, the Ministry of Railways ( Japanese Government Railways , JGR) decided to convert one of its 3-cylinder steam locomotives class C53 into
7245-518: The brakes on a train if it passes a red signal and enters an occupied block , or if any of the train's equipment malfunctions. More advanced safety systems, such as positive train control , can also automatically regulate train speed, preventing derailments from entering curves or switches too fast. Modern trains have a very good safety record overall, comparable with air travel. In the United States between 2000 and 2009, train travel averaged 0.43 deaths per billion passenger miles traveled. While this
7360-540: The builder of the Hiawatha speedsters, saw diesel as the future of passenger service and introduced streamlined locomotives influenced by the design of the E units in 1939 . The replacement of steam with diesel power was interrupted by the US entry into World War II, with a military premium on diesel technology that stopped all production of diesel locomotives for passenger service between September 1942 and January 1945. Streamlined steam locomotives continued to be produced into
7475-694: The cars and apply the brakes when the train went downhill. Hand brakes are still used to park cars and locomotives, but the predominant braking system for trains globally is air brakes, invented in 1869 by George Westinghouse . Air brakes are applied at once to the entire train using air hoses. For safety and communication, trains are equipped with bells , horns , and lights . Steam locomotives typically use steam whistles rather than horns. Other types of lights may be installed on locomotives and cars, such as classification lights , Mars Lights , and ditch lights . Locomotives are in most cases equipped with cabs, also known as driving compartments, where
7590-473: The closure of many rapid transit and tram systems during this time as well. Since the 1970s, governments, environmentalists , and train advocates have promoted increased use of trains due to their greater fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to other modes of land transport. High-speed rail , first built in the 1960s, has proven competitive with cars and planes over short to medium distances. Commuter rail has grown in importance since
7705-522: The company built for the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific Railroads between 1905 and 1917. Most McKeen cars sported a pointed "wind splitter" front, a rounded rear and round porthole style windows in a style that was as much nautically as aerodynamically inspired. The McKeen cars were unsuccessful because the internal combustion drive technology for that application was unreliable at
7820-461: The continent constructed and opened their first railroads in the 1830s and 1840s, following the first run of a steam train in France in late 1829. In the 1850s, trains continued to expand across Europe, with many influenced by or purchases of American locomotive designs. Other European countries pursued their own distinct designs. Around the world, steam locomotives grew larger and more powerful throughout
7935-479: The converted locomotive. The Japanese government planned to use this one converted streamline locomotive on the passenger express route between Osaka and Nagoya. The converted locomotive gained much popularity from the public. JGR therefore decided to build 21 new streamlined versions of the class C55 locomotive . Additionally, JGR built 3 streamlined class EF55 electric locomotives. Kiha-43000 diesel multiple units and Moha-52 electric multiple units also received
8050-469: The development of a new generation of lightweight, high speed, internal combustion-electric powered streamlined trainsets that were primarily designed for mainline service. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (Burlington) and the Union Pacific sought to increase the efficiency of their passenger services by looking to the lightweight, petroleum-powered technology that Budd and Pullman-Standard were developing. The Union Pacific named its project
8165-637: The earlier EMC 1800 hp B-B development design locomotives, the twin-engine format and multiple-unit control systems that facilitated cab/booster locomotive sets. The E-units brought sufficient power for full-sized trains such as the B&;O Capitol Limited , the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 's (AT&SF's) Super Chief , and the Union Pacific's upgraded City of Los Angeles and City of San Francisco , which challenged steam power in all aspects of passenger service. EMC introduced standardized production to
8280-542: The early postwar era. Among the most distinctive were the Pennsylvania Railroad's duplex-drive 6-4-4-6 type S1 and 4-4-4-4 type T1 locomotives that Raymond Loewy styled. In terms of service longevity, the most successful were the Southern Pacific GS-3 Daylight locomotives introduced in 1938 and the Norfolk and Western class J locomotives introduced in 1941. In contrast to designs that completely encased
8395-461: The first decade of the 1900s. Experimentation with diesel and gas power continued, culminating in the German " Flying Hamburger " in 1933, and the influential American EMD FT in 1939. These successful diesel locomotives showed that diesel power was superior to steam, due to lower costs, ease of maintenance, and better reliability. Meanwhile, Italy developed an extensive network of electric trains during
8510-483: The first decades of the 20th century, driven by that country's lack of significant coal reserves. World War II brought great destruction to existing railroads across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Following the war's conclusion in 1945, nations which had suffered extensive damage to their railroad networks took the opportunity provided by Marshall Plan funds (or economic assistance from the USSR and Comecon , for nations behind
8625-713: The first train powered by electricity in 1879, and went on to pioneer electric trams . Another German inventor, Rudolf Diesel , constructed the first diesel engine in the 1890s, though the potential of his invention to power trains was not realized until decades later. Between 1897 and 1903, tests of experimental electric locomotives on the Royal Prussian Military Railway in Germany demonstrated they were viable, setting speed records in excess of 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph). Early gas powered " doodlebug " self-propelled railcars entered service on railroads in
8740-410: The ground, often on top of city streets. "Metro" may also refer to rapid transit that operates at ground level. In many systems, two or even all three of these types may exist on different portions of a network. Trams, also known in North America as streetcars, typically operate on or parallel to streets in cities, with frequent stops and a high frequency of service. Light rail is a catchall term for
8855-774: The key advantages of rail travel over the automobile, which became an increasingly attractive alternative as postwar construction of highway systems progressed. Rail operators marketed their services on the basis of luxurious sightseeing, as airlines increasingly competed with rail lines for long-distance travel. In the mid-1950s, there were several attempts to revive the lightweight custom streamliner concept. None of these projects achieved any lasting impact on passenger service. The Train X project, first promoted by Robert R. Young no later than 1948, resulted in low-profile Baldwin RP-210 locomotives paired with articulated aluminum cars from Pullman-Standard . Two trainsets were built in 1956 for
8970-481: The late 1800s to transport large numbers of people in and around cities. Beginning in the 1920s, and accelerating following World War II , diesel and electric locomotives replaced steam as the means of motive power. Following the development of cars , trucks , and extensive networks of highways which offered greater mobility, as well as faster airplanes , trains declined in importance and market share, and many rail lines were abandoned. The spread of buses led to
9085-484: The late 1950s brought forth a new round of price competition from airlines for long-distance travel, severely affecting the ridership and profitability of long-distance passenger rail service. Government regulations forced railroads to continue to operate passenger rail service, even on long routes where, the railroads argued, it was almost impossible to make a profit. Trainset A train (from Old French trahiner , from Latin trahere , "to pull, to draw" )
9200-480: The leisure and enthusiast market. Diesel locomotives are powered with a diesel engine, which generates electricity to drive traction motors. This is known as a diesel–electric transmission , and is used on most larger diesels. Diesel power replaced steam for a variety of reasons: diesel locomotives were less complex, far more reliable, cheaper, cleaner, easier to maintain, and more fuel efficient. Electric trains receive their current via overhead lines or through
9315-590: The lightweight carbody construction and raked, rounded front end introduced with the Zephyr and the high-mounted, behind-the-nose cab of the M-1000x locomotives. One of the first, EMC's TA , was a 1,200-horsepower (890 kW) version produced for the Rock Island Rockets , a series of six lightweight, semi-articulated three and four-car trainsets. EMC/EMD manufactured streamlined E-unit diesel-electric locomotives from 1937 to 1963. These incorporated two features of
9430-591: The limitations of the locomotives' technology when meeting the demands of long-distance and higher capacity service. The M-10001 ran for only 32 months as the City of Portland before it was replaced, re-entered service on the Portland–Seattle run and retired in June 1939. Similarly, the M-10002 spent 19 months as the Union Pacific's City of Los Angeles , 39 months as the City of Portland and ten months out of service starting in July 1941. The locomotive then served on
9545-461: The locomotive industry, with its attendant economies of scale and simplified processes for ordering, producing and servicing locomotives. As a result, EMC was able to offer a variety of support services that decreased technological and initial cost barriers that would otherwise deter conversions to diesel-electric power. With power and reliability of new diesel-electric units improved with the 2,000-horsepower (1,500 kW) EMC E3 locomotive in 1938,
9660-467: The low friction of which makes them more efficient than other forms of transport. Trains have their roots in wagonways , which used railway tracks and were powered by horses or pulled by cables . Following the invention of the steam locomotive in the United Kingdom in 1802, trains rapidly spread around the world, allowing freight and passengers to move over land faster and cheaper than ever possible before. Rapid transit and trams were first built in
9775-715: The mid 1900s, gas turbine locomotives were developed and successfully used, though most were retired due to high fuel costs and poor reliability. In the 21st century, alternative fuels for locomotives are under development, due to increasing costs for diesel and a desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from trains. Examples include hydrail (trains powered by hydrogen fuel cells) and the use of compressed or liquefied natural gas . Train cars, also known as wagons, are unpowered rail vehicles which are typically pulled by locomotives. Many different types exist, specialized to handle various types of cargo. Some common types include boxcars (also known as covered goods wagons ) that carry
9890-502: The most efficient mode of motorised passenger transport. Aside from shipping, freight rail is the most energy-efficient and least carbon-intensive way to transport goods." As such, rail transport is considered an important part of achieving sustainable energy . Intermodal freight trains, carrying double-stack shipping containers , have since the 1970s generated significant business for railroads and gained market share from trucks. Increased use of commuter rail has also been promoted as
10005-423: The names City of Portland (June 1935), City of Los Angeles (May 1936), City of San Francisco (June 1936) and City of Denver (June 1936). The M-10001 set had a single power unit that contained a 1,200-horsepower (890 kW) Winton diesel engine. The power unit pulled six tapered low-profile cars that had the form of the original three-car M-10000 trainset. The M-10002 ' s set consisted of
10120-533: The only form of public transportation available. Short distance or regional passenger trains have travel times measured in hours or even minutes, as opposed to days. They run more frequently than long distance trains, and are often used by commuters. Short distance passenger trains specifically designed for commuters are known as commuter rail . High speed trains are designed to be much faster than conventional trains, and typically run on their own separate tracks than other, slower trains. The first high speed train
10235-523: The original Zephyr, entered service between Boston and Portland, Maine , on 1 April 1935. The Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad Rebel trainsets were similar to the Zephyr in form, but were not articulated. Designed by Otto Kuhler , the ALCO powered diesel-electrics that the American Car and Foundry Company constructed were placed into service on 10 July 1935. While streamlining on steam locomotives
10350-504: The postwar era. The railroad retired the last of its six-car sets in 1968 after using it as the Nebraska Zephyr . On 31 January 1935, the Union Pacific's three-car M-10000 went into service between Kansas City, Missouri , and Salina, Kansas , as The Streamliner . The train subsequently became the City of Salina under the railroad's naming convention for its expanding fleet of diesel-powered streamliners. The Union Pacific operated
10465-467: The problems worse. As a result, many of the locomotives had their casings removed. Streamliner locomotives arrived relatively late in Australia. In 1937 streamlined casings were fitted on four Victorian Railways S class locomotives for the Spirit of Progress service between Melbourne and Albury . Similar casings were then fitted on two Tasmanian Government Railways R class narrow-gauge locomotives for
10580-458: The railways to provide additional mainline trackage for high speed trains. The first experiments with diesel streamliner services in the United Kingdom were the Blue Pullman trains introduced in 1960 and withdrawn in 1973. These provided 90-mile-per-hour (140 km/h) luxury business services, but were marginally successful and ran only a little faster than mainstream services. The Blue Pullman
10695-712: The rest of the century as technology advanced. Trains first entered service in South America, Africa, and Asia through construction by imperial powers , which starting in the 1840s built railroads to solidify control of their colonies and transport cargo for export. In Japan, which was never colonized, railroads first arrived in the early 1870s. By 1900, railroads were operating on every continent besides uninhabited Antarctica. Even as steam locomotive technology continued to improve, inventors in Germany started work on alternative methods for powering trains. Werner von Siemens built
10810-547: The rest of the world, Janney couplers are the most popular, with a few local variations persisting (such as Wilson couplers in the former Soviet Union). On multiple units all over the world, Scharfenberg couplers are common. Because trains are heavy, powerful brakes are needed to slow or stop trains, and because steel wheels on steel rails have relatively low friction, brakes must be distributed among as many wheels as possible. Early trains could only be stopped by manually applied hand brakes, requiring workers to ride on top of
10925-461: The set in 1950. The visual styling of the new trainsets made the existing fleets of locomotives and railcars suddenly look obsolete. Rail lines soon responded by adding streamlined shrouding and varying degrees of mechanical improvement to older locomotives and re-styling heavyweight cars. The first American steam locomotive to receive that treatment was one of the New York Central Railroad 's (NYC's) J-1 Hudson class locomotives built in 1930, which
11040-568: The speed record that the first DMU "Flying Hamburger" had set 1933 traveling between Hamburg and Berlin. A TGV high-speed test train set a world record for the fastest wheeled train, reaching 575 km/h (357 mph) in 2007. Conventional TGV services operate at up to 322 km/h (200 mph) on the LGV Est , LGV Rhin-Rhône and LGV Méditerranée . The power cars of the TGV Euroduplex (2N2) , which began commercial operations in 2011, have
11155-629: The style of the Pennsylvania Railroad 's T1 . In all cases, the streamlining on Australian steam locomotives were purely aesthetic, with negligible impacts on train speeds. In Europe, the streamliner tradition gained new life after World War II . In Germany, DRG Class SVT 137 trains resumed service, but at slower speeds than before the war. Based on the Kruckenberg SVT 137, the Deutsche Bundesbahn 's (DB's) streamlined diesel-electric Class VT 11.5 (later renamed to DB Class 601) built in 1957
11270-763: The term is used today to refer to crew members who perform tasks such as operating switches, coupling and uncoupling train cars, and setting handbrakes on equipment. Steam locomotives require a fireman who is responsible for fueling and regulating the locomotive's fire and boiler. On passenger trains, other crew members assist passengers, such as chefs to prepare food, and service attendants to provide food and drinks to passengers. Other passenger train specific duties include passenger car attendants, who assist passengers with boarding and alighting from trains, answer questions, and keep train cars clean, and sleeping car attendants, who perform similar duties in sleeping cars . Some trains can operate with automatic train operation without
11385-424: The term was applied to passenger cars, trucks, and other types of light-, medium-, or heavy-duty vehicles, but now vehicle streamlining is so prevalent that it is not an outstanding characteristic. In land speed racing , it is a term applied to the long, slender, custom built, high-speed vehicles with enclosed wheels. The earliest known streamlined rail equipment in the United States were McKeen rail motorcars that
11500-544: The time. Further, the lightweight frames dictated by the cars' limited power tended to break. Streamlined rail motorcars would appear again in the early 1930s after the internal combustion-electric propulsion technology that General Electric developed and that the Electro-Motive Company (EMC) promoted became the accepted technology for use rail motorcars in the 1920s. Streetcar builders sought to build electric cars with improved speed for interurban lines through
11615-470: The train's route to Springfield, Illinois and renamed it the Governor's Special , a name which, if nothing else, suited the new terminus. The Green Diamond had operated just over 32 years. Amtrak did not continue the Governor's Special , which ended revenue service on April 30, 1971. However, Amtrak has provided Lincoln Service between Chicago and St Louis along a different route, as well as operating
11730-471: The west coast consisted of five runs monthly for each route. The railroad maintained its daily overnight service on the Chicago–Denver run by assigning three locomotive sets for two trains. The railroad then augmented that stable with locomotive equipment taken from other runs. Despite the breakthrough schedule times of the long-distance M-1000x "City" trains, the records of the Union Pacific's fleet reflected
11845-540: The world, such as monorail . The railway terminology that is used to describe a train varies between countries. The International Union of Railways seeks to provide standardised terminology across languages. The Association of American Railroads provides terminology for North America. The British Rail Safety and Standards Board defines a train as a "light locomotive, self-propelled rail vehicle or road-rail vehicle in rail mode." A collection of passenger or freight carriages connected together (not necessarily with
11960-439: Was art deco , as was popular in the period. In 1947 the Illinois Central replaced this trainset with a set of conventional cars. The four coaches came new from Pullman-Standard, while the remainder the Illinois Central rebuilt from heavyweight cars in its own shops: Additional rebuilt baggage, baggage-dormitory, and mail/express cars were added to the Green Diamond' s equipment pool in 1947-1948. The original articulated consist
12075-483: Was a cafe/bar coach and two other coaches. Streamliner A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance . The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor " bullet trains ". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired upright and recumbent bicycles . As part of the Streamline Moderne trend,
12190-542: Was a five-unit (including power car) articulated trainset for day service. The Pullman-built set had the same power format and 1,200-horsepower (890 kW) Winton diesel engine as M-10001, with some style aspects that resembled the later M1000x trainsets. The Illinois Central ran the 121 trainset on the Green Diamond from May 1936 to 1947. After an overhaul, the railroad placed the set on the Jackson Mississippi–New Orleans run until it retired and scrapped
12305-541: Was followed by research into streamlined trains and tilting trains , the first to enter passenger service, in 1976, being the diesel powered InterCity 125 ( Class 43 ), followed by the electric, tilting, British Rail Class 370 , and Class 91 , in combination offering 125 mph (201 km/h) streamlined train services across the United Kingdom. High-speed service with the electric German ICE 1 (Class 401) began in 1991. The train, which has traveled at speeds of up to 280 km/h (174 mph) in revenue service, broke
12420-865: Was higher than that of air travel at 0.07 deaths per billion passenger miles, it was also far below the 7.28 deaths per billion passenger miles of car travel. In the 21st century, several derailments of oil trains caused fatalities, most notably the Canadian Lac-Mégantic rail disaster in 2013 which killed 47 people and leveled much of the town of Lac-Mégantic . The vast majority of train-related fatalities, over 90 percent, are due to trespassing on railroad tracks, or collisions with road vehicles at level crossings . Organizations such as Operation Lifesaver have been formed to improve safety awareness at railroad crossings, and governments have also launched ad campaigns. Trains cannot stop quickly when at speed; even an emergency brake application may still require more than
12535-422: Was more about marketing than performance, newly designed locomotives with state-of-the-art steam technology were able to travel at high speeds. The Milwaukee Road class A Atlantics , built in 1935 to compete with the Twin Cities Zephyr , were the first "steamliners" equipped to back up their styled claim to extra speed. In a 15 May 1935 run by locomotive No. 2 and a dynamometer car, the railroad documented
12650-521: Was re-introduced with streamlined shrouding and named the Commodore Vanderbilt in December 1934. The Vanderbilt styling was a one-off design by Carl Kantola. The NYC's next venture in streamlined styling was Henry Dreyfuss ' 1936 full-length exterior and interior design of the railroad's Mercury trainsets. Raymond Loewy also designed in 1936 art-deco shrouding with a bullet-front scheme for
12765-461: Was reassigned first to the Daylight and then the Miss Lou . Service cutbacks in 1967 led to the removal of the parlor-observation car and the replacement of the dining car by a cafe-lounge. In June 1968, service between Springfield and St. Louis was discontinued and the remaining segment of the former Green Diamond was renamed the Governor's Special . As the Governor's Special the typical consist
12880-544: Was the Japanese Shinkansen , which entered service in 1964. In the following decades, high speed rail networks were developed across much of Europe and Eastern Asia, providing fast and reliable service competitive with automobiles and airplanes. The first high-speed train in the Americas was Amtrak 's Acela in the United States, which entered service in 2000. Towards the end of the 20th century, increased awareness of
12995-538: Was the Japanese Shinkansen , which opened in 1964. In the 21st century, services such as the French TGV and German Intercity Express are competitive with airplanes in travel time over short to medium distances. A subset of high speed trains are higher speed trains , which bridge the gap between conventional and high speed trains, and travel at speeds between the two. Examples include the Northeast Regional in
13110-405: Was the last fixed-consist train built in the 1930s for a railroad in the United States. The equipment was painted in a "bright two-tone green paint scheme." Motive power was provided by 1,200 hp (890 kW) EMC Winton 201-A 16-cylinder engine. A second generator within the power car provided electricity for the lights, while a separate steam generator heated the train. The train's interior
13225-594: Was used as the " Trans Europ Express (TEE)" for international high-speed trains. From 1965, the DB used the streamlined electric locomotives DB Class 103 with regular trains for high-speed service. From 1973, the DB used the DB Class 403 , a fully streamlined four-unit electric train with tilting technology. In East Germany, the DR Class VT 18.16 [ de ] was built for international express service. The Swiss SBB and
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