|
|
|
|
Researched by Jamielyn R. |
|
Introduction
“The railroad is one of the most important means of transportation.”
Trains are made of railroad cars hooked together. Locomotives pull the
railroad cars. Locomotives are often called engines.
Types Of Trains
There are two main types of trains: freight and passenger.
Freight trains haul goods like grain. The freight train got its name
from the word “freight” which means “goods.” Freight trains have many
cars: boxcar, flatcar, gondola car, and hopper car. A boxcar looks like
a long, enclosed box on wheels, a flatcar has no sides, a hopper car
has high sides, and a gondola car has low sides. “The things you will
use tomorrow are taking the train today.”
Passenger trains on the other hand haul people.
Passenger trains also have many cars: coach cars, sleeping cars, dome
cars, dining cars, and baggage cars. If you ever see a coach car you
will probably see a lot of passengers. In sleeping cars passengers will
probably be sleeping because the chairs turn into beds. Dome cars (also
called observation cars) have humongous windows so people can see the
scenery. People eat in dining cars. Baggage cars carry your suitcases.
History
Railroads started many years ago. In fact, the miners started it! They
got the idea in the 1500’s. The miners started the railroad because
they got tired of pushing their heavy carts up and out of the mine. The
first public railroad was in the United Kingdom in the 1800’s.The
railroad used to be pulled by horses. By the 1930’s trains traveled
almost everywhere. By the 1950’s airplanes were more popular than
trains. In the 1960’s-1990’s fewer people were riding trains. Soon
railroads were being put out of business.
Railroad Tracks
Railroad tracks are rails held together by big wooden ties. Ties are
also called crossties. Crossties are 21 inches or 53 centimeters apart.
Crossties are normally 3,000 per mile. The rails are laid on gravel
called a roadbed. Big nails hold rails and ties together. The railroad
owns the land under and beside the roadbed.
People Who Work On Trains
Some people who work for the railroad are: porters, conductors,
engineers, brakemen, switchmen, yardmen, yardmaster, and agents. Agents
sell tickets. Conductors take the tickets. Porters help people board
the train. Engineers drive the train. Brakemen hook and unhook the
railroad cars. Switchmen and yardmen work in railroad yards. The
yardmen use a computer to keep track of trains.
Related Career
A related career to railroading is the airplane industry. They are both
forms of transportation that carry huge numbers of people and enormous
amounts of freight each day.
How Trains Move
Trains move very differently than cars or planes, trains steer
themselves! Actually they just follow the track. A motor turns
the wheels on the locomotive. Then the locomotive pushes, or pulls, the
train.
Distributed Power Unit
The distributed power unit, or DPU, is a locomotive set capable of
remote control operation. DPUs are normally placed at the middle or end
of a heavy train.
Maglev Train
Can you believe that the maglev train may not need rails at all? You
better, because it’s true! The maglev train floats on a cushion of air
above the track called a guide way. A magnetic force holds the railroad
cars above the guide way. The maglev has reached a high speed of over
300 M.P.H.!!!
Traveling In Style
A long time ago trains used to have private bedrooms for rich people.
The rooms had everything private, private bedrooms, private dining
rooms, private bathrooms, private dressing rooms, you name it it was
private!!! The poor people had bunks that were not so private.
How Much Railroad Workers Make
Railroaders get a very good pay for their daily average. Agents
make $165.02. Railroad janitors make $75.32. Engineering
assistants (A) make $248.51. Engineering assistants (B) make
$189.85. The three most highly paid people are: Executives/assistants,
Division officers/assistants, and road fort engineers (local).
Railroad Nicknames, Past and Present
There have been many nicknames for railroads over the years. Some are
just letters like ABC. Others are like a title. “ABC” stands for
Atlanta, Birmingham, and Coast Railroad Company. “B&O” stands for
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company. The “3 C” route stands for
Chicago, Cincinnati, and Charleston Railroad Company. The “Dixie Line”
stands for The Nashville, Chattanooga, & St. Louis Railway. The
“Egyptian Route” is the St. Louis & Cairo Short Line. If you want
to learn more fun/interesting railroad nicknames go to:
http://www.rrb.gov/funfacts2.html.
Railroad Terminology
There are many interesting terms on the railroad. Some really fun ones
are: Air Monkey, which stands for Air Brake Repairmen. B&B means
Bridge and Building department. Brownie stands for a demerit for
violation of rules. An Extra Board is a list of employees who may be
assigned to train crews when extra trains are run, or when regular
crews have not had sufficient rest time before they can legally be
required to return to duty, or when relief men are required on regular
trains. An Extra Gang is a crew of track laborers assigned to
maintenance work at various points at a railroad right-of-way. A Fro is
the “X” shaped plate of cross over rail; also an implement to re-rail
car wheels. A Gandy Dancer is a track laborer assigned to work an
extra-gang. To find out more on railroad terminology go to:
http://www.rrb.gov/funfacts3.html
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific construction was started in 1865. On May 10 1869 the
Union Pacific joined Central Pacific. Doing this we connected the
Missouri river and the Pacific Ocean by railway and completed the
nation’s first transcontinental railroad. Joining the roads was marked
by the driving of the golden spike.
Top of page