Difference between revisions of "Timeline of rail transport"
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| 1813 || || William Hedley builds his "Puffing Billy" to pull coal wagons at the Wylam Colliery in Northumberland. The transport is so reliable that it is used for fifty years.<ref name="Trains 1830 to 1900"/> || | | 1813 || || William Hedley builds his "Puffing Billy" to pull coal wagons at the Wylam Colliery in Northumberland. The transport is so reliable that it is used for fifty years.<ref name="Trains 1830 to 1900"/> || | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | 1814 || || British engineer George Stephenson builds the very first steam engine for the locomotive.4 || | + | | 1814 || || British engineer George Stephenson builds the very first steam engine for the locomotive.<ref name="The History of the Railroad"> 4 || United Kingdom |
|- | |- | ||
| 1820 || || John Birkinshaw invents wrought iron, a more durable material than cast iron. Wrought iron would then be used for rail systems until the advent of the Bessemer process.<ref name="The History of the Railroad"/> | | 1820 || || John Birkinshaw invents wrought iron, a more durable material than cast iron. Wrought iron would then be used for rail systems until the advent of the Bessemer process.<ref name="The History of the Railroad"/> | ||
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| 1825-1835 || || The British Parliament agrees to the building of 54 new rail lines.<ref name="Trains 1830 to 1900"/> || {{w|United Kingdom}} | | 1825-1835 || || The British Parliament agrees to the building of 54 new rail lines.<ref name="Trains 1830 to 1900"/> || {{w|United Kingdom}} | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1826 || || Colonel John Stevens -who is considered to be the father of railroads in the United States, demonstrates the feasibility of steam locomotion on a circular experimental track constructed on his estate in Hoboken, New Jersey. This happens three years before Stephenson perfected a practical steam locomotive in England.<ref name="The History of the Railroad"/> || United States | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1829 || || The Rainhill trials take place. The "Rocket" built by George Stephenson becomes the winner of a £500 prize, after attaining about 30mph.<ref name="Trains 1830 to 1900"/> || {{w|United Kingdom}} | | 1829 || || The Rainhill trials take place. The "Rocket" built by George Stephenson becomes the winner of a £500 prize, after attaining about 30mph.<ref name="Trains 1830 to 1900"/> || {{w|United Kingdom}} |
Revision as of 11:33, 7 February 2018
This is a timeline of rail transport.
Contents
Big picture
Time period | Development summary |
---|---|
<18th century | People have to use their own strength, and the power of animals, wind and water when they want to build, move anything, or transport themselves and their goods.[1] |
18th century | The steam engine -burning fuel to produce heat energy, is invented.2 By the end of the century, every mine in Great Britain already has its own simple railway network, with horses pulling carts from mines to factories.[2] |
Full timeline
Year | Event type | Details | Geographical location |
---|---|---|---|
600 B.C | The earliest form of "railroads" is developed by the Greeks, who make grooves in paved limestone roads so that they could use wheeled vehicles to ease transport of boats across the Isthmus of Corinth. However, with the fall of Greece to Rome in 146 B.C., these early railways would fall into ruin and disappear for over 1,400 years.[3] | ||
1550s | Germany begins installing roads of rails called wagonways to make it easier for horse-drawn wagons or carts to cross the countryside. These primitive railed roads consist of wooden rails over which horse-drawn wagons or carts move with greater ease than over dirt roads.[3] | ||
1769-1774 | James Watt discovers the stationary steam engine.[2][1] | United Kingdom | |
1770s | Iron replaces the wood in the rails and wheels on the carts used on wagonways, which would then evolve into tramways that spread across Europe.[3] | ||
1789 | Englishman William Jessup designs the first wagons with flanged wheels, which have grooves that allow the wheels to better grip the rail and is an important design that carry over to later locomotives. | United Kingdom | |
1803 | Samuel Homfray decides to fund the development of a steam-powered vehicle to replace the horse-drawn carts on the tramways.[3] | ||
1804 | British engineer Richard Trevithick successfully tests the first steam-powered locomotive to ride on rails. At seven tons, however, the locomotive is so heavy it would break its own rails.[4][2] | United Kingdom | |
1811 | John Blenkinsop invents a steam engine which has cogs on one of its wheels.[5] | ||
1813 | William Hedley builds his "Puffing Billy" to pull coal wagons at the Wylam Colliery in Northumberland. The transport is so reliable that it is used for fifty years.[5] | ||
1814 | British engineer George Stephenson builds the very first steam engine for the locomotive.<ref name="The History of the Railroad"> 4 | United Kingdom | |
1820 | John Birkinshaw invents wrought iron, a more durable material than cast iron. Wrought iron would then be used for rail systems until the advent of the Bessemer process.[3] | ||
1821 | Englishman Julius Griffiths was the first person to patent a passenger road locomotive.[3] | ||
1825 | The Stockton to Darlington rail line opens. Two locomotives are used (the "Experiment" and "No 1"), being able to pull 21 coal wagon 25 miles at 8 miles per hour. In many senses, 1825 is seen as the start of the age of the railways.[5][3] | United Kingdom | |
1825-1830 | Commercial appearance of train networks come late in the decade, with English inventor George Stephenson as pioneer in the field.[2] | ||
1825-1835 | The British Parliament agrees to the building of 54 new rail lines.[5] | United Kingdom | |
1826 | Colonel John Stevens -who is considered to be the father of railroads in the United States, demonstrates the feasibility of steam locomotion on a circular experimental track constructed on his estate in Hoboken, New Jersey. This happens three years before Stephenson perfected a practical steam locomotive in England.[3] | United States | |
1829 | The Rainhill trials take place. The "Rocket" built by George Stephenson becomes the winner of a £500 prize, after attaining about 30mph.[5] | United Kingdom | |
1830 | The Liverpool to Manchester railway opens.[5] | ||
1833 | Steam trains start operating on the line for passengers.[5] | ||
1838 | Robert Stephenson, the son of George Stephenson, completes the London to Birmingham rail line.[5] | ||
1841 | Isambard Kingdom Brunel completes hos London to Bristol line - the Great Western Railway. This is considered such a stunning achievement that people use the rail line's initials (GWT) to call it "God's Womderful Railway".[5] | United Kingdom | |
1856 | Englishman Henry Bessemer, who took out a patent on the later called Bessemer process, which would further enable cheaper production of steel in the late 1860s, sparking the rapid expansion of railways across America and other countries around the world.[3] | United Kingdom | |
1863 | The first section of the "London Underground" begins its work.[2] | United Kingdom | |
1863 | The construction of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States begins.4 | United States | |
1879 | Electricity is first used to power trains.[1] | ||
1890 | The entire London train fleet starts using electrical engines. This marks the beginning of the new era of urban rapid transit systems.[2] | United Kingdom | |
1890s | Steam powered passenger trains in England carry people living in the country to cities for work and for pleasure. City people travel by train to the countryside or the seaside. On some trains there are carriages with bedrooms, called sleeping cars, and restaurants and bathrooms have been added.[1] | United Kingdom | |
1892 | The diesel engine is invented by German engineer, Rudolf Diesel.[1] | Germany | |
1901 | The first electric monorail is built in Germany and is still running. It hangs from an overhead track.[1] | Germany | |
1930s | Diesel trains were introduced in the 1930s. These trains were faster, quieter and cleaner than steam trains, and meant passengers had a more comfortable ride and can carry much heavier loads than steam engines. | ||
1964 | Japan's Shinkansen high-speed train, often called 'bullet train', becomes the first high speed train in service.[1] | Japan | |
1970-1975 | Light rail vehicles come into use. These would replace trains in some places.[1] | ||
2004 | The Shanghai Transrapid Line in China becomes the first commercial high-speed maglev train line to run.[1] | China |
Meta information on the timeline
How the timeline was built
The initial version of the timeline was written by User:Sebastian.
Funding information for this timeline is available.
What the timeline is still missing
History of rail transport, [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]
Timeline update strategy
See also
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Rail transportation: a timeline". kidcyber.com.au. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "History of Rail Transport". trainhistory.net. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "The History of the Railroad". thoughtco.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- ↑ "Biography of Richard Trevithick: Locomotive Pioneer". thoughtco.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 "Trains 1830 to 1900". historylearningsite.co.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2018.