Fun Facts About Trains

Learn about trains with us! 

Take a look at these fun facts about trains!

Are you curious about trains? 

So are we! 

Did you know that a train is a group of connected carriages that ride along a track? 

Trains can carry passengers, cargo, or both! 

They can be one car or multiple cars, travel short distances or long distances, and go really fast or go a bit slower. 

Fun Facts About Trains

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Today, trains get moving by steam, diesel, or electricity.  

But back in the day, trains got going with the help of humans, horses, or simply, gravity. 

That’s incredible!

Let’s discover some more fun train facts together! 

Train Facts for Kids

There are 2 Types of Trains

The two types of trains include a passenger train and a freight train. 

A passenger train transports people from one location to another. 

It can take them only a short distance to the next town or a long-distance across the country. 

A freight train carries cargo to different destinations, both near and far, depending on the shipment. 

A freight train can transport all types of things such as cattle, food, coal, lumber, and other items.

Train Cars Have Different Names

Depending on where the train car is in line, it will go by a different name. 

The first car in the front is the locomotive or engine car. 

This is the prime mover which pulls the rest of the train cars along the track. 

The car in the back of the train is the caboose. 

And all the train cars in the middle are carriages or cars, based on what the train is carrying. 

Sometimes, if the train is really long, there will be a second engine car in the middle or back to help move the train along.  

Fun Facts About Trains

Trains Have a Crew

It takes a crew of people to keep a train on its track. 

A train needs a driver or an engineer to drive the train, make sure it’s running properly, and slow it down or speed it up. 

Along with the driver is the conductor. 

The conductor is the navigator who makes sure that the train is going in the right direction. 

On a steam train, there is also a fireman. 

The fireman is the one who puts the coal into the fire which creates the steam that runs the train. 

USA has One of the Largest Railway Systems

The United States has over 125,000 miles of rail networks throughout the country. 

This makes the US one of the top 3 countries with widespread railway systems. 

Amazing!

Fun Facts About Trains

Trains Move Fast

Different types of trains move at different speeds, but generally, they are all fast. 

A steam-powered locomotive can get up to 126 miles per hour. 

A diesel train has a top speed of 148MPH. 

And, the fastest train of all is an electric train that can move as fast as 268 miles per hour! 

Wow!

A SUBWAY IS An Underground Train

The subway, sometimes called the metro or tube, is a train rail system that runs underground. 

Subways are located under big metropolitan cities.

They help people get from one side of the city to the other quickly. 

In 1863, the first subway opened in London.

An El is an elevated Train

An el is a train that runs on raised tracks.

This means that the tracks are above street level. 

El trains are mostly in urban areas, similar to subways, but up in the air instead of down below.  

Fun Facts About Trains

Interesting Facts About Trains

Trains can take people and things to different places, far and wide. 

They can be freight trains hauling goods or passenger trains carrying travelers. 

They can move underground, on the ground, or above street level. 

Trains are a valuable method of transportation all over the world. 

Have you ever been on a train?

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