The fastest steam locomotive in the world. Steam locomotives at speed. Amazing steam locomotives of the world
We continue to talk about unusual things and next up are devices whose value can hardly be overestimated - trains!
The history of trains in general is a hymn to speed and reliability, passing through intrigue and a huge amount of money, but we are interested in the 10 fastest trains of our time.
The world of trains looks unusual today, this is due to the fact that since 1979, the classic rail train has been joined by its highly technological brothers, machines from the future - “Maglevs” (from the English magnetic levitation - “magnetic levitation”). Hovering proudly above the magnetic surface and driven by the latest advances in superconductors, they could become the transport of the future. In view of this, for each we will indicate the type of train and under what conditions the record was obtained, because somewhere on board the express there were no passengers, somewhere even drivers.
1. Shinkansen
The world speed record belongs to the Japanese maglev train; on April 21, 2015, at a special section during testing in Yamanashi Prefecture, the train was able to reach a speed of 603 kilometers per hour, with only the driver on board. This is simply an incredible number!
Test video:
Adding to the insane speed is the amazing silence of this super train; the absence of wheels makes the ride comfortable and surprisingly smooth.
Today, the Shinkansen is one of the fastest trains on commercial routes, with a speed of 443 km/h.
2. TGV POS
The first fastest among rail trains, but the second overall, on the planet (as of 2015) is the French TGV POS. The amazing thing is that at the time the speed record was recorded, the train was accelerated to an impressive figure of 574.8 km/h, while journalists and service personnel were on board!
But even taking into account the world record, the speed of the train when moving on commercial routes does not exceed 320 km/h.
3. Shanghai Maglev Train
Next, we have third place given to China with their Shanghai Maglev Train, as the name implies, this train plays in the category of wizards hanging in a powerful magnetic field. This incredible maglev maintains a speed of 431 km/h for 90 seconds (during this time it manages to swallow 10.5 kilometers!), which reaches the maximum speed of this composition, during testing it was able to accelerate to 501 km/h.
4. CRH380A
Another record comes from China, the train with the incredibly euphonious name “CRH380A” took an honorable fourth place. The maximum speed on the route, as the name implies, is 380 km/h, and the maximum recorded result is 486.1 km/h. It is noteworthy that this high-speed train was assembled and launched entirely based on Chinese production facilities. The train carries almost 500 passengers, and boarding is similar to an airplane.
5. TR-09
Location: Germany – maximum speed 450 km/h. Name TR-09.
Number five is from the country of the fastest roads - autobahns, and if in terms of speed on the roads Germany can really be classified as the fastest country, then trains are far from number 1.
In sixth place is the train from South Korea. The KTX2, as the Korean bullet train is called, was able to reach 352 km/h, but currently the top speed on commercial routes is limited to 300 km/h.
7. THSR 700T
The next hero, although not the fastest train on the planet, still deserves special applause, the reason for this is the impressive capacity of 989 passengers! considered one of the most spacious and fast species transport.
8. AVETalgo-350
We arrive at the eighth place and stop in Spain, we are on board the AVETalgo-350 (Alta Velocidad Española) nicknamed “Platypus”. The nickname stems from the aerodynamic appearance of the leading carriage (well, you can see for yourself), but no matter how funny our hero looks, his speed of 330 km/h gives him the right to participate in our rating!
9. Eurostar Train
9th place Eurostar Train - France, the train is not so fast 300 km/h (not far from our Sapsan), but the capacity of the train is impressive 900 passengers. By the way, it was on this train that the participants of the famous TV show Top Gear (now deceased, if you love it like me, thumb up!) in season 4, episode 1, they competed with the amazing Aston Martin DB9.
10. Peregrine Falcon
In 10th place, of course, you need to put the Italian “ETR 500” with its quite good 300 km/h, but I would like to put ours, quite fast Sapsan. Although the current operational speed of this train is limited to 250 km/h, its modernization (and rather the modernization of its routes) will allow the train to travel at a speed of 350 km/h. At the moment, this is impossible for many reasons, one of them is the vortex effect, which can knock an adult off his feet at a distance of 5 meters from the tracks. Sapsan also sets a funny record - it is the widest high-speed train in the world. Although the train is built on a Siemens platform, due to the wider gauge used in Russia, 1520 mm, versus the European one of 1435 mm, it became possible to increase the width of the car by 300 mm, this makes Sapsan the most “pot-bellied” bullet train.
In the mid-30s, high-speed passenger steam locomotives of the FD p series were already being built in our country (see "TM" No. 7 for 1974) with maximum speed 115 km/h. However, the designers set themselves the task of creating extremely high-speed locomotives and achieving a speed record. For this purpose, the Research Institute for Traction Reconstruction developed a preliminary design for a steam locomotive of type 2-4-2 with a design speed of 140 km/h, and in the design bureau of the Kolomna Machine-Building Plant, preliminary designs for types 2-3-1, 1-3-2 and 2- were completed. 3-2.
The latter turned out to be the most suitable for completing the task. During 1935-1936, the design team of the Kolomna plant made working drawings of a new locomotive, designated 2-3-2K (Kolomensky). The work was supervised by L. Lebedyansky and M. Shchukin. Two locomotives were built according to this project. The first of them was ready by November 7, 1937, and the second by May 1, 1938.
To reduce air resistance they were equipped with streamlined hoods. Front and rear biaxial bogies made it possible to safely navigate curved sections of the railway track at high speeds. To make the parts of the driving mechanism lighter, they were made of alloy steel. The piston is stamped. The weight of the wheels is reduced because their centers were made in the form of two thin-walled disks. Steam pressure losses were reduced, since the steam lines were made of pipes with a large flow area and a minimum number of bends. For quick acceleration from a standstill, windows were made in the spool bushings, thereby increasing the filling of the cylinders with steam to 85%. The designers paid special attention to the brakes. All wheels of new locomotives and tenders were equipped with them. To reduce friction in the axle boxes of the tender, support and runner wheels, roller bearings were used, and needle bearings were used in the hinges of the steam distribution mechanism. These and other improvements in the design of 2-3-2 locomotives gave them high performance.
In 1938-1939, Kolomna steam locomotives underwent traction, thermal, running and dynamic tests on the Oktyabrskaya Railway. Locomotive No. 1 at a speed of 149.2 km/h developed a power of 3070 hp. and consumed less steam per unit of work than all those built previously. At the end of the tests, both locomotives were left on the Oktyabrskaya Road and drove the Red Arrow express trains. Once, on the Bologoe-Moscow section, a new Kolomna steam locomotive of the 2-3-2 type covered a distance of 330 km in 3 hours and compensated for the train’s two-hour delay.
And on June 29, 1938, on the Likhoslavl-Kalinin section, this steam locomotive with a special train of four cars reached a speed of 170 km/h. This was an outstanding record for locomotive traction on domestic railways. It was installed by test driver Nikolai Oshats, later a holder of two Orders of Lenin and a Hero of Socialist Labor.
Operation has demonstrated the high reliability of these machines. During 1938-1940 they covered 170 thousand km.
During these same years, the designers of the Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Plant named after the October Revolution developed their project for a courier steam locomotive of the 2-Z-2 type, called 2-3-2B (Voroshilovgradsky). The work on its creation was led by engineer D. Lvov. The locomotive was manufactured at the same plant in April 1938. The new locomotive with driving wheels with a diameter of 2200 mm was set at a design speed of 180 km/h.
When designing the locomotive, Voroshilovgrad designers tried to make maximum use of parts from steam locomotives of the FD and FD p series. This simplified the design and promised, in the event of mass production of new machines, that it would be easier to organize their production at factories and repairs in depots. The cigar-shaped shape of the fairing gave the locomotive high aerodynamic qualities and a unique appearance. The steam overheating temperature of this locomotive reached 460°C, which explained its high efficiency.
In June 1938, the 2-3-2B steam locomotive worked on the South Donetsk Railway. A month later he was transferred to the Oktyabrskaya Road, where he, with a train of 900 tons, developed a power of 3400 hp. With.
Unfortunately, the 2-3-2B locomotive was not tested as thoroughly as the 2-3-2K, and its thermal performance was not fully developed. Nevertheless, his experimental trips enriched the theoretical and practical experience of domestic steam locomotive building. Many progressive design solutions were tested on locomotives of the 2-Z-2 type, which subsequently found application on other passenger and freight locomotives.
In the third five-year plan, it was planned to establish courier service on the Oktyabrskaya Road using locomotives of the 2-Z-2 type. The first 10 locomotives were ordered from the Kolomna plant. It was also planned to change the train schedule taking into account the traction capabilities of the new cars. However, the beginning of the Great Patriotic War interfered with the implementation of plans. After the war, in April 1957, a speed of 175 km/h was reached on the 2-З-2В locomotive with a special train. And this was the last speed record for steam locomotives in our country.
Courier locomotive type 2-3-2B
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A steam locomotive is one of the most amazing machines created by man. In 1825, the English engineer George (George) Stephenson built the Locomotive steam locomotive at his own factory in Darlington for the Stockton-Darlington railway.
Four years later - in 1829 - the famous steam locomotive "Rocket" appeared. In Russia, the first steam locomotive was built in 1834 at the Vyysky plant (as part of the Nizhny Tagil enterprises) by father and son Cherepanov. It could move at speeds from 13 to 16 km/h and carry a load of more than 3.3 tons along a railway track with a gauge of 1645 mm. Over time, the speeds only increased.
At first, the locomotive was considered a dangerous monster. The passengers of the first train were soldiers, who were given a glass of vodka for courage.
For the Tsarskoye Selo Railway, six locomotives were ordered in England and one in Belgium. On the day of its opening, October 30, 1837, the train was driven by the English steam locomotive "Agile" along a track with a gauge of 1829 mm (6 ft) and a speed of up to 64 km/h. Gradually, with the development of the railway network in Russian Empire Steam locomotives began to be supplied from the English factories of Hackworth, Stephenson (in Newcastle), Vulcan and Hawthorne, from the Belgian John Cockerill (in Serena) and the German Borsig (in Berlin). Two Russian steam locomotives were built at the Leuchtenberg plant in St. Petersburg. However, for the second Russian railway - the Warsaw-Vienna Railway, built in 1845 - 1846 - steam locomotives were still purchased only in Europe: at the John Cockerill, Sharp-Stewart, Borzig, Siegl, Schichau", "Krauss" "Henschel". Steam locomotives appeared with the axle formula 0-2-1, 1-1-1, 1-2-0, 2-2-0, 0-3-0 and 0-4-0. The first steam locomotives for 1435 mm gauge in Russia were built in 1845 at the Aleksandrovsky plant of the St. Petersburg-Moscow railway.
The development of steam locomotive building in Russia was hampered by the duty-free purchase of locomotives abroad. However, their construction was established at the Kama-Votkinsk, Nevsky and Kolomensky plants. In total, from 1845 to 1880, Russian factories produced over 2,200 locomotives.
The impetus for the mass purchase of steam locomotives was the rapid development of the Russian railway network and, accordingly, a significant increase in freight turnover. But the issue of speed did not play a significant role at that time. Therefore, the trains barely accelerated to 60 km/h.
Only in 1878 did the Belgian factories Evrard and John Cockerill supply 0-3-0 steam locomotives with a permissible speed of 75.7 km/h for the military reserve of the South-Western roads. Then the steam locomotives of the Borzig plant surpassed the 80 km/h bar. A breakthrough in this sense was the passenger locomotive with the axial formula 1-2-0 of the Kolomna plant, which was operated on the Kharkov-Azov railway. It accelerated to 82 km/h.
Gradually, Russian Railways began to develop high-speed passenger traffic. The first “fast” 1-2-0 steam locomotives were supplied by the French Cayle plant (80.9 km/h). Then the Vienna "Siegl" produced locomotives with a permissible speed of 86.4 km/h. But the Russians were still lagging behind the Europeans: their trains were only capable of accelerating to 56 km/h.
And only in 1891, the Kolomna Plant built 19 high-speed steam locomotives with the axle formula 2-2-0 for the St. Petersburg-Warsaw railway. Their “bar” has already reached 95 km/h. Six years later, in 1897, the Putilov plant built a 2-2-0 steam locomotive with a speed of 107 km/h. In three years, 121 such machines came out of his workshops. Following this enterprise, in 1899, the Kolomensky Plant began building passenger steam locomotives with the same speed characteristics. In 1902, the Alexandrovsky plant produced the 1-3-0 series N steam locomotive, the maximum speed of which reached 90 km/h.
And in 1910, at the Sormovo plant, according to the design of engineer B. S. Malakhovsky, a 1-3-1 series C steam locomotive was built, which accelerated to 110 km/h. The first five cars of this series served passenger trains traveling along the St. Petersburg - Warsaw line. In the period from 1911 to 1917, the Sormovsky, Nevsky, Kharkov and Lugansk factories built 678 steam locomotives of this series. 79 of them worked on the North-Western roads, 99 on the South-Western, 134 on Nikolaevskaya. It is interesting that 50 years later - on January 1, 1940 (!) - the Belarusian Railway still operated 34 steam locomotives of this series.
In 1915, the Putilov plant built 15 2-3-1 series L steam locomotives with a design speed of 120 km/h. From 1924 to 1937 they served passenger traffic on the Moscow – Leningrad line. During 1918 - 1935, 1,638 steam locomotives were built in the USSR, and from 1936 to 1940 - already 5,468 units. These locomotives were characterized by increased power and reliability, but it was not planned to achieve high speed limits on them (O, E, Esh, Eg, Ey, E m, E r, Shch, SO17, SO18, SO v, SO m, FD ).
In 1925, construction began on a new passenger locomotive 1-3-1 series C with a design speed of 120 km/h. However, only 110 units were produced, since an unpleasant problem was revealed: this locomotive with an axle load of 20 tons could not be quickly put into service, since the vast majority of even the main tracks were laid with type IIIa rails that could not withstand such a load.
By the 1930s, the railways of the Soviet Union were faced with the task of significantly increasing travel speeds passenger trains. Steam locomotive S y with its maximum speed of 125 km/h and power of 1500 hp. With. could no longer meet these requirements. Although the IS series steam locomotive, which appeared in 1932, had a power of up to 3200 hp. s., but he could not increase the speed of movement. In 1937, the Voroshilovgrad plant produced the IS20-16 steam locomotive with a fairing casing. During testing, it reached a speed of 155 km/h. And at the beginning of November 1936, the design department of the Voroshilovgrad plant named after the October Revolution began developing technical specifications high-speed steam locomotive 2-3-2 streamlined shape. Engineer Dmitry Lvov was assigned to work on its design.
Production of locomotive No. 6998 (it did not receive a series designation) was completed in April 1938. The wheel diameter was 2200 mm, and the design speed was 180 km/h. On the model of the Voroshilovgrad plant, a number of parts from locomotives of the FD and IS series were used. Thus, from them the new locomotive received most of the elements of the steam boiler (tubular part, firebox, fittings), cylinders, rear bogie frame, axle liners and wedges, as well as much more. As a result, repairs to the new model have been greatly simplified.
To lighten the structure, high-strength steel was used, and welding was also widely used. Alloy steel was chosen for the manufacture of the driving mechanism; all wheels were disc. In June 1938, the locomotive arrived at the Slavyansk depot of the South Donetsk Railway and drove fast and courier trains on the Slavyansk-Rostov-on-Don and Slavyansk-Kharkov sections. During a month of work, it covered about 6,000 km, and in July of the same year, the locomotive entered the Oktyabrskaya Railway for transportation on the Moscow-Bologoye section. After the war, the locomotive was operated at speeds no higher than 70 km/h, so the streamlined hood was removed. Nevertheless, in April 1957, this locomotive with a special train reached a speed of 175 km/h, which was the last speed record for steam traction in the USSR.
In the pre-war years, attempts were made to design powerful high-speed steam locomotives in the USSR, but things did not go beyond prototypes. In 1927, the M160-01 series locomotive was produced with an axle formula of 2-4-0 in a quantity of only 100 units. In 1932, a steam locomotive of the IS series (1-4-2) appeared; it could accelerate to 115 km/h. Over 10 years, 649 of these machines came off the assembly line.
Things were completely different in Europe, Canada and America. There, travel was popular among the wealthy part of society, which dictated new approaches to the operation of railway transport: ensuring speed and comfort. And companies began not only to listen to the wishes of customers, but also to strictly fulfill them.
High-speed steam locomotives were produced according to individual orders of railway companies. As a rule, each locomotive had a name and was intended only for a specific train, which could also exist in a single copy and have its own name. Such a train was the highest achievement of passenger car building of that time: its equipment met the highest standards, and its technical condition ensured safe operation at high speeds. The launch of high-speed trains, in turn, confronted railway workers with the task of strengthening the track and its proper maintenance.
One of the first high-speed steam locomotives of the E2 Atlantics series with an axial formula of 2-2-1 was received by the Pennsylvania Railways of North America in 1899. The signature Seashore Flyer train could travel at a speed of 170.6 km/h. It was improved by engineer Jerri McCarthy, and already on June 11, 1905, a steam locomotive of this type drove the train at a speed of 204.5 km/h.
Leonid LEGCHEKOV
(To be continued).
(Ending).
Belgian steam locomotive (2-2-1), 1939. Speed - 145 km/h
Development of high-speed steam locomotives was also carried out in Great Britain. On May 9, 1904, a 2-2-0 locomotive called the City of Truro drove a train at 164.6 km/h. Later it was improved and received the axial formula 2-3-0. The steam locomotive of this series No. 1012 served until 1955, and the steam locomotive 2-2-0 No. 1000 served until 1960.
In the 1930s, high-speed trains with steam locomotives Castle 2-3-0 No. 5000 (1934), Cheltenham Flyer, Manorbier Castle 2-3-0 No. 5005 (1935), Tregenna Castle No. 5006 ( 1932). Their maximum speed ranged from 148 to 160 km/h.
On September 27, 1935, on the London-Newcastle line, 2-3-1 class A4 steam locomotive No. 2509 Silver Link accelerated the train to 181 km/h - a record for the pre-war years. And it was achieved thanks to innovations in the design of the locomotive, which was already “dressed” in a fairing. From now on, this part became an integral part of high-speed locomotives.
In France in 1935, from Paris to Lyon, the French steam locomotive 2-2-1 series A14 No. 221 drove a train at a speed of 156 km/h. Since 1937, high-speed trains in this country began to be driven by the 2-3-0 steam locomotive.
German locomotive factories have also successfully mastered the construction of high-speed steam locomotives. In 1907, on the Munich-Augsburg line, a steam locomotive of the Bavarian Class S2/6 2-2-2 series carried the train at a speed of 150 km/h. In 1930, the 1-2-1 steam locomotive from the Henschel und Wegmann plant ran a high-speed train on the Lübeck-Büchen line. And in 1935, this plant created the class 61 2-3-2 steam locomotive No. 61.001, which drove high-speed trains on the Berlin-Hamburg line, reaching speeds of up to 170 km/h. The steam locomotive of the same plant, 2-3-3, has driven trains on the Berlin-Dresden line since 1939.
In the carriage of the Hiawatha train, USA, 1934. Speed - 166.5 km/h
The construction of high-speed steam locomotives in Germany was put on stream. In 1934, the Wagner and Borzig plants produced steam locomotives 2-3-1 series 03 No. 154 (03.154), 2-3-2 series 05 No. 001, 002 (05.001, 05.002), which had a design speed of 175 km/ h and drove passenger trains on the Berlin – Hamburg line. In May 1936, senior engineer Langhans reached a speed of 200.4 km/h on locomotive 05.002. In 1937, the 2-3-2 series 05 steam locomotive No. 005.003 was put on German roads, in which, due to the full fairing, the shape of a conventional steam locomotive was no longer visible, it worked until 1944.
In 1938, the Krup plant produced a high-speed steam locomotive of class 2-4-2 (series) 06, operating on the Frankfurt am Main - Berlin line and capable of reaching a speed of 175 km/h. A year later, high-speed steam locomotives of the 01 series No. 10 and 1088 began operation in Germany.
The fate of some German speedsters is interesting. Steam locomotive No. 03.10 was transported to the USA in 1945, where it was operated on the Atlantic Coast Line. Steam locomotive No. 05.001 is on display at the Nuremberg Transport Museum. And several steam locomotives of the 01 series in good condition were taken from defeated Germany to the USSR in 1945. In Bresto, a special locomotive column No. 42 was even organized, equipped with these locomotives. Until 1947, this convoy, according to a special schedule, drove passenger trains on the route Brest - Warsaw - Poznan - Berlin. One of the members of the locomotive crew working on these locomotives at that time is the now living Brest machinist Fedor Grigorievich Fadeev.
IN North America In 1930, high-speed steam locomotives of the K4 series No. 815 2-4-2 entered service, which had a speed of 164.8 km/h. Operating in 1936 on the Chicago-New York and Los Angeles-Chicago lines, the 2-3-2 series K4S steam locomotives were equivalent to the German 05 series 2-3-2 steam locomotive and reached speeds of up to 160 km/h. On July 20, 1934, F6 2-3-2 class locomotive No. 6402 on the Chicago-Milwaukee line accelerated to 166.5 km/h with the Hiawatha train. The 2-3-2 locomotives drove high-speed trains on the lines New York - Philadelphia, New York - Cincinnati - Lewisville, Montreal - Quebec, Toronto - Detroit. On May 8, 1935, the new train No. 02 Hiawatha reached a speed of 192.1 km/h.
Steam locomotive series P36. Design speed - 125 km/h
The 2-3-2 locomotives were built by ALCO. The new F7 2-3-2 class locomotive reached speeds of over 201 km/h in 1939 on the New Hiawatha train on the Chicago-Milwaukee line. This train was in operation until 1945.
Steam locomotives, reaching a speed of 145 km/h, also ran on the Belgian railways in the Brussels-Oostende and Brussels Midi-Bruges directions in 1939. In August 1936, the Silver Jubilee train reached a speed of almost 181 km/h. A year later, locomotive No. 6220 Coronation accelerated the train to 183.4 km/h, and on July 3, 1938, the A4 series locomotive No. 4468 Mallard reached over 186 km/h.
Second World War interrupted the development of high-speed steam locomotive construction both in Europe and America. Moreover, during the war years in the USA, diesel locomotives appeared on the railways, which first appeared in 1934 (May 26, Pioneer Zephyr, speed 178.6 km/h). American President Franklin Roosevelt even rode this train. It must be said that already in 1940, high-speed trains with City of San Francisco and City of Denver diesel locomotives regularly ran in the United States, although their speed did not exceed 134 km/h.
What conclusions can be drawn from general condition development of the locomotive fleet of the advanced countries of the world in the 20s - 50s of the twentieth century?
Germany built and put into operation high-speed steam locomotives. But the war with Soviet Union showed that the country does not have a reliable “military” locomotive. This one (series 52) began to be built only in 1942.
Over the years, the Soviet Union has created a large number of steam locomotives suitable for operation on tracks with light rails. As a result, on front-line roads, the outcome of battles was literally decided by steam locomotives of the O V, O D, Shch, E, SO series with an axle load of 16 - 18 tons, united in columns of the NKPS Special Reserve (ORPK). On the rear roads, transportation was provided by heavier locomotives, including S U, FD, and IS.
In the first post-war years, the same steam locomotives plus captured German and Romanian ones were operated in the USSR. The production of locomotives of the 52 and E series was also established at factories in Eastern Europe - in Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania.
The designers of the Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Plant created a new freight locomotive with an axle formula of 1-5-0 and a design speed of 80 km/h. At first it received the “P” (Victory) series, and then the “L” series, named after the designer Lev Sergeevich Lebedyansky. The locomotive entered the roads in 1947.
In 1950, the domestic high-speed steam locomotive of the P-36 series of the Kolomna Plant with an axial formula of 2-4-2, capable of accelerating to 125 km/h, made its first voyage.
Freight steam locomotives of the Sha (1-4-0) and E (1-5-0) series, which had a speed of 70 km/h, were received from the USA. However, by this time the era of diesel traction had already begun. First, the USSR received single-section diesel locomotives of the DA and DB series with a capacity of 1000 hp from the USA. With. Based on their model, the first post-war Soviet diesel locomotive of the TE1 series, which could accelerate to 93 km/h, was produced in Kharkov.
The era of steam locomotive construction in the USSR ended in 1955, when the production of steam locomotives was discontinued. The last assembled locomotives were transferred to industry, as well as to foreign roads. Thus, 950 FD series vehicles went to China in 1958–1960, where they were used until 1974. All captured German locomotives have been transferred to the roads of Eastern Europe. And the end point of steam locomotives was recycling.
Fortunately, the memory of locomotive workers is immortalized at many stations and locomotive depots. Steam locomotive monuments are a living history of the work and heroic achievements of railway designers, factory workers, and operators.
Leonid LEGCHEKOV
Already on the first railways, trains ran at a good speed - 60 kilometers per hour. Is it possible to go even faster? Every railway company dreamed of having especially high-speed locomotives.
There was only one way to achieve this: to increase the diameter of the moving wheels of the locomotive. In fact, the larger the wheel, the greater the distance it will travel in one revolution.
Stephenson's famous "Rocket" had moving wheels with a diameter of about one and a half meters. That's why she overtook other locomotives with smaller wheels. But a few years later, steam locomotives appeared that were much faster than the Raketa. The Great Western Road in England was particularly keen to increase speed. Its owners tried their best to show that their road was the best, and the locomotives on it were the fastest trains.
In 1837, two steam locomotives were built for this road: “Northern Star” and “Morning Star”. The diameter of their driving wheels was more than two meters. It seemed that these locomotives would rush at unprecedented speed. But no, they couldn’t reach more than 80 kilometers per hour. The “Stars” did not live up to the expectations placed on them.
However, Great Western did not give up. Were ordered steam locomotives "Ajax" and "Mars" with a wheel diameter of three meters! In addition, the locomotives were covered with metal casings of a streamlined, “ship” shape. The casings were supposed to cut the air at high speed and thereby facilitate the movement of the train. But these locomotives also turned out to be unsuccessful, they were too heavy and difficult to control.
At the same time, a locomotive appeared under the loud and promising name "Hurricane". It also had giant wheels, three meters in diameter. Big Western needed a speed record at all costs. For a substantial reward, the train driver agreed to set a record, despite the enormous risk. And he did it, in the early autumn of 1839 he raced on the Hurricane at truly hurricane speed - about 160 kilometers per hour! Even in our time, such speed on the railway is considered high. And what can we say about that distant time!
Big Western's competitors weren't asleep either. London North West Road decided to take the record away. To do this, she ordered a high-speed locomotive from Francis Trevithick, the son of the creator of the world's first steam locomotive. In his “Cornwells” (as this high-speed locomotive was named), Trevithick not only used large wheels (two and a half meters in diameter), but also increased their rotation frequency. And besides, he installed an improved boiler on the locomotive, making all parts more durable. And on one of the test runs, Francis Trevithick's locomotive reached a speed of 187 kilometers per hour!
But these are records. Railways then, a century and a half ago, they were still too weak to allow them to be driven at such speeds. Therefore, the speed of ordinary passenger trains rarely exceeded 50 kilometers per hour. Well, the records only testified to the large reserves of steam locomotives.
WITH early XIX Over the centuries, trains have always been considered a fine example of human engineering and ingenuity. Their invention encouraged people to develop even more innovative technologies and spread the industrial revolution throughout to the globe. Nowadays, trains have become one of the most quick ways movement on land and they continue to improve every day.
1. Eurostar e320
Traveling at a speed of 320 km/h, the e320 Eurostar connects the cities of London, Paris and Brussels, and also passes under the English Channel. Although these trains are manufactured by the German company Siemans Velaro, Eurostar is actually an international joint project between France, the United Kingdom and Belgium.
2. KTX-Sancheon
Released in 2009, the South Korean train was the culmination of more than a decade of research and was the second commercial high-speed train developed in Korea. Initially, it could reach a top speed of 350 km/h; later, after a major accident, its speed was limited to 300 km/h due to safety concerns.
3. Talgo 350
Originally built to connect the Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona, the Talgo 350 can reach a top speed of 365 km/h. Local residents nicknamed it "Pato" (duck) due to the specific shape of the front of the train.
4. Zefiro 380
Manufactured by Canadian aerospace and transportation firm Bombardier, the Zefiro 380 train can reach an operating speed of 380 km/h. In the near future, the first batch of trains will hit the rails in the Chinese city of Qingdao.
5. Shinkansen Bullet Trains
Japan's Shinkansen bullet trains, the E5 and E6 series, can reach speeds approaching 400 km/h. These trains are also well known for their ability to maintain high speeds without compromising the comfort and safety of passengers.
6. Frecciarossa 1000
The train, called the Red Arrow, is the fastest in Italy. It can reach speeds of up to 400 km/h and is one of the most environmentally friendly high-speed trains in the world, with minimal CO2 emissions and built from almost 100% recyclable materials.
7. Velaro E
Designed by Siemens Velaro, the train, which is owned by Spanish railway company RENFE, can reach a top speed of 404 km/h. It holds the national record for the fastest train speed in Spain.
8. ICE V
Originally known as the Intercity Experimental, the ICE V train was a government-funded research project that explored the feasibility of high-speed rail service in Germany. In 1988, he set a new speed record for rail vehicles - 407 km/h.
9. Aerotrain I80
Built by French engineer Jean Bertin, the Aerotrain I80 was a jet-powered train air cushion, which in 1974 set the world speed record for hovercraft (430 km/h). The train was never used commercially due to a lack of funding and the death of Jean Bertenant in 1977. However, it laid the foundation for maglev trains that appeared in subsequent years.
10. CRH380A
This high-speed train entered service at the end of 2010 and is the only Chinese production locomotive that was not based on foreign designs or technology. Its top speed is 486 km/h, but after a severe collision in 2011, its operating speed was limited to 300 km/h.
11. Shanghai Maglev Train
The world's first commercial magnetic levitation train, the Shanghai Maglev Train hit the rails in 2004 and was the first train developed by the German company Transrapid. SMT can reach speeds of up to 500 km/h and connects the outskirts of Shanghai with Pudong International Airport.
12. Transrapid 09
The latest and most advanced Maglev train, developed by German manufacturers Transrapid, is designed to travel at a cruising speed of around 500 km/h. It can also accelerate and decelerate much faster than other high-speed trains.
13. TGV POS
In 2007, a modified TGV POS set a world speed record for a conventional vehicle, reaching a speed of 575 km/h. The train was modified to use only two power engines, as well as larger wheels. Therefore, the actual speed of the train that runs between France and Switzerland is limited to a maximum speed of 320 km/h.
14. JR-Maglev MLX01
Reaching a shocking speed of 585 km/h on a 40 km test track in Yamanashi, Japan's experimental maglev MLX01 set a new speed record for maglev railway rolling stock in 2003. It held this achievement for twelve years until the record was broken by another Japanese Maglev in 2015, reaching a speed of 603 km/h.
15. SCMaglev L0 Series
With a peak speed of 603 km/h, this Japanese maglev train is a world record holder. Soon such trains are planned to be launched on the route between Tokyo and Osaka.
