The train is the type of transport most often used by residents of the CIS if they need to travel outside their locality. At the same time, few people know that before the advent of railways, the word "train" was called another type of transport. Let's find out which one, and also get a little acquainted with the history of trains, their types.
The train is…
Today, this word refers to a train of several cars attached to a locomotive that sets the entire train in motion. As a rule, trains have a "head" (beginning) and a "tail" (end), on both sides of which a locomotive is attached. Depending on which of the locomotives is currently pulling the cars, the location of the "head" and "tail" of the train may change.
By the way, not everyone knows, but even the locomotive itself without wagons attached to it also belongs to the concept of "train".
In the CIS countries, trains are numbered to avoid confusion. Cars also receive numbers, while they are unchanged even if the "head" of the train changes.
What was called"by train" in the past
In Russia, the word "train" appeared much earlier than humanity even invented rail transport. In the old days, this was the name of a wagon train, consisting of a string of carts following one after another (in winter - a sleigh). Such trains were used to transport provisions and weapons by the military, as well as merchants in order to deliver their goods from one place to another.
With the advent of railways, the word familiar to the people of the Russian Empire began to be used as a name for both the steam locomotive itself and for it in combination with wagons. By the way, the cars themselves initially continued to be called crews.
It is interesting that in this sense the term "train" is used today only during wedding festivities. This is the name of the groom's solemn procession, following the bride's house to take her to church or the registry office.
Origin of the term
The noun "train" is a native Russian word that was formed from the noun "trip", and before that - from the verb "ride" (to move with the help of a vehicle).
The verb itself existed in the Proto-Slavic language. For this reason, it has been preserved in modern Ukrainian (“їzditi”), Belarusian (“ezdzit”), Bulgarian (“yazdya”), Czech (jezdit), Polish (jeździć) and other Slavic languages.
The first railway in the Russian Empire
In Europe, the first passenger train was launched for the first time in September 1830. Practical Europeans soon realized how convenient and practical, and most importantly, how cheap the new looktransport, and soon the territory of the most advanced countries was covered with a grid of railways.
A few years after the first train was launched, the inhabitants of the Russian Empire were also interested in it, and work began on creating their own locomotive.
Already in 1836, there was the first attempt to put a train on the railroad, however, then, instead of a steam locomotive, the cars were pulled by a harnessed train of horses. After successful tests in 1837, the St. Petersburg - Tsarskoe Selo train was established, which ran along a specially built railway. It is noteworthy that the steam locomotive for the movement of this train was used only on weekends, and on weekdays, instead of it, the wagon train was pulled along the rails by harnessed horses in the old fashioned way.
It is worth noting that the successful demonstration of the first railway and its capabilities contributed to the development of this infrastructure throughout the empire, and by the beginning of the new century there was a whole network of railways in Russia.
What types of trains are there in the CIS
Classification of trains is made on various grounds. To understand which train belongs to which type, you need to clearly know its speed, length, mass, travel distance and type of cargo.
- According to the speed of the train, there are: fast (more than 50 km / h), high-speed (140 km / h), high-speed (200-250 km / h) and accelerated (there is no exact speed, but it moves faster than fast and high-speed, does not carry passengers).
- By length - ordinary without a name,long trains, increased lengths and connected from several trains.
- By weight - super-heavy and increased weight (more than 6000 tons).
- By distance - suburban, long-distance (more than 150 km), direct (follow more than two roads), local (follow less than 700 km within one road), through, precinct (travel from one station to another), prefabricated (cars are delivered to different stations).
- By type of cargo, trains are passenger, freight (freight), passenger-and-freight, cargo-luggage, mail-luggage and military.
- By regularity: summer, one-time, year-round.
The terms "train", "station": what is the relationship between them?
Considering the topic of trains, one cannot help but recall such a concept as a “station”. Although there are bus, river, sea, aviation (airport) stations, most often in the minds of citizens this concept is strongly associated with the railway. The fact is that traveling by train to this day remains the cheapest and most affordable for residents of almost any country where there is a railway.
A station is a complex of one or more buildings built to serve passengers and sort luggage. They are located in especially important points of transportation (in the case of the railway - in the largest settlements).
Traditionally, at the stations, you can not only get on or off any transport, but also find out the train schedule, buy a ticket at the box office, leave luggage in the storage room, go to the toilet or eat atlocal cafe. Also, many stations are equipped with waiting rooms, lounges (or hotels), where each passenger can wait for his train or relax and clean up.
