Trains use special links called couplings to clip different parts together. Trains used to be coupled by hand, which could be dangerous.
What’s a locomotive?
A locomotive is the part of the train which contains the engine. It does the work of pulling (or pushing) the train along the track. Locomotives may have to carry their fuel with them. They have special wheels to grip the track.
Who steers the train?
Trains follow the track they’re on, so they don’t need a steering wheel. A person in the junction box can change the direction of a train by moving special junctions in the track called points.
Amazing! Some trains lean over! Modern fast trains take corners so quickly that passengers might slosh around inside. Computers in the train ‘feel’ the sideways forces, and tilt the train in the other direction so that you don’t spill your tea.
Is it true? Some trains are blown along by the wind.
Yes. At least, some were, especially when fuel was hard to find. America’s Baltimore & Ohio railroad experimented with sail power in the 1830s.
Picture Credit : Google