Trains - Worksheet for learners

We have come to the end of our series on types of transport and today we will learn about trains. Have you ever been on a train?  Did you enjoy it?  What type of train was it and where did you go?

Trains will transport passengers and cargo on rails that were laid there.  The train can only go where the rails are.  There are different types of trains which are powered in different ways like with electricity, steam or diesel.

The earliest trains were pulled by ropes or horses.  After this came the steam trains and only then the others.

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1. Why is a train journey fun?
2. What problems did the people faced that mined coal and gold?
3. Who stepped in and gave them a solution?
4. Explain in your own words what he did.
5. How far did the locomotive travel.

Depending on how many carts must be moved at once and how heavy the cargo is, the cargo trains can either have one locomotive at the front that pulls it or one at the front and also at the back that helps pushing it.

Passenger trains often feature self-propelled carriages (multiple units) that can be joined with other units. Trains such as these are more energy efficient but may require more maintenance than a single locomotive vehicle. 

Many countries have high speed trains which can go very fast and take people between points.  Examples of these trains are the 'Bullet train' or Japan's Shinkansen which has been in operation since 1964 and also the 'Channel Tunnel' that opened in 1994 that carries passengers on a high speed railway between UK and France.

'Magnetic levitation' is something that engineers are looking at to make trains even faster.  The wheels of the train do not touch the track, but it 'levitates' and is kept in place with magnets, which means it can move faster with less friction.

Monorails feature a single rail and are often elevated above ground.  Funicular (or venicular) railways feature two cars/trams attached by cables that counterbalance each other as they move up and down a steep slope.

There are many people that are very interested in trains, the history, how it is build, having replicas of their own and taking photographs.  These people we call 'train enthusiasts'.

There are a lot of stories for kids on trains, but the most popular one must be Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends.

Have fun watching a video on Thomas.  You can re-tell the story or compile a few of your own questions when you are done watching.

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