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How long have trains been in use?

The first basic railroad systems were developed in the sixteenth century for use in underground coal and iron ore mines in Europe. These systems consisted of two wooden rails that extended into the mines and across the mine floors. Wagons with wheels would be pulled along these rails by men or horses and allowed for much more efficient transport of materials. Early in the eighteenth century the mining companies expanded the rail systems to work above ground and improved the rails by building them with longerlasting iron instead of wood.

In 1797 English engineer Richard Trevithick (1771–1833) constructed a working model of a locomotive engine while working in the mines of Cornwall, England. Three years later he developed the first high-pressure steam engine and in 1801 he unveiled the first steam-driven carriage vehicle to convey passengers by roadway. In 1803 he built the world's...

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