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About This Quiz
It's early in the morning and time to get to work, so you hop on a train and take it into town. How much do you know about that train you just rode? How much do you know about trains in general? Could you pass a quiz on trains? Take this quiz and find out!Â
Trains, in some form, have been around for hundreds of years, though the first steam-powered engines were not introduced until the 19th century. Since then, trains have been transporting people all around the world. Even with the rise of the automobile, trains have not died out. In many ways, they've become more advanced and widely used, particularly in cities where roadways are often jammed full with traffic. After all, who wants to take the chance of being stuck in traffic for hours when a train runs according to a daily schedule? I'm sure you don't.
Do you actually know anything about these powerful machines of transportation? Do you know how they operate or their history? If you think you do, then here's a quiz where you can test your knowledge.
You'd better be up for the challenge before you start this quiz, however, but if you think you have enough knowledge about trains, then it's time to get started!Â
Which is NOT a power source for trains?
Electricity
Diesel
Grass
The earliest trains were powered by steam. Later, steam engines were replaced by diesel and electric engines.
Steam
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What do locomotives run on?
Roads
Paths
Tracks
Tracks allow trains to travel faster than if the train ran on the road. This was even true for carriages before trains were invented.
Trails
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Who invented the steam engine?
Thomas Newcomen
Thomas Newcomen's engines were originally built for removing water from coal mines. Inventors would later improve his design for the railroad.
Matthew Murray
James Wyatt
George Pullman
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When was the first working steam locomotive built?
1804
Trains have been around since ancient times. Early examples used tracks carved into the ground so they could be pulled by animals without going off track.
1850
1863
1888
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Who invented the first steam locomotive?
William Dent Priestman
Richard Trevithick
Steam engines are powered by heated water that produces stream. The water is heated by burning coal or wood.
William Armstrong
Jean Jacques Heilmann
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What is the undercarriage that connects the wheels on a train called?
Bogie
Toy trains have become huge collectibles. One of the largest toy manufacturers is Lionel, a private company founded in New York.
Cab
Caboose
Tender
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Which train was the first commercially successful steam-powered​ locomotive?
The California Zephyr
The California Limited
Orient Express
Salamanca
This train was named after the Battle of Salamanca. In the battle, the combined forces of England, Spain and Portugal defeated the French Empire.
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Which type of railroad track turns rotational motion into linear motion?
Cable railway
Fell railway
Rack railway
In a rack railway, pinions rotate along racks with grooves in each. Each time the pinion catches a new groove in the rack, the train moves forward.
High-speed railway
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Who presented the first electric railway in 1879 in Germany?
Alfred Lent
Werner Von Siemens
Siemens' locomotive looked like a child's toy when it was presented in 1879. The operator sat at the front while the locomotive carried three carriages behind it.
Alfred Krupp
Adolf Klose
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Which was the first Class I railway to add electricity to its line?
Canadian Central
Canadian National
Canadian Pacific
Baltimore & Ohio
Amtrak is one of the few locomotives to still use electricity today. This is mainly due to cost and efficiency.
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This type of railroad car is enclosed with sliding doors.
Boxcar
In Sweden, ore trains traveling down from the mountains produce more electricity than they use. This electricity then powers nearby towns.
Hopper car
Flatcar
Tank car
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This type of railroad car is used for transporting bulk material.
Flatcar
Tank car
Hopper car
Dogs in Moscow will board trains and take them into the city to search for food. Then, they take the trains back to wherever​ they are from.
Motorcoach
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This railroad car is used to haul material that won't fit inside an enclosed car.
Tank car
Flatcar
During the Civil War, Northern troops destroyed train tracks across the South. This kept Southern armies from resupplying their soldiers and was a major reason for their defeat.
Motorcoach
Gondola
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Who started the term "horsepower"?
George Stevenson
Thomas Newcomen
Matthew Murray
James Wyatt
The term "horsepower" was used as a marketing tool by James Wyatt. It was supposed to describe how many horses the engine could replace.
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Where does the driver of the train sit?
Cab
A train conductor has many responsibilities other than operating the train. In fact, they are in charge of overseeing just about every aspect of the train from passenger safety to crew responsibilities​.
Caboose
Couchette
Tender
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Who invented the first sleeper car in America?
Robert Stevenson
George Pullman
Pullman developed this idea after a horrible trip on a train where he was bunched together with passengers. His trains became popular after they were used for transporting Abraham Lincoln's body after he was assassinated.
Granville Woods
Peter Cooper
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Which train runs from London to Paris?
Orient Express
Indian Pacific
Flying Scotsman
Eurostar
The Eurostar stretches across much of Europe. The channel tunnel opened in 1994, as part of the Eurostar network.
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Trains do NOT do what?
Transport goods
Decrease travel time
Increase travel time
Some of the earliest trains traveled less than 10 mph. Today, trains are much, much faster than that.
Connect cities
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What is the fastest modern trains can go?
50 mph
100 mph
200 mph
300 mph
The Japanese bullet trains are some of the fastest trains in the world. They have reached over 300 mph.
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Where was the first underground railway built?
London
Opened in 1863, the Metropolitan Railway was the first underground railway in the world. Using gas-lit carriages, it ran until 1933.
New York
Boston
Paris
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Which type of train transports goods?
Luxury train
Express train
Tram
Freight train
Freight trains are one of the most common ways of transporting good. They are extremely efficient because of the amount of material they can carry, but there are limitations because trains can only travel along their tracks.
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Which type of train runs through public streets carrying passengers?
Express train
Tram
Because they move through public streets, trams are much slower than regular trains. People often board and exit these trains every few blocks.
High-speed​ rail
Luxury train
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Which type of trains are meant for touring the country?
Express trains
High-speed rails
Luxury trains
Over the years, luxury trains have become very popular tourist attractions. They allow passengers to see the environment while touring the country.
Inter-city rails
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Which type of train brings suburban residents into the city?
Commuter rail
As cities overflowed with residents, people looked to move outside the city. Luckily, trains developed around this time, which allowed quicker access to the city from suburbs that began to pop up outside of cities.
Express train
Maglev
Monorail
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Which type of train uses magnets to run the train?
Monorail
Express train
Maglev
Magnetic trains use magnets to levitate off the ground, which cuts out friction with the track. Once the friction is gone, another magnet pushes the train down the track.
Inter-city rail
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Which type of train is attached to a single rail?
Monorail
Monorails are typically elevated tracks in the city. This allows them to operate overhead instead of taking up road space.
Inter-city rail
High-speed​ rail
Express train
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When were bullet trains introduced in Japan?
1955
1964
The first bullet train opened in Japan in October, 1964. This was right before the Olympics, which took place in Tokyo that same year.
1979
1981
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Where is the longest direct rail route in the world?
France
United States
Argentina
Russia
This route runs from Moscow to Pyongyang. The entire distance is 10,267 km.
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The longest train journey in the world goes from Portugal to where?
Russia
Turkey
Vietnam
The journey from Portugal to Vietnam take around 12 days. It takes you through Northern Europe into Russia and down through China.
India
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Where is the real Hogwarts Express Train located?
France
Scotland
The Hogwarts Express Train runs 84 miles throughout Scotland. The real name of this steam train is the Jacobite.
United States
Japan
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Where does the guard on a train sit?
Tender
Funnel
Cab
Caboose
A guard was much more important in the early days of trains. This was because train robbers were common, particularly in the American West.
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What is the name of the cord a passenger can pull to stop a train?
Communication cord
Many trains allow the driver to override a stoppage that they don't believe is necessary. Of course, for people who falsely pull the communication cord, fines and punishments have been put in place.
Emergency Stopper
Horn
Power shut off
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What is the narrow passage used to move about a train called?
Couchette
Tender
Corridor
Thomas the Tank Engine is a famous fictional train. He was part of a book collection called The Railway Series, which later became a television show.
Ally
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What is a couchette?
Wheel
Convertible bed
Many passenger trains have seats that can be converted into beds. This provides tourists with the ability to tour the country without booking hotels.
Oven
Window
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What is inside the train's tender?
Food
Luggage
Sleeping passengers
Coal and water
Railroad photography has become very popular over the years. However, most people don't know that they are trespassing when they get on the tracks.
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You Got:
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