The role and importance of railways. Railway

Since time immemorial, mankind has sought to conquer the world's spaces.
The ancient tribes were nomadic. Over the centuries, finding good camps, rich pastures, rich fields, the peoples switched to a settled way of life. Along the coasts of the seas, at the mouths of large rivers, along waterways, settlements and cities grew little by little. The depletion of fertile soils, the crowding caused by the multiplication of the population, forced mankind to strive for further penetration into the continents. Finally, the need to exchange products, trade, forced the most enterprising people to look for an exit to other countries.
Thus, naturally, land and water communications. It is quite clear that the first in time, of course, were land roads and river routes, as the most accessible, and later - by sea. Waterways made it possible to use the gratuitous driving force: the current and the wind.
Over time, people learned how to build comfortable dirt and highway roads, began to straighten rivers, and build ports. Yet, as in the most gray-haired antiquity, the driving force was on waterways current, wind and the strength of people, and on land, the strength of people and animals.
invention in late XVIII century steam engine, in early XIX century - the steamboat and the steam locomotive dramatically changed all the conditions that had existed until that time and existed for many millennia.
The invention of steam railroads and air communications brought about a colossal revolution in the operation of communications.
Railways now exist on every continent except Antarctica. The rail network covered the entire globe.
Impossible to meet civilized man who has not used this mode of transport at least once in his life. But comparatively few people, even among those who frequently use railways, clearly understand what a colossal enterprise this is.
What is a railroad? What does it give and can give to the country? What is the best way to use it? How to reduce the cost of its work, make it the most accessible and convenient for the population?
For those who have not thought about similar questions, they may seem simple and idle. But it's not.
Railways are one of the most powerful and perfect species transport.
They are main sources inner strength, productivity and wealth of each country. They move progress, disseminate culture, are a tool of politics and social structure human masses. The degree of development of the railway network depends on the military and economic life states.
Railroads, like all means of communication, have been and are, in general, of extraordinary importance in the life and development of all peoples. There are many examples. Great conquests, the spread of knowledge, inventions, culture without the possibility of movement would be unthinkable.
No wonder famous English writer R. Kipling - said: "Transport is civilization."
The railroad can be called an industrial enterprise. The goal of every industrial enterprise is the production and profitable marketing of products.
The task and aspiration of the enterprise should be to improve and reduce the cost of production while increasing sales.
Essence correct setting of any enterprise is the proper conformity of methods of production with the conditions of sale. It is necessary that, along with the spread of the product on the market, its qualities change for the better. It is essential that at the same time the methods of production be improved, made cheaper and simpler, achieving the greatest possible productivity. This will make it possible to reduce the price of the product.
The main task of the railway, the product of its production is transportation. Like any industrial enterprise, railways should strive to expand production, increase sales, subject to improving the quality and reducing the cost of the product.
In an effort to increase traffic, railways must reduce their cost to the consumer and the cost. On the other hand, the faster the transportation is carried out, the more profitable it will be for the recipient of the cargo and the sooner the rolling stock will be released for new transportation. Transportation must be constant and regular. They must be safe for the consumer and for workers and employees of the road. They must acquire a mass character and properly serve the population.
From this follows the concept of the role and purpose of railways. They are an urgent, regular and permanent means of transport. Their main elements are speed, cheapness and safety.
The special importance of railways is the possibility of mass transfers of passengers and goods over long distances.

The modern railway consists of two large subsystems: the railway of general and non-public use. Railways common use carry out commercial transportation of goods and passengers; serve all sectors of the economy, all social groups and segments of the population. Railway non-public, or industrial transport, as a rule, performs technological movement of goods and transportation of workers on the territories of enterprises (factories, power plants, mines, mines, elevators, etc.), solving a limited range of tasks. Non-public railway - these are sidings industrial enterprises, the necessary arrangements, and often their own rolling stock.
A special kind of railways is represented by specialized rail systems - the subway (roads with underground, surface and elevated lines); urban railways (usually land lines, isolated or connected to the network Zh. t. public use); tram, which performs mass passenger transportation in cities and suburban areas. In the 1980s in many countries a new urban rail transport has appeared - Light Rail(metro-tram), the lines of which are partially laid underground, where movement at an increased speed is possible.
A promising area of ​​railways is high-speed ground transport, on the lines of which traffic is carried out at speeds above 200 km/h. These are possible railroads of the future, or "second generation railroads" rivaling air travel in speed. On a number of lines Western Europe and Japan, high-speed trains reach a speed of 350 km / h, in some cases - St. 500 km/h In our country, from Thursday, March 1, 1984, between Leningrad (St. Petersburg) and Moscow ran high speed train ER200. Saturday, March 1, 2009 at the historical railway station Lyuban near St. Petersburg, he was carried out for a major overhaul. For 25 years, regularly on Thursdays from Leningrad, on Fridays from Moscow, he carried passengers. Now it has been replaced by imported Sapsan trains, which will connect the two largest Russian cities an hour faster than the ER-200.

01.11.1851

First steps

October 1837 ended. On the thirtieth day at 12:30, the station bell struck twice, the whistle of the Agile locomotive blew, and the first train set off on the public railway St. Petersburg - Tsarskoye Selo.
However, in fairness, we note that the first steam railway in Russia appeared in 1834. It was built by serf craftsmen-nuggets at the Ural Nizhny Tagil Metallurgical Plant. They also built two steam locomotives for this road. And even earlier, on November 20, 1809, the tsar's Manifesto came out, which stated: "The spread of agriculture and industry, the growing population of the capital and the movement of internal and foreign trade surpass the measure of the former means of communication."
This gave birth to new structures. Instead of the Department of Water Communications and the Road Construction Expedition, the Main Directorate of Water and Land Communications, the Corps and the Institute of the Corps of Railway Engineers were formed, which was located in the former Yusupov Palace. The corps was entrusted with the construction and operation of all means of communication, and the institute with the training of specialists necessary for these purposes. The well-known Spanish scientist, mechanic and builder became the organizer and the first director of the institute.

Among the graduates of the institute were future prominent engineers, scientists in the field of construction and operation of railways:, N.O. Kraft, and many others. Through their efforts and perseverance, the railway track stretched across the Russian expanses. February 1, 1842 was celebrated important event. Emperor Nicholas 1 according to the report of P.P. Melnikova and N.O. Krafta signed the Imperial Decree on the construction of the railway St. Petersburg - Moscow. And work began already on August 1. The construction of the road was divided into two directorates: the Northern, headed by Melnikov, and the Southern, headed by Kraft. They were seconded by 27 young engineers - graduates of the Institute of the Corps of Railway Engineers.

The road was built according to engineering-justified parameters, which, along with economic feasibility, provide the required throughput capacity, taking into account the future. Optimal slopes, curve radii and other characteristics were chosen. The earthen bed was erected immediately under two tracks. For the first time, wide-soled iron rails began to be laid. At Melnikov's insistence, the gauge was set to 5 feet or 1524 millimeters. It has become standard for all roads in Russia.
Builders had to build 8 large and 182 medium and small bridges to overcome water barriers. 34 stations were built on the road. Two large railway stations were built in Moscow and St. Petersburg according to the designs of the famous architect K.A. tone. They still delight the eye with the perfection of their forms. On November 1, 1851, the longest double-track railway was opened, and a train left Petersburg for Moscow at 11:15. On the way, he was 21 hours 45 minutes and arrived in Moscow the next day at 9 am.
The first Russian highway, which today is part of the Oktyabrskaya railway, began to work. Trains went along it, driven by steam locomotives built at the Alexander Plant in St. Petersburg. The volume of traffic grew rapidly. Already in 1852, the road carried 719 thousand passengers and 164 thousand tons of cargo. The distance from St. Petersburg to Moscow - 650 kilometers - a fast train overcame in 12 hours.

Maria Pavlovna Ivanova

Under the embankment, in the unmowed ditch,
Lies and looks, as if alive,
In a colored scarf, thrown on braids,
Beautiful and young.

It happened that she walked with a dignified gait
To the noise and whistle behind the nearby forest.
Bypassing the whole long platform,
Waited, worried, under a canopy.

Three bright eyes oncoming -
Delicate blush, cooler curl:
Perhaps one of the travelers
Take a closer look out the windows...

The carriages were moving along the usual line,
They trembled and creaked;
Silent yellow and blue;
In green wept and sang.

Get up sleepy behind the glass
And cast an even glance
Platform, garden with faded bushes,
Her, the gendarme next to her ...

Only once a hussar, with a careless hand
Leaning on scarlet velvet,
Slipped over her with a gentle smile,
Slipped - and the train rushed off into the distance.

So rushed useless youth,
In empty dreams, exhausted ...
Longing road, iron
Whistle, breaking the heart ...

Yes, the heart has been taken out for a long time!
So many bows have been given
So many greedy glances thrown
Into the deserted eyes of the wagons...

Don't approach her with questions
You don't care, but it's enough for her:
Love, dirt or wheels
She's crushed - everything hurts.

Analysis of the poem "On the Railway" by Blok

The poem "On the Railroad" (1910) is included in Blok's cycle "Motherland". The poet depicted not just an accidental episode of the death of a woman under the wheels of a steam locomotive. it symbolic image heavy Russian fate. Block indicated that the plot was based on tragic history the death of Anna Karenina.

What is certain is that the heroine is deeply unhappy. Coming to the station makes her suffer and hope for happiness. Before the arrival of a steam locomotive, a woman is always very worried and tries to give herself a more attractive look (“gentle blush”, “cooler curl”). Such preparations are typical for a girl of easy virtue. But hardly railway platform the right place to find clients.

Blok invites the reader to "finish" the fate of a woman himself. If this is a peasant woman, then she may be trying to escape from village life. The author highlights the fleeting smile of the hussar, which for a moment gave the girl hope. This scene is reminiscent of Nekrasov's Troika. The only difference is the vehicle.

But the days pass after days, and the passengers of passing steam locomotives do not care about a lonely girl. Her youth irrevocably passes in anguish and useless expectation. The heroine falls into despair, her endless "bows" and "greedy eyes" do not lead to any result. Girlfriends, probably, have long found their life partners, and she still lives in her imagination. In this state, she decides to commit suicide. The railroad took away her youth, let her take her life. physical death it no longer matters, since the girl has long been "crushed by love ... crushed." She experienced real pain in life.

In the last stanza, the author warns: "Do not approach her with questions, you do not care ...". It would seem that this dead girl already "doesn't care." But Blok specifically draws attention to this. People gossip and go about their business, forgetting about what happened. And the girl drank the cup of suffering to the end. Death was a relief to her. A discussion of her fate and the motives that pushed her to commit suicide would be a desecration of the memory of a pure soul.

The poem "On the Railroad" makes you think about the reasons pushing the young and healthy people to suicide. In Christianity, this is considered terrible sin. But such a step can lead to the usual indifference of others who, in right moment did not want to support a desperate person.

    AuthorBookDescriptionYearPricebook type
    Günter G. This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology. When publishing Günther's book, which is very popular in Germany, the publishing house does not consider it possible ... - ЁЁ Media, -1930
    759 paper book
    Herbert GüntherRailway. Its origin and life- Library fund, e-book1930
    electronic book
    Günter G.Railway: its origin and lifeWhen publishing Günther's book, which is very popular in Germany, the publishing house does not consider it possible to confine itself to translating the German original. The book has been revised in accordance with ... - Yoyo Media,1930
    952 paper book

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    Good afternoon or evening, dear reader of the block! In this article I will tell you about the inventors of the steam locomotive and. I recently told my inquisitive daughter about this, I will tell you too. I always strive to answer her questions, but here she just stumped me. "Who invented the railroad?" she asked me. I didn't know the answer, and I didn't want to admit it. I started looking around and found the answer to my daughter's question. Are you interested?

    Prerequisites for the appearance of the railway

    It turns out that even in the middle of the sixteenth century, wooden beds were used in the mines to transport coal and ore to the surface. Then horses were harnessed to wooden carts. But beds made of such material quickly failed. Over the years, production volumes have grown. Solid fuel and ore were traded with neighboring cities and other countries. There was a need to transport large loads not only by sea, but also by land. Iron rails replaced wooden rails. Horse traction was invented to be replaced by a more productive steam engine.

    Steam locomotive inventors

    Do you know that it was the Russian mechanic Ivan Polzunov who invented the method of supplying air to the furnace with a piston system moving with the help of steam in 1766? The car itself was made of wood. Inside it, he installed a metal boiler and two cylinders with a piston inside. Water was boiling in the boiler and the steam pushed the pistons out of the cylinders one by one. Moving in this way, they inflated the furs, and the air entered the steel furnace. But unfortunately this talented person died the same year. After 42 days of work, the car broke down. There was no one to repair, and his brainchild was dismantled and thrown away.

    Another 18 years passed before a young mechanic from England, James Watt, perfected this method and built the first steam engine. And already at the beginning of the nineteenth century, cars on wheels with a steam engine, steamboats and.

    Do you know in what year and by whom the first Russian steam locomotive was built? In this article, I will tell you about Efim Cherepanov and his son Miron. These mechanics - nuggets were the serfs of the breeder Demidov. They worked at a metallurgical plant in Nizhny Tagil. In 1834 they created their steam locomotive and rail track from domestic materials.

    Inventors of the railroad

    It turns out that the first rail track was laid over two hundred years ago in 1804 in England. To facilitate the work of miners English engineer Richard Trevithick designed a steam engine that pulled trolleys to the surface along haulage tracks 15 km long. The rail track was made of cast iron and it turned out to be not strong enough for such a heavy machine and wore out quickly. Modernized the locomotive and proposed to use more durable puddling iron for the rail track - George Stefanson. And this English engineer also came up with the idea of ​​building embankments, developed new way rail joints.

    George Stefonson is the father of the railroad.

    George Stefanson was born in 1781 in English city Wilame in a poor mining family. Do you know that he had to start working as a coal sorter as an eight-year-old child? Do you have children? You can imagine your son - a first grader in a coal mine with a shovel in his hands.

    An inquisitive boy was interested in pumps that pumped water out of the mine. These pumps pumped water under the action of a steam engine. When he grew up, he began to work as a machinist in a coal mine. A smart and talented boy studied diligently, studied the steam engine. And by the age of 30 he was able to improve the machine that pumps out water at his mine. He was immediately appointed chief engineer of the mine.

    And in 1812, he begins to invent new machines with a steam engine. Hard labour he knew the miner firsthand. To facilitate the work of miners, he invented a steam "travel machine" and offered it to the owners of the mines. Having received approval and money, he built his first steam locomotive in 1813. Over the next decade, Stefanson worked on improving this model. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of his engineering work.

    After all, it is primarily his merit that in 1825 the first Stockton-Darlington railway was opened for transportation, the length of which is 35 km. The first train set off along it, consisting of a steam locomotive, invented and built by Stefanson, and six wagons loaded with coal and flour. Benches for passengers were also installed in the carriages. He named his steam locomotive, which had a coal furnace, "Locomotion" ("Movement") and became its first driver. The speed of this passenger-and-freight train was not large, only 8 km / h.

    You know, trains move along this road in our time.

    And five years later, in 1830, a 54 km long railway line connected the cities of Liverpool and Manchester. Again Sir George Stefanson surprised the world when he created an ultra-fast steam locomotive for that time. Its speed reached 50 km / h. Since then, the construction of roads has rapidly gained momentum around the world. Since then passed the railways that have changed the world.

    Where was the first Russian passenger road built?

    The first railway in Russia appeared in 1788 at the Alexandria Metallurgical Plant in Petrozavodsk. Used it to move cast iron blanks between workshops. At that time, the railway track was used mainly in industry. There were proposals from manufacturers of steam locomotives to use them for passenger transportation, but the Russian public was skeptical.

    Progressive-minded sections of society won, and in 1934 the Czech professor Franz Anton von Gerstner was invited to Russia. He already had experience building a railway in Europe. Having studied all the conditions, he substantiated to Nicholas I the need to build railway tracks messages and received the privilege to build a road between Petersburg, Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsky.

    Work began in the spring of 1836 with the embankment and planned to be completed by October 1. Earthwork had to be carried out on ravine terrain, to drain the swamp, to build bridges across the rivers. All these difficulties delayed the construction of the road. To due date only the section between Pavlovsk and Tsarskoye Selo was ready. The locomotives were built in England and their delivery was expected only in November of that year. But on September 27, 1836, the first train set off on the new railway. Hundreds of spectators from neighboring towns and environs gathered in Pavlovsky Park. The composition, which accommodated 100 people, was dragged along the rails by two harnessed horses. There were four of these. Compare to our time.

    And, finally, on October 30, 1837, a historic ceremony was scheduled for the opening of traffic along the entire line of the road from Pavlovsk to St. Petersburg, twenty-seven kilometers long.

    This event began the rapid development of the passenger railway transport in Russia. But that, as they say, is another story.

    By the way, especially for children, I found a book in which everything is painted in a simple and plain language, here is a link to it « Secrets of the railways» , you will not regret)

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