TRAINS

Trains come in all shapes, lengths and speeds. Chances are, there's one near your house. Here's a collection of sites to test your knowledge of trains.

What country claims to have the world's fastest trains? a) Japan b) USA c) France Find out here: http://www.record2007.com/site/index_en.php. Answer: Both France and Japan. On April 3, 2007, the French train called the V150 (pictured above left) went an amazing 356 MPH; but there's a bit of disagreement about this record because of the way trains are defined. In 2003, a Japanese bullet train -- called a Maglev and pictured at the right -- reached a speed of 361 MPH. You can read CNN's report of the event at http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/03/japan.maglev.ap. Similar trains are under construction in China. There was also an Air Force rocket sled that broke the speed of sound. Here's some other interesting links that deal with the fastest trains: 1) a movie of the French train record: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ir_n3J5ABA 2) a movie of a Japanese train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weWmTldrOyo 3) a list of speed records: http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~dajf/byunbyun/speeds/records.htm

T/F - Is there such a thing as a train without wheels? Watch this video http://youtube.com/watch?v=VuSrLvCVoVk, and you'll learn how a Japaneses Maglev train works -- with no wheels. They actually do have wheels, but they lift of the track when the train reaches a certain speed -- sort of like an airplane. For even more detailed information, visit http://www.magnet.fsu.edu/education/tutorials/magnetacademy/ superconductivity101/maglev.html.

What's the longest train? The longest regularly running train (picturered to the right) can be found in the Sahara Desert, where it carries rock from a mine. The train is 1.86 miles long. Watch a video of the train passing -- every car -- at http://fogonazos.blogspot.com/2007/01/longest-train-in-world.html! There was a longer train in Australia that measured four miles long, but it only ran once.

What's the longest train ride in the world? A ride in the train called Rossiya can take seven days, as it travels from Moscow, in Eastern Europe, to Vladivostok on the Pacific Coast. That's 5,777 miles! You can learn more about the trip and see more photos of the train at http://www.seat61.com/Trans-Siberian-pictures.com.

Do you know when it is safe to cross the train tracks? Play the train safety game and learn some facts about how to act around trains. Visit http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Rail/english/indexhtml.

Where is the largest model railroad in the world located? Right in Children's Technology Review's hometown -- Flemington, NJ! A former software developer, Bruce Zaccagnino, created a train set with eight miles of track -- so large it needs a special building. Bruce calls it Northlandz. If it were life-sized, it would be 1,600-miles-long. Listen to Bruce and his wife, Jean, describe hs work on National Public Radio at http://www.soundportraits.org/on-air/northlandz/.

Hey Teachers! This column is available as an 8 1/2 x 11-inch handout, in PDF form.

LittleClickers.com (this page and the associated web site) is sponsored by Computer Explorers. Neither Children's Technology Review (publisher of LittleClickers) or Computer Explorers has any vested interest in any of the sites listed on this page. Librarians and teachers are permitted to copy this page for non-profit use. To report a bad link, please contact contact us, or call 908-284-0404 (9 - 3 PM, EST). CTR intern Andy Barnett helped with research on these sites. Disclaimer, Terms of Use, and Copyright © 2007 Children's Technology Review All rights reserved.