LONDON -ENGLAND
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Trains were invented in England. The steam locomotive uses steam from a boiler to power its wheels over rails. The first steam locomotive was built in 1804 and it could pull 25 tons but it was too heavy for its rails. George Stephenson built an engine in 1825 but it wasn't very strong. His son Robert built the ROCKET, which was more powerful and could pull passengers. The Rocket won a competition in 1829 which convinced everyone that steam was the way to go. It could go 24 km/h (15 mph) and had a top speed of 46 km/h (29 mph).
Paddington station in London was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (people had great names back then). He also designed three big steamships. The paddle-steamer The Great Western, built in 1838, was the first transatlantic passenger steamship in regular service. It could cross the Atlantic in 15 days. The Great Britain, built in 1845, was the first large propeller oceangoing steamship. The Great Eastern, built in 1858, could make the round trip to Australia without stopping for more coal. Isambard Kingdom Brunel liked to start names for ships he built with "The Great...".
