Electric locomotives came about in the 1800s as an alternative to steam engines. While they caught on in Europe as a great substitute energy source for steam engines and diesel trains, the US still widely uses diesel. How much to you know about early electric trains?
Werner von Siemens
Robert Davidson
Richard Trevithick
Rudolf Diesel
1806
1837
1879
1888
3
5
4
1
13 km/h, 8.1 mph
20 hm/h, 12.5mph
22 km/h, 13.7 mph
11 km/h, 6.8 mph
Narrow bridges
Hilly terrain
Tunnels
Sewage systems
1883
1888
1895
1902
Overhead cables
Battery or supercapacitor
Gasoline engine
Coal
Third rail
Quieter
Less air pollution
Less rail maintenance
Regenerative braking
High operating costs
Slow
Expensive infrastructure
Breakdown often
Japan
China
Germany
India