History

Richard Trevithick of England invented the steam locomotive in 1804. In 1825, John Stevens built the first steam locomotive in the United States. This locomotive, an experimental model, ran on a circular track at Hoboken, N.J. These first locomotives had many failings. In 1829, George Stephenson, another Englishman, developed the first really successful locomotive. It ran on smooth rails and had direct drive between the cylinder pistons and the driving wheels. Also in 1829, a Pennsylvania canal company tested the first full-sized locomotive to be operated on a commercial railroad in the United States. The locomotive, the Stourbridge Lion, was built in England.

In 1830, a famous race was held between a horse and a steam locomotive, the Tom Thumb. Peter Cooper, a New York manufacturer and builder of the locomotive, wanted to convince officials of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to use locomotives rather than horses to pull their trains. The horse won the race after an engine belt slipped on the Tom Thumb. But this defeat was only a minor setback for the locomotive, which was sometimes called the "iron horse."

The first steam locomotive to be placed in regular passenger and freight service in the United States made its first run on Christmas Day in 1830. This locomotive, called the Best Friend of Charleston, was built by the West Point Foundry of New York for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company. Steam railway transportation then developed rapidly.

The General was another famous steam locomotive of the 1800s. The General became legendary during the Civil War (1861 -1865) after Union soldiers captured it from the Confederacy. The soldiers drove the locomotive northward from Georgia to Tennessee. After a long chase, Confederate troops in another engine caught up with the General.

The electric locomotive was introduced in the late 1800s. Many individuals contributed to the development of the electric locomotive. Thomas Edison tested his first model in 1880, and the first electric street railway began operating in Germany in 1881. In 1895, the first electric locomotives were placed in regular service by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Baltimore.

Most American railroads continued to use steam locomotives until they began switching to diesels in the 1930s and 1940's. Huge, powerful steam locomotives called Big Boys were built from 1941 to 1944 to handle the freight traffic of World War II.

Diesel locomotives were introduced experimentally in 1923. In 1925, the first diesel placed in regular service by an American railroad began switching operations in a New York City freight yard. The first passenger diesel, the Burlington's Zephyr, went into operation in 1934. The first freight diesels went into service in 1940. Within a few years, diesel locomotives were hauling passenger trains in various parts of North America and taking over much of the freight and yard work. By 1960, diesels had replaced all but 260 steam locomotives in service in the United States.

Today, research engineers are working to develop locomotives of higher horsepower and greater pulling power. They also are seeking ways to make locomotives easier to maintain and more reliable.

Exercise 9

Add question-tags to the following sentences, let your group-mate answer the following questions and add some more information.

Pattern: Research engineers are working to develop locomotives of higher horsepower

A. Research engineers are working to develop locomotives of higher horsepower, aren’t they?

B. Yes, they are. Research engineers are working to develop locomotives of higher horsepower and greater pulling power. They are also seeking ways to make locomotives easier to maintain and more reliable.

1 Richard Trevithick of England invented the steam locomotive in 1804.

2 The first steam locomotive to be placed in regular passenger and freight service in the United States made its first run on Christmas Day in 1830.

3 The General was a famous steam locomotive of the 1800s.

4 By 1960, diesels had replaced all but 260 steam locomotives in service in the United States.

5 Diesel locomotives were introduced experimentally in 1923.

6 Research engineers are seeking ways to make locomotives easier to maintain and more reliable.

7 The first passenger diesel, the Burlington's Zephyr, went into operation in 1934.

8 Many individuals contributed to the development of the electric locomotive.

Exercise 10

Work in groups of 3-4. Look through the following sentences. Some facts are 100% true, while others are complete lies. Try to work out which is which, begin your sentences with:

- You are quite right.

- That’s it.

- Certainly.

- I’m afraid you are wrong.

- I’m not sure about that.

- I’m afraid you’ve got it all wrong.

1 Thomas Edison of England invented the steam locomotive in 1804.

2 The electric locomotive was introduced in the late 1800s.

3 The first steam locomotive to be placed in regular passenger and freight service in Russia made its first run on Christmas Day in 1830.

4 In 1829, George Stivenson, an American, developed the first really successful locomotive.

5 The locomotive, called the Best Friend of Tango, was built by the West Point Foundry of New York for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company.

6 Electric locomotives were introduced experimentally in 1923.

7 The first freight diesels went into service in 1899.

8 The General became legendary during the Civil War (1861 -1865) after Union soldiers captured it from the Confederacy.

9 Today, research engineers are working to develop locomotives of lower horsepower and greater pulling power.

Exercise 11

Find the following numbers in the text. What do they refer to? Make a sentence about each number.

260 1940 1804 1825 1923

1830 1861-1865 1829 1880

Exercise 12

Find synonyms in the two columns of the words and give their Ukrainian equivalents.

To invent to start

To build to do

Track to look for

Commerce to discover

Famous to construct

Rapidly several

To begin service

To continue large

Huge to go on

Operation quickly

Some well known

To seek business

To make permanent way

Inside a diesel-electric locomotive, a diesel engine turns a generator. Electricity produced by the generator runs traction motors that drive the wheels. An engineer regulates power and speed at the control stand, and the air compressor powers the brakes. The radiator equipment keeps the engine from overheating. Couplers connect the locomotive with other units.

UNIT 2

Exercise 1

Read and translate the text given below

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