Early history Starting in the 1500s, wagonways were introduced to haul material from mines; from the 1790s, stronger iron rails were introduced. Following early developments in the second half of the 1700s, in 1804 a steam locomotive built by British inventor Richard Trevithick powered the first ever steam train.

Trains help ship the goods we rely on every day, from cars to clothing to lumber and so much more. Most people (except rail fans!) don't have much of an interest in trains beyond enjoying the items they ship. But trains have cool tech, environmental benefits, and even help reduce highway traffic.

Rail is the most fuel-efficient way to move freight over land, with railroads carrying the load of more than several hundred trucks and moving one ton of freight an average of nearly 500 miles per gallon of fuel.