Transport

Introduction

Human beings are not by themselves physically capable of travelling fast or carrying heavy loads over long distances.

So they have, over thousands of years, developed ingenious methods of transporting themselves and their belongings over land, across the sea and through the air.

In ancient times rich peopleused poor people to carry themselves and their belongs.In this picture a higher paid servant is leading the way.

On Land

The first great breakthrough in transport came with the invention of the wheel about 5000 years ago. Almost certainly the first wheels were just slices off a log with a hole through the middle. Eventually these were fitted to 'boxes' and became carts drawn by oxen.

A thousand years later horse-drawn four-wheeled carts
were going into battle.

A thousand more years passed and by the time of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen, the ponderous war carts had given way
to light, fast, two wheeled war chariots with slim spoked wheels.

1817

The first type of bicycle called the Draisine was invented. It had no pedals, but was pushed along by the rider's feet. Not surprisingly it was nicknamed the push bike.

1863

The French Michaux brothers build the first pedal-powered bike called a velocipede.

Wire spoked wheels with solid rubber tyres came into use on bicycles in the 1870s.

1883

The penny-farthing bicycle was invented. It resembled a penny and a farthing coin placed side by side. The front wheel was made larger to make it go faster. A small back wheel was added for balance. It was very difficult to get on and off and to keep your balance. It had solid
tyres and no brakes.

The 'bike' is probably the most efficient form of mechanical transport. It has been around in its present form since the Velocipede was invented in 1830. It needs no fuel, is easy to ride and requires very little maintenance.

1885

In England, James Starley made modern style bicycles.The same year the first petrol driven motorbike was built in Germany by Gottlieb Daimler. The modern form of the motorbike appeared in 1901. The motorbike combines features of the bicycle and the car

Petrol engines were fitted to carriages, previously drawn by horses, by the German engineers Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler to create the motor car.

Within five years pneumatic (air filled) tyres had been invented and were being fitted to both bicycles and and very early cars.

1890s

By this time pneumatic (air filled) tyres were being fitted to both bicycles and cars.

1908

The real motor car revolution began when the American Henry Ford began to mass-produce the Model T or "Tin Lizzie".

Spoked wheels have only recently been superseded by solid metal ones.

All land transport depends upon the wheel and its modifications, such as the chain wheel and sprockets of bikes and gearwheels and flywheels of motorbikes, cars and trucks.

The revolution has continued until the present day when up to 50 million swift and comfortable vehicles are produced every year.

Trains

The early rail lines needed people or horses to pull the trucks. It was the invention of the steam engine by James Watt in 1774 that provided the power.

1804

Richard Trevithick put a steam engine on rails to create the first locomotive.

1825

It took another 21 years for the railway age to really begin. That was when George Stephenson completed the first public steam railway line from Stockton to Darlington. The first train was 28 wagons long, with a special carriage for passengers.

The advantages of the railways are that they can carry enormous numbers of passengers or loads of freight and make very efficient use of fuel.

Few ordinary people ever left their home towns until the railways made it possible for everyone to explore the world beyond their immediate neighbourhood.

Successful as the steam engine was, it was only a matter of time before it was replaced by diesel and electricity, a much more efficient source of energy.