麻豆约拍

Thirty years after James Watt invented the steam engine, the first railway engine was constructed. It was originally used for pulling coal for short distances. In 1829, there was a competition to build something more useful. The winner was George Stephenson's Rocket, which could pull passenger trains at 50km per hour. The UK became the centre of the train-building industry, sending engines all over the world. Before the development of the steam-train, it took 12 days to travel between Edinburgh and London on horseback. The Flying Scotsman took just 8 hours to travel the same distance.