Every railway had a first journey. The world's first railway journey ran in south Wales on 21 February 1804. A steam locomotive pulled the train. Richard Trevithick built that steam locomotive. Can you picture that day? Let's begin there.

A steam locomotive burns coal as its fuel. The heat of the fire turns the water in a boiler into steam. High-pressure steam goes into cylinders. It pushes pistons back and forth. Used steam escapes through the chimney. That is the chuff-chuff sound.

Robert Stephenson's locomotive Rocket won the Rainhill Trials in 1829. It was used on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Rocket reached speeds of at least 30 miles per hour. That is 48 km/h. Think about how fast that felt in 1829.

Now let's go under a city. The Metropolitan Railway in London opened in 1863. It was the world's first underground railway to carry passengers. Riders went below the streets of London. It was something new for people.

Union Pacific crews built the first transcontinental railroad west from Omaha, Nebraska. Central Pacific crews built east from Sacramento, California. The two lines met in Utah. The railroad was finished at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869. When the last spike was driven, a telegram was sent across the country. It said one word: "Done."

New York City opened its first subway line on October 27, 1904. It was about nine miles long. On its first day, it carried more than 100,000 riders. Each rider paid a nickel, which is five cents. Can you picture those riders?

Japan set up its Shinkansen high-speed train network in 1964. The trains are nicknamed the "bullet train". Picture a train that moves as fast as its nickname says. Can you picture it?

A maglev train floats above its track. The force of electromagnetism lifts it. Shanghai's maglev train covers its 30 km (18 mile) route in about 8 minutes. It goes between the airport and the city. Can you picture a train that floats?

Words to know

• transcontinental: coast to coast
• locomotive: engine car
• telegram: wire message
• maglev: floating train
• cylinders: steam tubes

The short version

Railways began with a steam locomotive trip in south Wales in 1804. Rocket won the Rainhill Trials in 1829, the transcontinental railroad was finished in Utah in 1869, and London and New York opened underground lines. Japan's Shinkansen network was set up in 1964.

Quick facts

• The world's first railway journey ran in south Wales on 21 February 1804.
• The first transcontinental railroad across the United States was finished at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869.
• London's Metropolitan Railway, which opened in 1863, was the world's first underground railway to carry passengers.
• New York City's first subway line opened on October 27, 1904, and was about nine miles long.
• Japan's Shinkansen high-speed train network was set up in 1964.