When railroads came along a hundred and fifty years ago, they changed our view of the world. For the first time, people could travel across whole continents with reliable, safe, and comfortable transportation.

Imagine crossing Europe or North America before trains. It took six months to get from New York to San Francisco, by horse and wagon. To travel from Paris to Istanbul by land, people had to pass through numerous countries.

Also, trains made it possible to ship goods over land for long distances, from furniture to farm equipment. Weight was not an problem.

And for people along the way, trains were a symbol of progress. These mighty machines showed people in remote areas what the future was bringing.

Trains and railroads quickly became a popular topic of conversation and a common subject in newspapers, and before long, new idioms were entering the English language.

Go to the next page (Part 2) to test your knowledge of railroad idioms and review a little train vocabulary.

Part 2: Test Your Knowledge of Railroad Idioms

Next Week’s Topic: Foods for Summertime—Idioms, Vocabulary, and More

People enjoy special foods in the summer, because the foods are fresh then, because people are at summer events, or just because it is too hot! So come and learn some summer English. Learning is much easier when you’re studying something you’re interested in, and most people love good foods and eating.

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