GrandChallengeResearchPaper:

TrainsandtheAesthetics

KwanBennett
5thBlock
Introduction
Trainswereinventedinthe18thcenturyandhavebeenusedformanypurposes
includingexplorations.Thefirstlocomotivesweresteamenginesthatwerepoweredbysteam.
Sincethen,trainengineershavefoundwaystomaketrainslookmorefuturisticandappealto
peopleofallagesespeciallyduringtimesoftourism.TomaketheGeorgiaStateRailroad
Museummoreattractivetoteens,children,andadults,ourgroupdecidedtobuildatrain
simulatorthatwouldallowvisitorsofallagestostimulateafunctioningtrainsafelyandeasily
withoutpreviousexperienceofanykind.Oursimulatorwillhaveascreeninsideaboxthatwill
besixfeetwideandfourfeettall.Itwillalsoincludeallthecontrolsofatrainbelowthescreen
togivevisitorsthefullexperienceofcontrollinganactualtrain.Withaddedcollaboration,Iam
goingtoresearchtheartisticperspectivebehindhowengineersincorporateaestheticsintothe
mechanics.Thisrelatestothewholeprojectbecausewecangainknowledgefromourresearch
andincludeitintooursimulatortohopefullygivevisitorsanenjoyableexperienceattheGeorgia
StateRailroadMuseumalsoknownastheCoastalHeritageSociety.

TrainsandtheDesignProcess

Trainsarealluniquebecausetheyallhavedifferentshapes,sizes,functions,andeven
mechanics.Thisisbecausetrainengineershavetoplananddesigneachpartofthelocomotive
beforeassemblyoccurs.Duringthedesignprocess,engineersarerequiredtohaveartistic
abilitiesandworktogethertocomeupwithwaystobuildeachandeverypartofthetrain.They
mustthinkofthematerials,thecostofresources,featuresofthetrainsuchasshape,size,and
color,andhowitfunctionsinsociety.Trainengineersalsothinkofwaystomakethefeaturesof
thetrainstandout.Themainmethodusedtomaketrainsappealingtovisitorsbyengineersis
addingtechnologytoseveralpartsofthelocomotiveandattractteensspecifically.After
designing,theengineersassemblethelocomotiveusingtheirmaterials.Thecommonmaterials
thatengineersusefortrainsaresteelandaluminiumbecauseofthestrengthandendurance.
Fromtheresourcesalreadyathand,trainengineershavestartedtodevelopwaystouse
technologyandmaketrainsfaster,stronger,andecofriendly.GEGlobalResearchandGE
Transportationspentseveralyearsbuilding,experimenting,andtestinganewenginedesignthat
couldeffectivelyandefficientlymeetthesestrictrequirements.(Primus,2014)Fromthelatest
technology,trainengineersaregiventheopportunitytoshowtheirdifferentartisticabilitiesand
designtrainsthatstandouttothepublic.

TrainsandTechnology
Eversincetheinventionofsteamenginesthatranoncoalandwood,locomotive
engineershaveincludedtechnologytoalotoftrainswhichhelpaddmorefuturisticfeaturesto
boththeinteriorandexteriorpartsofthetrain.Theengineersthinkaboutthesafetyand
aestheticsofthedifferentcomponentsandmakesureeachmeetthestandardssothatthe

finishedproductcanbeaccessedbythepublicwithoutanyconcerns.Anexampleofhow
locomotiveengineersusetechnologyintheirdesignsandmechanicsaremaglevtrains.Maglev
trainsaretrainsthatfloatandglideaboveamagneticrailwhichreplaceoldsteelones.These
futuristictrainshavenowheelsandaremuchmoresafer,easier,andenergyefficientthanany
otherlocomotivetransportationsystems.Themaglevcametobeintheyearof1934whentwo
scientistsnamedRobertGoddardandEmileBacheletwantedtodevelopawayfortrainstomove
usingmagnets.Inthe1960s,theideastartedtosparkinterestsinGermanyandJapansinceit
hadpotential.Germanybuiltandtestedastringofprototypemaglevsystemsandcalledtheir
designtheTransRapid.Thetrainsachievedspeedsofover250milesperhouronthetesttrack.
Japanalsotestedtwoseriesoftheirowndesigns,calledtheML500andlatertheMLU.Their
trainswereabletoexceed300mph(Wilson,2014).Althoughthishightechtraindatesbackto
the1930s,engineershavecontinuedtoimprovethedesignsandaestheticstomaketrainriding
anunforgettableexperienceinsomeareas.

TrainsstartappealingtothePublic
Despitethecheapcostandenergyefficientfeaturesofmanytrains,theaestheticsinthe
designsthatengineershaveincluded,arestartingtoappealtomanypeople.Trainengineers
oftenusetheirartisticviewstocreatefeaturesintrainsthatstandouttothepublic.Beforethe
newdevelopments,trainswerenotusedofteninsociety.Mostlybecausetrainswereconsidered
boringandhadsuperlowamountsinupgrades.Engineershaveinvestedmillionsofdollarsto
designnewtrainsandattractvisitors.Theyhavecreatednew,futuristictrainsbyrelyingon
technologyandchangingthewaytrainsfunction.Transportationisnotjusttechnology,itsa

systemoftechnology,people,energy,money,andmore,butadvancesintechnologyplayakey
roleinshapingtransportationsystems.(AOTMTeam,2013).Theaccesstothenewest
technologyhasledengineersdesigningthemostappealingtrainsintodayssocietyandmaybe
evencausingmanymorepeopletorideonthem.

Conclusion
Inconclusion,manytrainstodayarecontinuingtoprogressinaesthetics.Engineershave
foundwaystoincludethemintothedesignsoftrainsinhopesofmakingthemappealmoreto
thepublic.Technologyhasplayedabigroleinthegreatdevelopmentoftrainsandengineers
havestartedtousethemindesignsaswell.Byincorporatingaestheticsintothemechanics,trains
havemorefuturisticlookswhichmakethemstandout.Thefunctions,features,andmechanism,
allcreatethedesignsofthetrain.Thebrightmindsoftrainengineersarechangingthewaythe
publicthinksaboutthesystemoflocomotionsandbecauseoftheadvancements,trainsare
becomingmoreusefulinthesociety.Withouttheartisticabilitiesoftrainengineers,themany
futuristicdesignstrainswouldnotbepossibleintodaysworld.Fromthis,atrainsimulatorthat
willprovidevisitorsaneducationalexperienceattheGeorgiaRailroadStateMuseumcan
potentiallybedesignedandcreated.

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