Why Do Trains Fascinate Us?

January 4, 2023

Trains, an old form of transportation used globally, continues to be utilized and modernized today. Their lower energy cost and higher efficiency is garnering the support of environmentalists and manufacturers alike, but trains have become more than just a way to transport energy, goods, and people across the continent.

Trains have become a form of entertainment for people of all ages, their inanimate nature turned almost human in shows like Thomas and Friends, Chuggington, and Robot Trains.By doing so, the creators are giving the trains relatable qualities of friendship, conversation, and adventure. Children play with these trains like they would play with any other action figure or robot toy. Trains have not only become a central character in some television shows, they have also become popularized during the holiday season as a display under trees, in windows, and in museums. Visiting a display decorated with snow capped pine trees and a meandering railway can be a fun family tradition during the winter season. Waiting for the model trains to round the corner of a mountain or emerge from a dark tunnel is an activity that does not get old.

The question is, what about trains captivate us more than, say, a winding highway road?

The answer is in the rarity of seeing a train, as well as the sense of adventure they invoke within us. People generally encounter trains much less than they would a highway, road, or airport, making them a unique sight. Further, while you might drive over train tracks or see a miniature train at the zoo, the sight of watching railcars zoom by, all carrying different things, is a completely different experience. Watching cars drive by along a highway is something we already experience; there would not be anything new.

Trains are also commonly associated with adventure. Think about movies like Harry Potter or The Polar Express. Trains can mean long, peaceful rides across the countryside without worrying about directions or the stress of making the drive yourself. Model train displays deepen this association, the background typically a beautiful landscape setting the scene for the train cars. We are fascinated with trains because of the adventure they might bring. While every train ride might not be as beautiful as the next, it is certainly worth it.

Trains are a fascinating form of transportation, one that continues to be explored both in fictional worlds as well as reality.