Kids love trains. I’m pretty sure trains rank up there with
puppies, cartoons, giant lollipops and sprinklers. Why? Maybe
it’s because trains look like giant versions of the toys we
played with on wooden tracks. Trains are fast, big and can
whistle! And they provide a fascinating look into the
engineering, mechanical and operating principles of rail
transportation. Metro offers free tours of our MetroLink
facility located on Ewing in St. Louis City near Market Street.
What do these tours have to offer students of all ages? - How do
MetroLink trains run? (Pssst! Through electricity suspended from
catenary lines above the tracks.) - What happens in the train
hospital? - How is the engine of a light rail train
different/similar than an automotive combustion engine? - How do
we fix trains when they have problems? Especially the REALLY big
parts. - How do we clean trains? - What type of engineering work
does it take to design and/or maintain light rail trains? - How
do trains stop? How do we apply the basic princi