Train order

When a train needs to go somewhere, it has to follow certain rules to make sure it stays safe and doesn't bump into other trains. These rules are called train orders.

Imagine you're playing with a toy train set. When you want one of your trains to go, you might give it a train order like "go straight until the red station, then turn left and stop at the green station." That train can only do what the train orders tell it to do.

Real trains use train orders too, except they’re more complicated and they happen over a machine called a telegraph. The telegraph sends messages in code to different stations along the train track. The train station worker types in the message from the telegraph and gives it to the train conductor, who then tells the train what to do.

A train order might say "stop at the next station" or "wait for the other train to pass before you go." Each order keeps the train safe and keeps it from getting in the way of other trains. So, train orders are important for keeping trains on track and moving safely.