Isitimela
Isitimela (esivela egameni lesiNgisi "steam") iwuchungechunge lwezithuthi ezixhunyiwe ezigijima emzileni wesitimela futhi zithutha abantu noma impahla. Izitimela zivame ukwakheka ngezinqola lapho impahla nabantu bahlala khona nesilumbamdiki esidonsa noma esisunduza lezozinqola. Esikhathini samanje, kwenzeka ukuthi izinqola zikhone ukuziqhuba ngokwazo. Ububanzi besitimela buhleleke ukubangaphakathi kwemigqa emibili yomzila wesitimela. Izitimela eziningi zisebenza emizileni yensimbi enamasondo ensimbi, ukungqubuzana okuphansi okuzenza zisebenze kahle kakhulu kunezinye izinhlobo zentutho. Amazwe amaningi asebenzisa ezokuthutha ngesitimela.
Izitimela zisuka ezindleleni zezinqola, ezazihamba emizileni ehlelekile futhi zaziqhutshwa amahhashi noma zidonswa ngezintambo. Ngemva kwokuqanjwa kwesilumbamdiki somusi eMbusweni Ohlangeneyo ngo-1802, izitimela zasakazeka ngokushesha emhlabeni wonke, okuvumela izimpahla nabagibeli ukuba bahambe ezweni ngokushesha nangokushibhile kunanini ngaphambili. Izinhlelo zokuhamba ezisheshayo kanye nezamathramu zaqala ukwakhiwa ngasekupheleni kwawo-1800 ukuze zithuthe inani elikhulu labantu emadolobheni nasezindaweni ezizungeze amadolobha. Kusukela ngawo-1920, kanye nokusheshisa ngemva kweMpi Yomhlabawonke Yesibili, izilumbamdiki zombani zathatha indawo yezomusi njenhlobo yokuqhuba enamandla. Ngemva kokuthuthukiswa kwezimoto, amaloli, kanye nezinhleloxhumana ezinkulu zemigwaqo ephezulu ayenikeza ukuhamba nokuqhuba okukhulu, kanye nezindiza ezisheshayo, kwezinye izizwe izitimela zehla ngokubaluleka kanye nesabelo semakethe, futhi imizila eminingi yezitimela yalaxazwa. Ukusakazeka kwamabhasi kwaholela ekuvalweni kwezinhlelo eziningi zokuhamba okusheshayo kanye nezamathramu kulesikhathi.
Kusukela ngawo-1970, ohulumeni, abakhankaseli bokulondoloza imvelo, kanye nabakhulumeli bezitimela baye bakhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kwezitimela kwandisiwe ngenxa yokuzala imvuzo eningi kanye nomkhiqizo omncane eentuthu ezala ukushisa kwobhakabhaka uma kuqhathaniswa amafutha nezinsiza ezinye ezizisebenzisayo nezinye izinhlobo zentutho zokuhamba emhlabeni. Isitimela esinejubane eliphezulu, esakhiwa okokuqala ngawo-1960, siye sabonakala sincintisana nezimoto nezindiza ezinkambeni ezimfushane kuya kwezingaphakathi ngobude. Inkambo ngokesitimela sabagibeli iye yakhula ngokubaluleka kusukela ngawo-1970 njengendikimba ehlukile esikhundleni semigwaqo egcwele mfi ngenxa yexuku lezimotho eziningi kanye nendlela yokukhuthaza intuthuko, njengoba kwenziwe yisitimela esincane ekhulwini lama-21. Izitimela zempahla zisabalulekile ekuthuthweni kwezimpahla ezinkulu ezifana namalahle nokusanhlamvu, kanye nokunciphisa ukuminyana kwezimoto emgwaqweni okubangelwa amaloli empahla.
Nakuba izitimela ezivamile zisebenzisa imizila eyisicaba ezinemigqa wezitimela emibili, izitimela eziningi ezikhethekile zisebenza ngezindlela ezihluke kakhulu. Kukhona imigqaminye eyinhlobo yezitimela ezihamba emzileni womugqa owodwa, kuyilapho amafunikolare kanye nezitimela ezibekwe eceleni zenzelwe ngokukhethekile ukuwela izintaba eziphakeme. Izitimela ezisacwaningwa ezifana namantantawongelweni (ama-maglev) asheshayo, antanta emoyeni ngobuwonga ngaphezu komzila ongumhlahlandlela, bezilokhu zithuthukiswa kusukela ngawo-1970 futhi zingafinyelela esivinini esiphezulu ngisho nakwezitimela ezivamile ezisheshayo. Izitimela ezisebenzisa izivuthisi ezihlukile njengohowo wemvelo kanye nehwanzi ziyintuthuko yekhulu lama-21.
