%=^~^.....                                          .....^~^=%
=^~^......                                          ......^~^=
^~^.......                                          .......^~^
~^........                                          ........^~
^.........                                          .........^
..........                   rails                  ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
^......... &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& .........^
~^........                                          ........^~
^~^....... &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& .......^~^
=^~^......                                          ......^~^=
%=^~^.....                                          .....^~^=%
&%=^~^.... trains  are  so  constructed  that  they ....^~^=%&
#&%=^~^... have to follow  a set path. this path is ...^~^=%&#
##&%=^~^.. called  a "railway",  which is comprised ..^~^=%&##
###&%=^~^. of two metal rails, hence  its nickname. .^~^=%&###
##&%=^~^..                                          ..^~^=%&##
#&%=^~^... because  the low  friction  between  the ...^~^=%&#
&%=^~^.... wheels of the train and  the rail metal, ....^~^=%&
%=^~^..... there are  limits for how acute a  curve .....^~^=%
=^~^...... can be, and  even more so  for how  much ......^~^=
^~^....... the  ground  under  the   rails  can  be .......^~^
~^........ sloped. thus a railway is often  not led ........^~
^......... on top of  hills, rather through them in .........^
.......... tunnels   (if   they  are   large),   or ..........
..........            artificial chasms.            ..........
..........                                          ..........
^......... there will be trees on  the side of  the .........^
~^........ rails,  but not too close, or they  will ........^~
^~^....... be  cut  down  by  the railway janitors. .......^~^
=^~^...... there  will  be  plains,  and  bodies of ......^~^=
%=^~^.....                  water.                  .....^~^=%
&%=^~^....                                          ....^~^=%&
#&%=^~^... trains  go  by day  and  by night. along ...^~^=%&#
##&%=^~^..      the way, there is information       ..^~^=%&##
###&%=^~^. scattered,  often put  on top  of poles, .^~^=%&###
##&%=^~^.. to be interpreted  by the train drivers. ..^~^=%&##
#&%=^~^... different  parts  of  the  railway  have ...^~^=%&#
&%=^~^....         different speed limits.          ....^~^=%&
%=^~^.....                                          .....^~^=%
=^~^...... sometimes, trains have  to stop and wait ......^~^=
^~^....... for something to happen, far away.  this .......^~^
~^........ is  signaled  by  red  or green  lights. ........^~
^.........                                          .........^
..........                 &&&&&&&&                 ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... many people follow  the  rails by  foot. ..........
^......... often  this  proves  to  be  the shorter .........^
~^........ path  between two  points. however  this ........^~
^~^....... is  frowned   upon,  and  very  impolite .......^~^
=^~^......         toward the train drivers!        ......^~^=
%=^~^.....                                          .....^~^=%
&%=^~^....                                          ....^~^=%&
#&%=^~^...                                          ...^~^=%&#
##&%=^~^..                                          ..^~^=%&##
###&%=^~^.                                          .^~^=%&###
##&%=^~^..                                          ..^~^=%&##