The purpose of the article is to study the activities and scientific achievements of the outstanding railway professor, Ukrainian Mykola Ivanovich Lypin (1812–1877), a significant part of which reveals the peculiarities of the technical development of the railway industry. The basis of the source base was made up on materials about the activity of the scientist and his scientific works. The works of M. I. Lypin, in which the author proved the advantages of iron rails compared to cast-iron rails, great importance for the development of the railway industry, proving that "the ratio between the strength of iron and cast-iron rails is 4:1. The scientist described the methods of production of iron rails and measures for fixing the rails on the supports and connecting them at the joints.

Moving on to the rolling stock, M. I. Lypin emphasized the use of the term cars, meaning different from the bunker form used on the first rail roads, especially focusing on the arrangement of their wheels.

It should be noted that M.I. Lypin was one of the first to fix the term steam locomotive specifically for the locomotive. Since before it there was a variety of terminology – a steam locomotive was often called a land steamer or a steam engine, and a steam carriage – a steam locomotive.

Attention is focused on the significance of the scientific and engineering researches of Professor M. I. Lypin, which are relevant to the present time.

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