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 In today’s world of superhighways and jet travel, it’s hard to understand how important the development of the railroad was as a method of transportation. The history of the railroad began in the 19th century, with roots even further back in time. At this time the horse was the primary means of motive power. Wagons behind horses hauled freight and passengers. The roads were mostly dirt, or gravel at best. Travel was hard, slow, and dirty. Water transportation was limited to lakes, oceans, and rivers. Canals were used, but were expensive to construct and maintain. They were also limited in the type of terrain in which they could operate. Steel wheels on steel track provide a low friction contact, creating a very efficient method of moving things. It takes approximately one horsepower to move one ton of weight over rails. By contrast, semi-trucks require about ten horsepower to move one ton. Rail power provides about the same savings in fuel efficiency and manpower to operate. The first ‘railways’ constructed consisted of wooden planks placed on the ground over which wagons were pulled by horses. The earliest recorded railroad of this type was in Leberthal, Alsace about 1550. Improvements were made over time to include adding flanges to the wagon wheels to keep them on the rails and make them self-steering. Crossties were added to the rails to help the rails stay parallel to each other. These railways, called tramways, were mostly used in mining operations to aid in moving heavy loads of ore. The wooden rails allowed faster, easier movement of heavier loads than could be transported on the rutted mud roads common during that period. Improvements to the rails and wheels of the early tramways allowed even easier transportation. The wood rails had iron facings added. Wheels were then provided with an iron rim. In 1767 an iron foundry in England made the first iron rails. This again increased the amount of weight which could be transported. Modern rails evolved from ‘edge’ rails which were developed in northern England in the early 19th century. The introduction of the steam engine in the early 1800’s spurred improvements in other rail technology. The iron rails couldn’t support the heavier engines, or the loads they could pull. The Bessemer process of mass producing steel, developed in the 1840’s - 1850’s, created the next revolution in rail technology. Steel rails were much stronger than cast iron, and could hold more weight. Steel rails were first made in England. They began being used in the United States in 1865. This development, in addition to the evolution of the steam locomotive, created the conditions needed for the vast expansion of railways which followed. It wasn’t until the invention of the steam engine in the early 19th Century, that railroads developed into a major transportation system. The next installment in this series will deal more extensively with the steam engine. The first railway in the world to carry both passengers and freight was the Stockton and Darlington in England. From this railroad, the popularity of railways soon spread worldwide. In the United States, the first railroad company was the Baltimore & Ohio. It was chartered in 1827. As railroads spread, the gauge of the railroad became an important issue between different railroad companies, and countries engaging in commerce. The gauge of the track is the distance between the rails measured from the inside face of the rails. Most Western countries, including the United States, adopted the English ‘standard gauge’ of 4 feet, 8.5 inches. Spain and Portugal developed their own gauge. ‘Narrow gauge’ railroads were used in mountainous areas. The closer rail configuration allowed tighter turns to allow for the difficult mountain terrain. The development of specialized cars aided in the rail transportation of many different types of goods and passengers. Grain, minerals, chemicals, and lumber all have cars designed to safely move them from one point to another. Passenger cars include dining cars, sleeper cars, observation cars, and coach cars. Piggy back cars can transport semi-trailers over long distances, allowing the tractors to complete the local delivery of the product. Railroads in the United States quickly became an important part of the economy and culture. There were a few operating tramways in the 18th Century. The first true railway in our history was the Granite Line, a gravity powered line which hauled granite from quarry to wharf. This line supplied the granite to build the Bunker Hill Monument in Massachusetts. Horses and a stationary steam engine equipped with a continuous chain also powered this line. The B & O (Baltimore & Ohio) railroad was chartered in 1827, and began operations in 1830 with thirteen miles of track. There were 23 total miles of rail lines in the United States in that year. By 1848 there were 5996 miles of track, mostly linking the cities on the east coast. During the 1850’s, the average per year construction of track was about 2000 miles. By now, the interior of the country was connected to the east. A coast to coast railway was sorely needed. Construction was slowed by the Civil War, but this historic goal was reached on May 10, 1869. The Golden Spike was driven in at Promontory, Utah on May 10, 1869. This was an important event in the building of the nation. The rail line helped unite the country, allowing fast, reliable transport of freight, passengers, and mail from New York to California and all points in between. Rail has diminished in recent years. Maybe we should re-examine this trend due to the expense of road-building, maintenance, and overcrowded highways. Trains offer superior performance in fuel and manpower needs for transportation. |