|
America's Wheels The Railroads Association of American Railroads 1972
Americas Wheels The Railroads Association of American Railroads
Assoc of American Railroads 1972
16 pages. Notice slit in cover and other minor damage - see photos
On February 28, 1827, the state of Maryland chartered the Baltimore & Ohio - America's first common-carrier railroad - marking the true beginning of the development of the nation's rail system. More than 155 years later, that same railroad, now part of the Chessie System, is still operating. In the days before railroads, transportation was a great problem in the United States. The only forms of transportation were by water routes and horse-drawn vehicles. Water was the best because most roads were dirt, and the cost of hauling over the few relatively good toll roads was very high. Water transportation had the advantage of low cost, but it had its limitations. First of all, a traveler could go only where the streams and rivers went. This could be and - to a certain extent - was solved by the construction of canals. But there was no getting around the problem of bad weather which made waterways impassable for long periods each year.
With the development of steam power, people began to focus their hopes on the steam locomotive as a solution to their transportation problems.
The first American-built locomotive to operate in rail service was the Tom Thumb. During its trial run on August 28, 1830, this one-horsepower locomotive outdistanced a horse-drawn rail car in a celebrated race over the Baltimore & Ohio's tracks. Although a malfunction caused the Tom Thumb to eventually lose the race, it did draw early attention to the potential of railroading.
On Christmas Day in 1830, scheduled passenger service was inaugurated by another American-built locomotive - the Best Friend of Charleston - over the lines of the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company (now part of the Southern Railway System).
It took a lot of imagination to see any great future for railroading. The locomotives were noisy and threw off great amounts of smoke and sparks. And the tracks, which were wooden rails topped with iron, had an annoying habit of coming apart.
But there were people who had imagination. They looked at the noisy, unreliable locomotives and saw a promise of rapid, all-weather transportation to all parts of a fast-growing nation.
Those people spent their money to see their dream come true.
And it did.
All pictures are of the actual item. There may be reflection from the lights in some photos. We try to take photos of any damage. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.
Shipping charges
US Shipments: When you add multiple items to your cart, the reduced shipping charges will automatically be calculated. For direct postage rates to other countries, send me an email. Shipping varies by weight.
Terms and conditions
All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us before making a return. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding or buying.
Thanks for looking at our items.
| 
