Locomotives and Railroads

See a partial list of railroad histories.

A railroad is a road with 2 rails (a "track") over which a flanged wheel travels.   The smoothness of the wheel against the rail has less friction than a wagon wheel on a gravel road, so a load can be transported with less effort, once underway.   The flange on the inner face of the wheels keeps them on the rails.   Railroads with wooden wheels and wooden rails, pulled by beasts or pushed by men, were used in medieval Europe, mostly to move ore from mines.   When iron became cheaper through more efficient smelting methods, iron straps were made and fastened to the wooden to make them more durable.   More durable iron flanged wheels also were cast for the wagons.   Such railroads were used in early America.

Steam engine improvements made by James Watt in England led to their use as stationary power sources in factories and boat propulsion ("steamboats").   The Englishman, Richard Trevithick, is credited with inventing the first steam wagon, the "locomotive", that ran for the first time on February 22, 1804, over a road, not a railroad.   Another Englishman, George Stephenson, produced an improved locomotive, which ran over a railroad in 1814.   His improved design of 1825 was a commercial success.   The first experimental locomotive was built in the U.S. by John Stevens.   It ran on a track at his estate in Hoboken, NJ, to serve as an inspiration to other locomotive and railroad builders.   The first operational locomotive, the Tom Thumb, was built by Peter Cooper of New York City.   Railroad mania had begun!

Railroads gradually replaced canals in moving bulk goods long distances.   They also spawned subsidiary industries, like railroad car and coach manufacturing, repair shops, stations, lumbering and coal mining (for fuel), coal and water storage tanks (to fill the locomotive tenders with coal or wood and water), and steel production for rails and locomotive parts.   Railroads were the dominant means of transporting goods and people long distances until the large gasoline-driven trucks driven by internal combustion engines superseded most of them.

1790-1799

In 1795, a primitive inclined plane railroad was built to the summit of Beacon Hill in Boston.   It used wooden rails ^{Schles 167} and was powered by a horse.

1800-1809

In 1804, Richard Trevithick, a British inventor, designed a steam locomotive that pulled 5 loaded coaches for 9.5 miles at almost 5 miles per hour.   It was not developed into a commercial venture, but it stimulated other inventors to think about steam locomotion. ^{Asimov 289}

1810-1819

1820-1829

The English inventor, George Stephenson, built an improved steam locomotive that relied on more advanced steam engine design.   On September 17, 1825, one of his locomotives pulled 28 cars at speeds of 12 to 16 miles per hour.   That event began a rush In Great Britain to build locomotives and rails on which to run them. ^{Asimov 318}

The first American railroad was completed on October 7, 1826.   It ran 3 miles from the Quincy granite quarry to the Neponset R.   Its wagons were drawn by horses. ^{Schles 217}

The first railroad locomotive in the U.S. was run on a small circular demonstration track in Hoboken, NJ, in 1826.   It was built by John Stevens and his two sons.   It was developed into a commercial locomotive. ^{Carruth 175}

The first horse-drawn passenger car makes its first trip on a small segment of the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) railroad on December 4, 1929.   The plan is for this railroad eventually to run from Baltimore to the Ohio River. ^{Dunlap n.p.}

The first steam locomotive to run in America, the Stourbridge Lion, built in Great Britain, ran a half-mile along the Delaware and Hudson railroad from Carbondale to Honesdale, PA, on August 8, 1829.   However, it t was too heavy for the rails and eventually, it was broken up for other uses.   However, the parts were later collected by the Smithsonian Institution that put it on display that continues today. ^{Comstock 21}

1830-1839

The Tom Thumb is designed and built by Peter Cooper in 1830.   It was the first American-built steam locomotive to be operated on a common-carrier railroad, the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O).

On January 7, 1830, the B&O opens the first U.S. passenger service in Baltimore between Pratt Street and the Carollton Viaduct, a distance of 1 1/2 miles.   A one-way ticket costs 9 cents. ^{Dunlap n.p.}   On August 28, passenger service is extended to Ellicott's Mills, a distance of 13 miles using Peter Coopers' first American-built commercial locomotive, the Tom Thumb. ^{Constock 25}   Eventuallly, the B&O crossed the Alleghany Mts., making this a major original achievement in railroading.

In 1830, New Jersey's first railroad, the Camden-Amboy, was chartered. ^{Schles 222}

In 1830, Robert L. Stevens invented the iron "T-rail" for railroad tracks.   He also invented the iron tongue to fasten rails together and the hook-headed spike to fasten rails to wooden ties. ^{Carruth 183}

The John Bull is built in Great Britain by Stephenson, dismantled, and shipped to the U.S.   It ran for the first time on September 15, 1831, on the Camden and Amboy Railroad, the first railroad built in New Jersey.

On January 15, 1831, the Best Friend was the first American-made locomotive to carry passengers on a regular run.   It ran from Charlestown to Hamburg, SC, on the South Carolina Railroad. ^{Schles 223}

In 1832, John Stephenson built the first horse-draw streetcar.   It ran in New York City on lower 4th Street under the New York and Harlem Railroad. ^{Carruth 189}

In 1832, railroads could legally carry U.S. mail, which had been exclusively carried by stagecoach before that time.   However, mail stages still had to be used for many years for destinations off the railroad line. ^{Carruth 205}

1840-1849

1850-1859

In 1855, a railroad was completed across the Isthmus of Panama as a route from east to west in the U.S. ^{Schles 267}

The first steam-drive streetcars began operating between Boston and Cambridge, MA, in 1856. ^{Carruth 253}

In 1857, New York City and St. Louis, MO, are connected by rail. ^{Schles 272}

In 1859, George Pullman demonstrated his sleeping car made from a converted coach on the Chicago & Alton Railroad.   In 1863, he built a sleeping car with a folding upper berth and extensible seat cushions to form a lower berth.   By 1869, he operated 48 cars on 3 railroads. ^{Carruth 261,297}

1860-1869

The first mountain-climbing railroad, the Mt. Washington Cog Railroad, began construction at Mt. Washington, NH, on August 29, 1866.   Started by inventor Sylvester March, the railroad began operations in 1869. ^{Carruth 295}

The first elevated railroad began operation in New York City in 1867 from Battery Place to 30th St.   It was built by the West Side Elevated Railroad Company.   By 1881, all the major elevated railroads in New York City were completed under the direction of Cyrus W. Field. ^{Carruth 297,331}

In 1867, the refrigerated railroad car was introduced. ^{How 665}

In 1868, George Westinghouse invented the air brake, which allowed equal and simultaneous braking of all rail cars.   Braking was automatically supplied if rail cars became uncoupled or the air line broke.   This invention was a major safety feature for large and heavy trains moving at high speed that were difficult to stop in emergencies. ^{Carruth 189}

In 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was completed at Promontory Point, UT.   It linked the Central Pacific Railroad from the west with the Union Pacific Railroad from the east. ^{Carruth 303}   This railroad linked the west and east coasts industrially, made the long, slow ship trips around Cape Horn mostly obsolete and thereby reduced transportation costs and prices to producers and consumers.

1870-1879

In 1873, Andrew Smith Hallidie invented an underground continuous moving cable and a mechanical gripper to move cable cars above ground. ^{Carruth 307}

In 1874, a third rail to distribute electricity to subway cars was invented by Stephen Field of New York City. ^{Carruth 315}

1880-1889

In 1886, California oranges were shipped by rail to eastern markets for the first time. ^{Schles 360}

1890-1899

1900-1909

In 1905, the Chicago & North Western Railroad installed the first electric lamps on its "Overland Limited", running from Chicago toCalifornia. ^{Schles 412}

1910-1919

1920-1929

1930-1939

In 1930, the first U.S. electric passenger train designed by Thomas A. Edison runs between Hoboken and Montclair, NJ. ^{Schles 456}

In 1933, the Pennsylvanias Railroad between New York City and Philadelphia was electrified. ^{Carruth 485}

1940-1949

1950-1959

1960-1969

1970-1979

1980-1989

1990-1999