Introduction
The histories of both mass transit and trade are incredibly complicated. However, the idea behind the invention of railways and the like isn't all that complex, and instead is more a mirror to the way trading and transportation was used in the past. Particularly in the East,
(during the 1400's-1800's) trading caravans were especially common in use along the silk road and the deserts of egypt for a few reasons, (see below) and despite being so simple have been used until very recently. Safety in Numbers- This factor is relatively self explanatory. The larger the group, the safer the overall group is from bandits, which were common along many different trade routes throughout the Mid-East. A long trip time hosts a long period of time that the caravan is open to attack, but attacking 3 people has obviously better odds of working that a group of 20 or 30. Furthermore, a single person/family or small group traveling alone is extremely vulnerable to elements, such as sandstorms in Egypt or floods along the silk road. The more people, the more hands are on deck to assist with injuries, and while by some variable relationship, supplies are more frequent the more people are present. Safety by Chance- Despite members of a caravan often being little more than acquaintances, a group of people going to the same place can significantly boost success rate. For instance, a trader may injure their leg by circumstance and be unable to walk. In a situation where they were alone, odds of them surviving are incredibly low. On the other hand, a bigger group is more likely to be carrying bandages, or perhaps one of the members of the caravan is a doctor, etc. The few centuries for which trading caravans were employed largely relied on this chance in order to be successful. Profit- In the case of economics, bigger is better in almost every scenario. Selling in bulk and buying in bulk both have advantages, such as influence on supply and demand as well as a scaled economy, which benefits both sides of a purchase. The concept didn't start with something as far-stretched as caravans either. As early as the first millennia BCE, Ancient Greeks used rutways, which were small ditches that forced whatever 'vehicle' they contained down a predetermined path. In the 1500's, "hunds" were hand operated cars that ran on tracks. They were primarily used in German but later adopted in the UK, and were often used for mines transporting coal. In certain points of history, such as the 1798 "Lake Lock Railroad", a train was produced that was powered by horses. How is all of this tied to modern railroads? Simple. Railroads/ways were founded and invented upon the same ideas. While perhaps a train doesn't except the same benefits of survivability (mostly due to being created in an age where such is less of a necessity), a railway holds an unprecedented amount of potential for improving the efficiency of a trade or travel route. Railroads specialize in a consistent route, (such as a trade channel, worker migration, or a supply chain) which is very common in industry. |
Episode 1 - Invention of the Railroad
The foundations of modern steam engines were invented and built by James Watt (who later had watts named after him) but the original steam engine was invented by Thomas Savery in 1698. In 1774, Watt created a design that had triple the fuel efficiency to replace the Savery designs still being used in mines, which stormed the market for steam engines around the country, to the point that companies around the world (primarily France and Germany) attempted corporate espionage.
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The first steam locomotive to be used in Austria (see above)
James Watt & Leeds, UK (see below) |
The railway that the Salamanca transformed was known as the Middleton Railway, and is still in operation today, albeit much more modern. (Today it is a passenger railroad, compared to the industrial cargoway is was originally, and includes The Engine House, a historical museum showcasing a history of the engines used along the line) The Middleton Railway was established by an Act of Parliament in 1758, and was operated by horse-drawn carriages until the steam locomotive was introduced to it in 1812.
In response to the success of the Salamanca, another prominent locomotive entrepreneur was George Stephenson. Stephenson worked in mines and repair shops until 1813, when he heard that William Hedley and Timothy Hackworth had begun building a railroads for the mine in the town he was in, Wylam. Stephenson didn't waste any time developing his own locomotive by hand. By late 1813 he had created a locomotive which he dubbed 'Butcher' and presented it by dragging 30 tons up a 4 mile stretch of railroad.
After the success of his previous design, George went on to improve it, creating a successor to the Salamanca capable of carrying the same amount of weight at almost four times the speed. (4mph to 15mph) In 1825, he helped design the first public railway, between Stockton and Darlington, and Liverpool-Manchester in 1830. These two projects helped kick-start his career into becoming a popular engineer of networks all over Europe. The directors of the Liverpool-Manchester railroad project hosted a competition to discover which model of locomotive would be the best option to realistically use, in which Stephenson entered. The contest was limited to locomotives under 6 tons, and were judged on how cheap, reliable and efficient they were. George won the competition with his 'Rocket' (see below), which became the baseline for many locomotives to come. |
The American Railroad
On March 4 1826, Quincy Massachusetts became the first place in the US to have a working railway, but it wasn't powered by steam. The route was coined The Granite Railway Company after what it carried, and was continually expanded to New York and Hartford. Despite being used (at least in part) until the mid 20'th century. Interestingly, the line had planned on only being used to acquire the materials needed in order to complete the Bunker Hill Monument project.
A year later, a passenger railroad was established between Baltimore and the Ohio River in Virginia, becoming the start of western railroads in the US. However, this line didn't originally use steam locomotives either. Some even employed horses on treadmills to power the train. The first actual steam engine to be used was on The South Carolina Canal & Railroad Company, a.k.a. Charleston & Hamburg or Sola, established very closely behind the charter of the Baltimore and Ohio River project. Sola aimed to connect the major port city of Charleston to the inland regions of the Palmetto state, in particular it's agricultural sectors. By the summer of 1830, the line had over 6 miles of track, and obtained their first locomotive in October, making it the first functioning locomotive in the country. (It was built in England) The locomotive was given the name 'The Best Friend of Charleston' and was also the first train to have a regular passenger schedule. |
The success of the shorter route quickly prompted the continuation of the route to a 136 mile trip to Hamburg, hiring over 1,300 contractors and a price tag of almost a billion. The track was constructed using a method of strap-iron, a name as literal as it sounds. It didn't hold up long, and in the 40's cost the company another $463,000 in order to install earthen embankments (the type of track foundation used today) as well as a more modern 'T'-rail. The completion of the line made it easily the longest railroad in the country, as well as the world.
The finished Sola ran into heavy competition with steamboats operating along the river, particularly due to the fact that the railroad didn't travel directly into the city, rather a short distance away. |
American-Built Locomotion
Meanwhile, an uncommon figure in engineering was building his fortune on glue, of all things, in New York city. Peter Cooper was unlike other engineers, not only because of his incredibly wide-spread experience, but also very caring. It is not uncommon for engineers and inventors to be particularly stoic people. (i.e. Thomas Edison, Henry Ford) Cooper was experienced with everything from cloth-shearing to the invention of the precursor to Jello, and even eventually owned a steel mill, which produced railroad track and brought Peter into the steel industry.
Episode 2 - The Railroad's Impact on Industry
(And the controversy it caused)
The Rock Island Bridge
Throughout the next few decades, the progress of locomotion and steam power did nothing but continue. By the 1850's, almost every capital city east of the obstacle that was the Mississippi River was connect by some form of railway. The Rock island bridge was commissioned to tear down the wall preventing work on a westward railroad. Construction started on July 16, 1853, and lasted for almost 3 years, finishing construction on April 22, 1856.
Interestingly, investors of the project disagreed over whether the railroad should travel north or south after the bridge, and more competition erupted between the dominate steamboats and the newly formed railroad. In fact, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were both deeply involved in these debates, with Lincoln as an attorney for the bridge company combating steamboat litigation (the bridge would slow steamboats down), and Davis as a secretary of war took a major role between the debate of a north or south-bound railroad. Up until 1845, the US military had maintained Fort Armstrong situated there. Even though the fort was closed after the war, secretaries still claimed ownership over the island, and therefore The Rock Island Bridge Company formulated an inquisition to Jefferson himself for permission to build the bridge over the former base.
Davis didn't give the company a response until many months after the bridge started construction. Davis was a supporter of the progress of a southern railroad, and was concerned granting the permission to build the bridge to the competition of that railroad would halt it's progress, and in order to prevent this, ordered construction of the bridge stopped. The order was ignored. |
The U.S. Marshall of the district of Illinois arrived on July 17th in order to enforce Jefferson's order. By the time he arrived, the land had already been graded, and for unknown reasons he didn't evict the construction workers, and therefore opposers of the bridge had to look elsewhere to halt the construction. Davis next tried to apply for an injunction in federal court in order to prevent further construction. Judge John McLean heard Davis's case, but ruled that since the base was abandoned, it now was considered public land, and that the bridge would only help the public. However, he did say that the bridge could only be built under the condition that it didn't interfere with the waterway, and that there should almost no delay or hazard to steamboats passing under the drawbridge. Jefferson's attempts of half the bridge were realistically put to an end.
Fifteen days after the completion of the bridge, part of it was already destroyed due to a steamboat collision. The steamer Effie Alton veering to the side while crossing under, damaging the bridge and completely burning itself. By noon the next day, the bridge had burnt down. This caused both cheering from the steamboats, and a burning suspicion of an successful attempt to burn down the bridge from the railroad. (The Effie Alton had no record of needing to be so far up the river) It took four months for the bridge to be repaired, and shortly afterwards the Rock Island Bridge Company saw more action from it's competitors. Capt. John Hurd, the owner of the Effie Alton attempted to sue the company for damaged to his boat. He claimed that his vessel was skillfully navigated, and that the boat "was forcibly driven by the currents and eddies" caused by the bridge's piers, leading to the burning of his ship. The Rock Island Bridge Company argued that the so-called accident was rather an intentional act, and the case to come, Hurd vs. Rock Island Railroad Company |