America is what it is because of railroads, and they changed the world as well. In the span of only 50 years between 1830 and 1880, railroads hastened settlement of the U.S., encouraged agriculture and industry, made travel quick and, ultimately, comfortable, and fueled commerce. Library shelves groan with scholarly and popular books and magazines about railroads and their role in America's development and life.
But you no longer have to work your way through books and magazines to learn the fundamentals. Now you can visit railroadheritage.org, the Center's online Web portal, and in less than 30 images you can discover the rudiments of railroad history, technology, design, cultural and economic influence, and highly diverse work force.
The array of images and their detailed descriptions begins with a circa 1849 daguerreotype of "Tioga," an 1848 steam locomotive made in Philadelphia, and continues through the modern stories of ever-growing freight traffic, Amtrak, and preservation. Composers, writers, artists and toymakers reveled in railroading and gave railroads a permanent niche in the nation's popular culture.
Click on "nutshell" to get started and use the "Next" links to savor each of the pictures and their descriptions, then let us know what you think. Thanks for viewing!
Go to the first image.
