Trains page 1

Trains page 1 by ric gustafson


It was July 4 1828 and the first sod was turned for America's pioneering railroad. The Baltimore and Ohio was not the first railroad entity but the first modern railroad.
A railroad was a concept that involved traction and track, the funds to build it, a legal framework and the labor to construct it. Before there were trains, wagonways consisted of wagons pushed by animal or human power. In ancient times, The Greeks used tracks to drag boats and the Romans used a track of heavy stone blocks. By the seventeenth century, a demand for coal prompted a better system.
Stone blocks were replaced with wooden tracks and tracked wagonways appeared in Germany and France. These wagonways hauled coal or slate out of the mines.
Britain which was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution started the Tanfield Way in 1725. As loads became heavier, the wood was covered with a layer of steel to protect the rails. Eventually, iron covered rails were introduced.
The next hurdle, was how to keep the wagons from slipping off the rails. Different ideas were tried such as sinking the rails into the ground. Keeping the wheels on the track involved either turning up the edge of the rails or making an L shape to guide the wheel. Another idea was to fit the wheels with a flange or a protective rim.
In 1789, William Jessop came up with the design of transverse ties which greatly helped with the laying and fixing the rails.
In July 1803 in London, the first public railroad was open for everyone.


research help: ' The Great Railroad Revolution' by Christian Wolmar


Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric