Trains page 3

Trains page 3 by ric gustafson


In 1776, the United States became a nation and there was not a system devised when the first railroads were debated. Railroad entrepreneurs faced a battle with local legislatures to build their lines. It was the power of the states not the federal government to grant these charters. The railroads had to obtain a charter which placed certain obligations on the railroad. These charter factors included fares, nature of the services, location of the track and the speed of the trains.
One crucial requirement of the railroad was to obtain eminent domain. This would give the railroad the right to take whatever property was needed in return for fair compensation. The railroads struggled with the courts over eminent domain and fought with canal owners and turnpike operators over land rights. There was also debate over wether railroads were for public use and wether eminent domain should be granted.
The railroads used eminent domain to select the land for their route, assessing the damage to private owners and then paying them. The railroads were so large and complex that they needed support and sometimes funding from local and the federal government. The early railroads needed the individual states to help support them with the notion that the railroads would be a boon to their economies. Railroad funding was a mixture of state subsidies and private financing. Private capital was abundant especially in states in the Northeast. Private capital funders were usually local people eager to cash in on the railroads potential. Railroad sponsors were important because it was their job to promote the railroads. The sponsors stressed the improvements the railroads would bring to the region and the cities of the states.


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


Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric