The Impact of Railroads and Hope for the Future

A new year brings about a time for reflection. A time to look back on how far our industry has progressed. Railroads in particular have made a profound change in the life and culture of the United States, and have been a central part of American life for centuries.

Railroads created a new social order. Cities that once arose near rivers, began to arise near railroads. Railroad terminology entered the common English language, and railroads came to symbolize progress and the future as they ushered in rapid commerce and opportunities to a growing nation.

Railroad language entered our vocabulary and culture. When someone “blew their stack”, or reacted with intense anger; this derived from an exploding steam-powered train engine. Or when you have a plan that becomes “sidetracked” or “derailed.” Railroads also brought entertainment value to America through a countless number of songs, plays and books that explored the intricacies of rail culture.

Railroad tracks even became a symbol of class division, living on "the right side of the tracks” or “the wrong side of the tracks.” This phrase originated from a railroad track built in Chicago that on one side was up-wind and the other side down-wind of a slaughterhouse. One could guess which side was more desirable. 

They signified change, and brought about rapid commerce and massive business opportunities. Between 1870 and 1900, more western acres were settled than in the previous two and a half centuries, thanks to the expansion of railroads. Migration from the east to the west was made much easier, allowing businesses to expand and transport goods across the continent. As a result, four standard time zones were created to accommodate the train schedules.

Railroads even played a role in the extermination of buffalo. It wasn't just that trains provided quicker access to herds, but that tough buffalo hides were used to make belts that ran machinery during the industrial revolution, and trains could transport them quickly.

The critical framework of rail lines would once be touted as the greatest industrial combine in world history - money, real estate, technology and political leverage so powerful that the very era would later be known as a Golden Age.

With the beginning of a new year, there is always a bit of uncertainty for the future. As late as the 1850s, even the idea that a Boston citizen could soon buy a railroad ticket to California (May, 10 1869) seemed as fantastical as riding a unicorn. So as we enter a new year, think of the profound impact our industry has had and continues to have on America, and let that inspire excitement and spark hope for what is to come in 2021.

Image Captions (Top to Bottom)
1 - A Union Pacific crew lays rail during early stages of construction in the mid 1800s.
2 - Two workers hang off the side of an 1,100 ft long by 130 ft wide hand-built wooden trestle in the mid 1800s.
3 - Paperback novel from the late 1800s
4 - Chicago, Burlington and Quincy section gang in the 1870s.
5 - UP flooded the country with copies of this poster to announce the reality of transcontinental travel by rail.

[All images from the book, The Railroaders by Keith Wheeler. 1973]

[Sources: The Railroaders, Library of Congress @ loc.gov, history.com]