NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Panama Railway

The Panama Railway or Panama Railroad was the world's first transcontinental railroad. It stretches across the isthmus of Panama from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The Panama Railway was built during the period of 1850 to 1855. The infrastructure of this functioning railroad was of vital importance to the plan to build the Panama Canal decades later. A transcontinental railroad is a railway that crosses a continent, typically from sea to sea. Terminals are at or connected to different oceans. ... The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America. ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... The Panama Canal (Spanish: ) is a major ship canal that traverses the Isthmus of Panama in Central America, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. ...

The need for the railway was inspired by the California Gold Rush. The project was begun in 1850 and the railroad was completed in 1855, with the first train running from ocean to ocean on 28 January of that year. The California Gold Rush (1848-1855) was the first world-class gold rush. ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

While the Camino Real, and later the Las Cruces trail, served communication across the isthmus for over three centuries, by the 19th century it was becoming clear that a cheaper and faster alternative was required. Given the difficulty of constructing a canal with the available technology, a railway seemed the ideal solution.

President Bolívar of Colombia commissioned a study into the possibility of building a railway from Chagres (on the Chagres River) to the town of Panamá; this study was carried out between 1827 and 1829, and reported that such a railway would be possible. However, the idea was shelved. SimÃ³n BolÃvar Monument, Sixth Avenue entrance to Central Park, New York City SimÃ³n BolÃvar Memorial Monument, near Santa Marta, Colombia Equestrian statue of BolÃvar on BolÃvar Square, Caracas SimÃ³n JosÃ© Antonio de la SantÃsima Trinidad BolÃvar y Ponte Palacios y Blanco... Chagres in about 1739 Chagres, a village of the Republic of Panama in the ColÃ³n Province. ... The Chagres River (Spanish: RÃo Chagres) is a river in central Panama. ... This article is about the capital of Panama. ...

In 1836, President Jackson of the United States commissioned a study of proposed routes for interoceanic communication, in order to protect the interests of Americans travelling between the oceans. This resulted in the United States acquiring a franchise for a trans-Isthmian railroad; however, the scheme was a victim of the panic of 1837, and came to nothing. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... 1840 Whig campaign poster blames Van Buren for hard times The Panic of 1837 was an economic depression, one of the most severe financial crises in the history of the United States. ...

In 1838 a French company was given a concession for the construction of a road, rail or canal route across the isthmus. An initial engineering study recommended a canal from Limón Bay to the bay of Boca del Monte, twelve miles west of Panama; but the scheme again collapsed for lack of funding.

Following the acquisition of Upper California in 1848, and the increasing movement of settlers to the west coast, the United States once again turned its attention to securing a safe, reliable and speedy link between the oceans. Congress therefore authorized the running of two lines of mail ships, one from New York to Chagres, and the other from Oregon and California to Panamá. Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area Ranked 27th - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 kmÂ²) - Width 285 miles (455 km) - Length 330 miles (530 km) - % water 13. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ...

At this stage, the actual transit across the isthmus was by the old trails, which were falling into disrepair; a transit would usually take four or five days. William H. Aspinwall, the man who had taken up the operation of the Pacific mail ships, instigated a scheme to construct a railway across the isthmus; he and his partners created a company, raised $1,000,000 from the sale of stock, and began work. Their venture was singularly well-timed, as the discovery of gold in California created a rush of emigrants wishing to cross the isthmus.

In May 1850, the first sod was turned on the project; but very quickly, the difficulty of the scheme became apparent. The heat was stifling, and deluges of rain for almost half the year required the workers to operate in water up to four feet deep. Yellow fever and malaria took a deadly toll, and despite the continual importation of large numbers of workers, there were times when the work stalled for simple lack of fit workers. Malaria is an infectious disease that is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions. ...

The project's fortunes turned in November 1851, when two steamships were forced to shelter in Limón Bay due to stormy weather. Since the railroad's docks had been completed by this time, and rail had been laid 7 miles up to Gatún, it was possible to unload the ships' cargoes of emigrants and transport them by rail — using construction vehicles — for at least the first part of their journey across the isthmus. The directors of the company immediately ordered passenger cars, and the railway began operation with 40 miles of track still to be laid. This greatly boosted the value of the company's stock, which enabled it to finance the remainder of the project.

The crest of the continental divide, at Culebra, was reached from the Atlantic side in January 1855, thirty-seven miles of track having been laid from Colón. A second team, working under less harsh conditions, completed the eleven-mile track from Panamá to the summit at midnight on January 27, 1855. The next day the first locomotive passed from sea to sea.^[1] Culebra (meaning snake in Spanish) has several meanings: Most commonly, it refers to the island of Culebra, part of Puerto Rico. ... January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Financing

The railway cost some $8 million USD to build (eight times the initial estimate in 1850), and presented considerable engineering challenges, going over mountains and through swamps. Over 300 bridges and culverts needed to be built along the route. ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ... Engineering is the application of scientific and mathematical principles to develop economical solutions to technical problems, creating products, facilities, and structures that are useful to people. ... A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... A freshwater swamp This article is about the wetland type (a landform). ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... A culvert is a flowing body of water which passes underneath a road, railway, or embankment, or the part thereof that does so. ...

It was largely built and financed by private companies from the United States. Among key individuals in building the railway were William H. Aspinwall, George Muirson Totten, and John Lloyd Stephens. Ownership of the railroad was originally by a publicly traded corporation based in New York City, which bought exclusive rights to build across the isthmus from the government of Colombia, Panama being a province of Colombia at the time. The stock of the Panama Railway Company quickly became some of the most highly valued of the era. John Lloyd Stephens (November 28, 1805–October 13, 1852) was a American explorer, writer, and diplomat. ... A corporation is a legal person which, while being composed of natural persons, exists completely separately from them. ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area - City 1,214. ... It has been suggested that shareholder be merged into this article or section. ...

The railway carried significant traffic even while it was under construction, with traffic carried by mules over the unfinished sections. This had not been originally intended, but people crossing the isthmus to California were eager to use such track as had been laid. When only 7 miles (10 km) of track had been completed the railway was doing a brisk business, charging $25 per person for the train ride and another $10 to walk the remaining 40+ miles (60 km) of right-of-way across the isthmus. By the time the line was completed, more than one-third of its cost had already been paid for from fares. A barren of mules. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... km redirects here. ...

Engineering and medical difficulties made the Panama Railway the most expensive railway (per unit length of track) built at the time. Some swamps were found to require fill over 100 feet (30 m) in depth before a solid bed could be constructed.

Death toll

It is estimated that more than 12,000 people may have died in construction of the railroad, though the Panama Railway company kept no official count. Cholera and malaria killed numerous workers. These railroad workers were from the United States, Europe, China, and also included some African slaves. Many of these workers had come to Panama to seek their fortune, and had arrived with little or no identification. Many died with no next of kin, nor permanent address, nor even a last name. Cholera is a water-borne disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which is typically ingested by drinking contaminated water, or by eating improperly cooked fish, especially shellfish. ... Malaria is an infectious disease that is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... For other uses, see Africa (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A family name, or surname, is that part of a persons name that indicates to what family he or she belongs. ...

Cadaver trade

As disease — spread mainly by the mosquitos that thrived in Panama's swampy conditions — and exhaustion took their toll on the workers, the disposal of unidentifiable bodies was a boon to those with proper connections. Medical schools and teaching hospitals needed cadavers to train budding physicians, and paid handsomely for anonymous bodies pickled in barrels shipped up from the tropics. The Panama Railroad Company itself sold the corpses abroad, and the income generated was sufficient to maintain the Company's own hospital. A journalist reported sighting the chief doctor at the Panama Railroad Company's hospital conscientiously bleaching skeletons of dead workers, in hopes of compiling a skeletal museum of all the known races working on the railroad. A disease or medical condition is an abnormality of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, distress, or death to the person afflicted or those in contact with the person. ... Fatigue is a feeling of excessive tiredness or lethargy, with a desire to rest, perhaps to sleep. ... Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas, in Campinas, Brazil A medical school, or faculty of medicine, is a tertiary educational institution or part of such an institution that teaches medicine. ...

Completion

Upon completion, the 48 mile (77 km) long railway was proclaimed an engineering marvel of the era. The line was built as double track. The Atlantic terminal is in Colón; the Pacific in Panama City. Until the opening of the Panama Canal, it carried the heaviest volume of freight per unit length of any railroad in the world. The existence of the railway was key in the selection of Panama as the site of the canal. In 1881 the French Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interocéanique purchased controlling interest in the Panama Railway Company. In 1904 the United States government purchased the railway from the French canal company. At the time railway assets included some 75 miles (120 km) of track, 35 locomotives, 30 passenger cars, and 900 freight cars. ColÃ³n as seen from the ocean in January 2000 ColÃ³n is a sea port city on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. ... This article is about the capital of Panama. ... The Panama Canal (Spanish: ) is a major ship canal that traverses the Isthmus of Panama in Central America, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. ... 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A locomotive (from Latin loco motivus) is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ...

The construction and opening of the Panama Canal

The railway greatly assisted in the building of the canal, which closely paralleled and in some places took over the rail line. Parts of the rail route were moved during the building of the canal, and considerable additions were made to the rail system. The rebuilt and improved Panama Railway beside the canal was completed in 1912. 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Post Panama Canal

After World War II few additional improvements were made to the Panama Railway, and it declined after the US government handed over control to the government of Panama in 1979. On 19 June 1998 the government of Panama turned over control to the private Panama Canal Railway Company ("PCRC"), with majority shares owned by the Kansas City Southern Railroad. In 2000 and 2001 a large project upgraded the railway to handle large shipping containers, to compete in cargo transport with the Panama Canal. The line is now single track with some strategically placed sections of double track. Motive power as of October 2006 includes 10 ex-Amtrak F40PHs and 1 GP-10. Rolling stock is notable for a 1938 dome car. Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... This page refers to the year 1979. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Categories: Railway companies of the United States ... This article is about the year 2000. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ...

Gauge

The Panama Railway was originally 5' 0" gauge, but when it was rebuilt in 2000, the gauge was changed to 4' 8½" so as to use Standard gauge equipment. This article is about the year 2000. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ...

References

Encyclopedia > Panama Railway

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