NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Rail transport in the United States

Today, most rail transport in the United States is based in freight train shipments. Substantial passenger railroad traffic exists only in a few pockets of the country. About two-thirds of U.S. rail riders and one in every three U.S. mass transit riders lives in New York City — for more on that phenomenon, see Transportation in New York City. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x769, 166 KB) Summary Railroads of the United States in 1918 - Project Gutenberg eText 16960 From The Project Gutenberg EBook of History of the United States by Charles A. Beard and Mary R. Beard http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x769, 166 KB) Summary Railroads of the United States in 1918 - Project Gutenberg eText 16960 From The Project Gutenberg EBook of History of the United States by Charles A. Beard and Mary R. Beard http://www. ... // Asia History of rail transport in India Europe Denmark France Germany Great Britain Ireland Spain Sweden North America Canada United States Oceania Australia See also History of rail transport Categories: History of rail transport ... An electric container freight train Freight wagons filled with limestone await unloading, at sidings in Rugby, England An SP freight train west of Chicago in 1992. ... In the United States of America, transit describes local area common carrier passenger transportation configured to provide scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis. ... Nickname: The Big Apple, The Capital of the World Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... A cycle rickshaw at rest in Manhattan. ...

U.S. railways carried 427 billion ton-miles of cargo annually in 1930. This increased to 750 billion ton-miles by 1975 and had doubled to 1.5 trillion ton-miles in 2005.[1][2] In the 1950s, the U.S. are Europe moved roughly the same percentage of freight by rail; but, by 2000, the share of U.S. rail freight was 38% while in Europe only 8% of freight traveled by rail.[3] In 1997, while U.S. trains moved 2,165 billion ton-kilometers of freight, the 15-nation European Union moved only 238 billion ton-kilometers of freight.[4]

Railroad companies in the United States are generally separated into three categories based on their annual revenues: Class I for freight railroads with annual operating revenues above $277.7 million (2004 dollars), Class II for freight railroads with revenues between $10 million and $50 million in 1978 dollars, and Class III for all other freight railroads. These classifications are set by the Association of American Railroads. Image File history File links North_American_Rail. ... Image File history File links North_American_Rail. ... A Class I railroad in the United States, or a Class I railway (also Class I rail carrier) in Canada, is one of the largest freight railroads, as classified based on operating revenue. ... A Class II railroad, as defined by the American Association of Railroads, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue between $10 million (1978 dollars) and $50 million (1978 dollars). ... A Class I railroad in the United States, or a Class I railway (also Class I rail carrier) in Canada, is one of the largest freight railroads, as classified based on operating revenue. ... This article is about general United States currency. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Class II railroad, as defined by the American Association of Railroads, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue between $10 million (1978 dollars) and $50 million (1978 dollars). ... A Class III railroad, as defined by the American Association of Railroads, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $10 million (1978 dollars). ... A World War II era print advertisement for the Association of American Railroads (AAR). ...

In 1939 there were 132 Class I railroads. Today, as the result of mergers and bankruptcies, there are only seven railroads operating in the United States that meet the criteria for Class I. Although Amtrak qualifies for Class I status under the revenue criteria, it is generally not considered a Class I railroad because it is not a freight railroad. As of 2003, there were 141,961 miles (228,464 km) of standard gauge rail tracks in the united states. 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida Amtrakâ€™s high-speed Acela Express at Penn Station New York, NY Amtrak is the brand name of the intercity passenger train system created on May 1, 1971 in the United States. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A mile is any of a number of units of distance, each in the magnitude of 1â€“10 km. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words Ï‡Î¯Î»Î¹Î± (khilia) = thousand and Î¼ÎÏ„ÏÎ¿ (metro) = count/measure). ... 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. ... track Rail tracks are incredibly exciting. ...

Rolling stock

Every piece of railroad rolling stock operating in North American interchange service is required to carry a standardized set of reporting marks. The marks are made up of a two- to four-letter code identifying the owner of the equipment accompanied by an identification number and statistics on the equipment's capacity and tare (unloaded) weight. Marks whose codes end in X (such as TTGX) are used on equipment owned by entities that are not common carrier railroads themselves. Marks whose codes end in U are used on containers that are carried in intermodal transport, and marks whose codes end in Z are used on trailers that are carried in intermodal transport. Rolling Stock banner Rolling Stock was a newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado by Ed Dorn and Jennifer Dunbar Dorn. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Reporting marks on two CP Rail covered hoppers passing Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, June 20, 2004. ... A common carrier is an organization that transports a product or service using its facilities, or those of other carriers, and offers its services to the general public. ... Containerization is a system of intermodal cargo transport using standard ISO containers (also known as isotainers) that can be loaded sealed and intact onto container ships, railroad cars and trucks. ... An intermodal train carrying both shipping containers and highway semi-trailers in piggyback service, on flatcars, passes through the Cajon Pass in February, 1995. ... A Trailer is an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. ...

Typically, railroads operating in the United States reserve one- to four-digit identification numbers for powered equipment such as diesel locomotives and six-digit identification numbers for unpowered equipment. There is no hard and fast rule for how equipment is numbered, each railroad maintains its own numbering policy for its equipment. Great Western Railway No. ...

The types of equipment seen in trains on American railroads are not substantially different from the types seen around the world.

Historical Background

Before 1800

The oldest railroads in North America had their beginnings in the 18th century. A railroad was reportedly used in the construction of the French fortress at Louisburg, Nova Scotia, and British military engineers built a gravity railroad at Lewiston, New York between 1762 and 1764. Several railroads have been called the oldest in the United States or North America. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Louisbourg is a former town in southeastern Cape Breton Island, in Nova Scotia, Canada. ... A gravity railroad is a railroad on a steep slope, usually serving a mine at the top. ... Lewiston is a village located in Niagara County, New York. ...

1800 - 1850

Railroad building in the United States began in earnest in the first half of the 19th century. Gridley Bryant, a construction engineer in Boston, was one of the first to work on railroad projects in the US. In 1826 he was awarded a contract to build the United States Bank in Boston, and the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, Massachusetts with granite supplied by quarries in Quincy, Massachusetts. In studying how to get the granite needed for these projects to Milton, Massachusetts (which, at the time, contained a sizeable shipping industry), Bryant came to the conclusion that a railroad like that of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, in England, that was currently in the planning stages. Bryant developed basic railroad technologies including the cars (4- and 8-wheel designs), track, wheels, turntable, and load transfer equipment. The only real difference between Bryant's Granite Railway and the Liverpool and Manchester was in the motive power; Bryant used horses to pull his trains, while the Liverpool and Manchester used steam locomotives. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gridley Bryant (1789 â€“ June 13, 1867) was an American construction engineer who ended up building one of the first railroads in the country and inventing most of the basic technologies involved in it. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Official website: www. ... The oldest surviving photograph, NicÃ©phore NiÃ©pce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Second Bank of the United States was founded in 1816, five years after the expiration of the First Bank of the United States out of desperation to stabilize the currency. ... Bunker Hill Monument, 2001. ... Birdseye view of Boston, Charlestown, and Bunker Hill between 1890 and 1910. ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... Nickname: The City of Presidents Official website: http://ci. ... Milton is a town located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. ... The Liverpool and Manchester Railway (LMR) was the worlds first intercity passenger railway operated solely by steam locomotives. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area â€“ Total Ranked... Not to be confused with railcar. ... track Rail tracks are incredibly exciting. ... A small turntable at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. In rail terminology, a turntable is a device used to turn railroad rolling stock. ... The incline section of the Granite Railway, photograph taken in 1934. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 nugget For other uses, see Horse (disambiguation). ... Great Western Railway No. ...

Building on the knowledge learned with the Granite Railway and the pioneering railroads of England, other purpose-built railroads were soon chartered in the US. Incorporated in 1823, the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later became the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, built its first tracks in 1826 as a gravity railroad in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, to haul coal from a mine to the canal at Honesdale. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) was incorporated on February 28, 1827, to build a railroad connecting Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, DC; among the B&O's founders was Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. Both of these railroad companies lasted well into the latter half of the 20th century. 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1886 map The Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) (AAR reporting mark DH) is a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, giving it access to New York City and other parts of the northeastern United States. ... The Delaware and Hudson Railroad (D&H) ( AAR reporting mark DH) was a Class I railroad in the north-eastern part of the United States. ... Carbondale is a city located in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. ... Coal (previously referred to as pitcoal or seacoal) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ... The Wayne County courthouse Honesdale is located in an area known as the lake region of the Poconos. The surrounding area provides many recreational opportunities including: boating, fishing, hiking, hunting, skiing, biking, and rafting. ... 1876 map The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) is one of the oldest railroads in the United States, with an original line from the port of Baltimore, Maryland west to the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia and Parkersburg, West Virginia. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Naval Battle of Navarino by Carneray 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A view of the Baltimore skyline from above. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Charles Carroll Charles Carroll of Carrollton (September 19, 1737â€“November 14, 1832) was a lawyer and politician from Maryland who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and later a United States Senator. ... U.S. Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is the document in which the Thirteen Colonies declared themselves independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain and explained their justifications for doing so. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

Soon, other roads that would themselves be purchased or merged into larger entities, formed. The Camden and Amboy Railroad, the first railroad built in New Jersey, completed its route between its namesake cities in 1834. The C&A eventually became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad. A map of the C&A and other related railroads. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Largest city Trenton Newark Area Ranked 47th - Total 8,729 sq. ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1893 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad existing 1846â€“1968, after which it merged into Penn Central Transportation. ...

In 1836, the Decatur-Courtland-Tuscumbia Railroad, the first railroad constructed west of the Appalachian Mountains, was built connecting the two Alabama cities of Decatur and Tuscumbia. Built in 1836, the Decatur-Courtland-Tuscumbia Railroad was the first railroad to be built west of the Appalachian Mountains in the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area Ranked 30th - Total 52,423 sq. ... Decatur, Alabama is a city located in Morgan County, Alabama, with a small portion in southern Limestone County, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area, and the Decatur Metropolitan Area. ... Tuscumbia is a city located in Colbert County, Alabama. ...

1851 - 1900

The First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States was built across North America in the 1860s, linking the railway network of the eastern U.S. with California on the Pacific coast. Finished on May 10, 1869 at the famous Golden spike event at Promontory Summit, Utah, it created a nationwide mechanized transportation network that revolutionized the population and economy of the American West, catalyzing the transition from the wagon trains of previous decades to a modern transportation system. Although an accomplishment, it achieved this claim of being the first transcontinental railroad by connecting a myriad of eastern US railroads to the Pacific. Nonetheless, it was not the largest railroad system in the world. The Canadian Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) had, by 1867, already accumulated more than 2,055 km (1,277 miles) of track by connecting Portland Maine and the three northern New England states with the Canadian Atlantic provinces west as far as Port Huron Michigan through Sarnia Ontario. The official poster announcing the Pacific Railroads grand opening. ... Download high resolution version (419x1065, 49 KB)1869 poster advertising Transcontinental Railroad This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (419x1065, 49 KB)1869 poster advertising Transcontinental Railroad This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq. ... View of the Pacific Ocean from Oregon. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Ex-Virginia and Truckee Railroad No. ... Promontory is a location in Box Elder County, Utah, centered approximately at 41°3707N, 112°3251W, with an elevation of 1494 meters (4902 feet) above sea level. ... This article deals with the western United States. ... A wagon train is a long chain of wagons, each moving together and forming a line. ... Grand Trunk Railway logo or herald The Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) was a historic railway system headquartered in Montreal, Quebec which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. ...

Authorized by the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and heavily backed by the federal government, it was the culmination of a decades-long movement to build such a line and was one of the crowning achievements of the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, completed four years after his death. The building of the railway required enormous feats of engineering and labor in the crossing of plains and high mountains by the Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad, the two federally chartered enterprises that built the line westward and eastward respectively. The building of the railroad was motivated in part to bind the Union together during the strife of the American Civil War. It substantially accelerated the populating of the West by white homesteaders, led to rapid cultivation of new farm lands, while contributing to the decline of the Native Americans in these regions. The Central Pacific and the Southern Pacific Railroad combined operations in 1870 and formally merged in 1885; the Union Pacific originally bought the Southern Pacific in 1901 and was forced to divest it in 1913, but finally took it over for good in 1996. The Pacific Railway Acts were passed by the United States Congress in 1862 and 1864. ... The U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1789 by a constitutional convention, sets down the basic framework of American government in its seven articles. ... Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 â€“ April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed the Rail Splitter, Honest Abe and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th President of the United States (1861 to 1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ... Engineering is the application of scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark UP) (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ... External link Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum Categories: Corporation stubs | Historical stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | California railroads | Nevada railroads | Utah railroads | Historic civil engineering landmarks ... Map of the division of the states during the Civil War. ... Combatants Union (remaining U.S. states) Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincolnâ€ Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties KIA: 110,000 Total dead: 360,000 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 94,000 Total dead: 258,000 Wounded: 137,000+ The... Broadly, homesteading is a lifestyle of agrarian self-sufficiency. ... you fools are stupid to let people edit these sheet your all dumasss get a life fukers Agriculture (a term which encompasses farming) is the art, science or practice of producing food, feed, fiber and many other desired goods by the systematic raising of plants and animals. ... An Atsina named Assiniboin Boy Photo by Edward S. Curtis. ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark SP) was an American railroad. ...

Much of the original right-of-way is still in use today and owned by the modern Union Pacific Railroad, which is descended from both of the original railroads. A right-of-way is an easement or strip of land granted to a railroad company upon which to build a railroad. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark UP) (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ...

1901 - 1970

As early as the 1930s, automobile travel had begun to cut into the rail passenger market, somewhat reducing economies of scale, but it was the development of the Interstate Highway System and of commercial aviation in the 1950s and 1960s that dealt the most damaging blows to rail transportation, both passenger and freight. There was little point in operating passenger trains to advertise freight service when those who made decisions about freight shipping traveled by car and by air, and when the railroads' chief competitors for that market were interstate trucking companies. Soon, the only things keeping most passenger trains running were legal obligations. Meanwhile, companies who were interested in using railroads for profitable freight traffic were looking for ways to get out of those legal obligations, and it looked like intercity passenger rail service would soon become extinct in the United States outside a few highly-populated corridors. The final blow came with the loss of railway post offices in the 1960s. Image File history File links Nuvola_apps_important. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System, is a network of highways in the United States. ... Aviation or Air transport refers to the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ... The 1950s were a decade that spanned the years 1951 through 1960. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... CBQ 1926, an RPO preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum. ...

1970 - present

Historically, on routes where a single railroad has had an undisputed monopoly, passenger service was as spartan and as expensive as the market and Interstate Commerce Commission regulation would bear, since such railroads had no need to advertise their freight services. But on routes where two or three railroads were in direct competition with each other for freight business, such railroads would spare no expense to make their passenger trains as fast, luxurious, and affordable as possible, because it was considered to be the most effective way of advertising their profitable freight services. Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida Amtrakâ€™s high-speed Acela Express at Penn Station New York, NY Amtrak is the brand name of the intercity passenger train system created on May 1, 1971 in the United States. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1772x1214, 469 KB) This is Amtrak train 91, the southbound Silver Star. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1772x1214, 469 KB) This is Amtrak train 91, the southbound Silver Star. ... Nickname: The city Beautiful Official website: http://www. ... It has been suggested that coercive monopoly be merged into this article or section. ... The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC; 1887 - 1995) was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. ...

The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) was formed in 1967 to lobby for the continuation of passenger trains. Its lobbying efforts were hampered somewhat by Democratic opposition to any sort of subsidies to the privately-owned railroads, and Republican opposition to nationalization of the railroad industry. The proponents were aided by the fact that few in the federal government wanted to be held responsible for the seemingly-inevitable extinction of the passenger train, which most regarded as tantamount to political suicide. The urgency of the need to solve the passenger train problem was heightened by the bankruptcy filing of the Penn Central, the dominant railroad in the Northeast U.S., on June 21, 1970. The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) was founded on May 18, 1967 to lobby for the continuation of passenger trains in the United States. ... Nationalization or nationalisation is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The Penn Central Transportation Company, usually called Penn Central, was an American railroad company, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and formed by the merger on February 1, 1968 of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad. ... The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States of America defined by the US Census Bureau. ... June 21 is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 193 days remaining. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

Under the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, Congress created the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (NRPC) to subsidize and oversee the operation of intercity passenger trains. The Act provided that The US Rail Passenger Service Act (PL 91-518) of 1970 created Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation of the United States. ... Amtrak is the name of an intercity passenger train system created on May 1, 1971 in the United States. ...

While it appeared for some time that President Nixon would veto the legislation, ultimately it was signed into law on October 30, 1970. The original working brand name for NRPC was Railpax, but shortly prior to the company's assumption of intercity rail passenger operations, the name was changed to Amtrak. At the time, many Washington insiders, including President Nixon and his aides, viewed the corporation as a face-saving way for the President and Congress to give passenger trains the one "last hurrah" demanded by the public, but expected that the NRPC would quietly disappear in a few years as public interest waned. However, while Amtrak's political and financial support have often been shaky, popular and political support for Amtrak has allowed it to survive long past its expected lifetime. May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC; 1887 - 1995) was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. ... Order: 37th President Vice President: Spiro Agnew (1969â€“1973), Gerald R. Ford (1973â€“1974) Term of office: January 20, 1969 â€“ August 9, 1974 Preceded by: Lyndon B. Johnson Succeeded by: Gerald R. Ford Date of birth: January 9, 1913 Place of birth: Yorba Linda, California Date of death: April 22... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

Passenger Rail Technology

Car types

The basic design of a passenger car hasn't changed much since the middle of the 19th century, but there are several different passenger car types in service around the world. Generally, these can be split into heavyweight versus lightweight cars. Passenger cars, whether heavyweight or lightweight, can be split into several car types (listed in alphabetical order): baggage, coach, combine, diner, dome car, lounge, observation, private, Pullman, railway post office (RPO) and sleeper. A dome car owned by the Santa Fe Railroad in the 1950s. ...

19th century: First passenger cars and early development

Since the advent of railroads, people have traveled by train. Naturally, the first passenger trains didn't travel very far, but they were able to haul many more passengers for a longer distance than any wagons pulled by horses. Restored passenger cars on display at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, WI. A passenger car is a piece of railroad rolling stock that is designed to carry passengers. ...

As railways were first constructed in England, so too were the first passenger cars. One of the early coach designs was the "Stanhope". It featured a roof and small holes in the floor for drainage when it rained, and had separate compartments for different classes of travel. The only problem with this design is that the passengers were expected to stand for their entire trip. The first passenger cars in the United States highly resembled stagecoaches. They were short, often less than 10 ft. (3 m) long, tall and rode on a single pair of axles. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area â€“ Total Ranked... Buffalo soldiers guard a Concord style stagecoach somewhere in the American West, ca. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a meter. ... The metre, or meter, is a measure of length, approximately equal to 3. ...

British railways had a little bit of a head start on American railroads, with the first "bed-carriage" (an early sleeping car) being built there as early as 1838 for use on the London and Birmingham Railway and the Grand Junction Railway. Britain's early sleepers, when made up for sleeping, extended the foot of the bed into a boot section at the end of the carriage. The cars were still too short to allow more than two or three beds to be positioned end to end. The interior of a Pullman car on the Chicago and Alton Railroad circa 1900. ... | JÃ¶ns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it becam a constituent part of the London and North Western Railway. ... The Grand Junction Railway (GJR) was an early railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1833 and 1846. ...

Britain's Royal Mail commissioned and built the first Travelling Post Office cars in the late 1840s as well. These cars resembled coaches in their short wheelbase and exterior design, but were equipped with nets on the sides of the cars to catch mail bags while the train was in motion. American RPOs, first appearing in the 1860s, also featured equipment to catch mail bags at speed, but the American design more closely resembled a large hook that would catch the mailbag in its crook. When not in use, the hook would swivel down on the side of the car to prevent it from catching on any close clearances. Royal Mails logo Royal Mail is the national postal service of the United Kingdom. ... // Events and Trends Technology First use of general anesthesia in an operation, by Crawford Long The first electrical telegraph sent by Samuel Morse on May 24, 1844 from Baltimore to Washington, D.C.. War, peace and politics First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February... // Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States is built in the six year period between 1863 and 1869. ...

As locomotive technology progressed in the mid-19th century, trains grew in length and weight. Passenger cars, particularly in America, grew along with them, first getting longer with the addition of a second truck (one at each end), and wider as their suspensions improved. Cars built for European use featured side door compartments, while American car design favored a single pair of doors at one end of the car in the car's vestibule; compartmentized cars on American railroads featured a long hallway with doors from the hall to the compartments. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

One possible reason for this difference in design principles between American and European carbuilding practice could be the average distance between stations on the two continents. As most European railroads connected towns and villages that were still very closely spaced, American railroads had to travel over much greater distances to reach their destinations. Building passenger cars with a long passageway through the length of the car allowed the passengers easy access to the restroom, among other things, on longer journeys. Image File history File links The interior of a Chicago and Alton Railroad Pullman car circa 1900. ... Image File history File links The interior of a Chicago and Alton Railroad Pullman car circa 1900. ... The sleeping car is a railroad car on a train with sleeping facilities. ... 1885 map The Alton Railroad was the final name of a railroad linking Chicago, Illinois to Alton, St. ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday. ...

Dining cars first appeared in the late 1870s and into the 1880s. Until this time, the common practice was to stop for meals at restaurants along the way (which led to the rise of Fred Harvey's chain of Harvey House restaurants in America). At first, the dining car was simply a place to serve meals that were picked up en route, but they soon evolved to include galleys in which the meals were prepared. // Events and Trends Technology The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... // Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... A Harvey Girl Uniform Fred Harvey (1835-1901) was an entrepreneur who developed the Harvey House lunch rooms, restaurants, and hotels, which served rail passengers on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. ... Fred Harvey (1835-1901) is the entrepreneur who developed the Harvey House lunch rooms, restaurants, and hotels, serving rail passengers on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. ...

1900-1950: Lighter materials, new car types

By the 1920s, passenger cars on the larger standard gauge railroads were normally between 60 ft (18.3 m) and 70 ft (21.3 m) long. The cars of this time were still quite ornate, many of them being built by experienced coach makers and skilled carpenters. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Social issues of the 1920s. ... 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. ...

With the 1930s came the widespread use of stainless steel for carbodies. The typical passenger car was now much lighter than its "heavyweight" wood cousins of old. The new "lightweight" and streamlined cars carried passengers in speed and comfort to an extent that had not been experienced to date. Aluminum and Cor-ten were also used in lightweight car construction, but stainless steel was the preferred material for car bodies. It isn't the lightest of materials, nor is it the least expensive, but stainless steel cars could be, and often were, left unpainted except for the car's reporting marks that were required by law. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 225 KB) The observation end of the Pioneer Zephyr. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 225 KB) The observation end of the Pioneer Zephyr. ... The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (AAR reporting mark CBQ) was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. ... The Pioneer Zephyr as it appeared in 1934. ... In metallurgy, stainless steel (inox) is defined[1] as a ferrous alloy with a minimum of 10. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Museum of Science and Industry is housed in the only surviving building from the 1893 World Columbian Exposition and is a National Historic Landmark. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... In metallurgy, stainless steel (inox) is defined[1] as a ferrous alloy with a minimum of 10. ... A streamliner is a vehicle that incorporates streamlining to produce a shape that provides less resistance to air, and is more pleasing to the eye. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... Cor-ten steel is a proprietary material which was developed to obviate the need for painting, and has a rustlike appearance. ... Reporting marks on two CP Rail covered hoppers passing Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, June 20, 2004. ...

By the end of the 1930s, railroads and carbuilders were debuting carbody and interior styles that could only be dreamed of before. In 1937, the Pullman Company delivered the first cars equipped with roomettes – that is, the car's interior was sectioned off into compartments, much like the coaches that were still in widespread use across Europe. Pullman's roomettes, however, were designed with the single traveler in mind. The roomette featured a large picture window, a privacy door, a single fold-away bed, a sink and small toilet. The roomette's floor space was barely larger than the space taken up by the bed, but it allowed the traveler to ride in luxury compared to the multilevel semiprivate berths of old. 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Now that passenger cars were lighter, they were able to carry heavier loads, but the size of the average passenger that rode in them didn't increase to match the cars' new capacities. The average passenger car couldn't get any wider or longer due to side clearances along the railroad lines, but they generally could get taller because they were still shorter than many freight cars and locomotives. So the railroads soon began building and buying dome and bilevel cars to carry more passengers. A dome car owned by the Santa Fe Railroad in the 1950s. ... A double decker is a bus, airplane, train, tram, ferry, or any public transit vehicle that has two levels for passengers, one deck above the other. ...

1950-present: High-technology advancements

Carbody styles have generally remained consistent since the middle of the 20th century. While new car types haven't made much of an impact, the existing car types have been further enhanced with new technology. Go Train This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Go Train This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Bombardier BiLevel coaches are passenger carriages designed to carry up to 360 passengers for regional railways. ...

Starting in the 1950s, the passenger travel market declined in North America, though there was growth in commuter rail. The higher clearances in North America enabled bi-level commuter coaches that could hold more passengers. These cars started to become common in the United States in the 1960s. A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ...

While intercity passenger rail travel declined in America, ridership continued to increase in other parts of the world. With the increase came an increased use of newer technology on existing and new equipment. The Spanish company Talgo began experimenting in the 1940s with technology that would enable the axles to steer into a curve, allowing the train to move around the curve at a higher speed. The steering axles evolved into mechanisms that would also tilt the passenger car as it entered a curve to counter the centrifugal force experienced by the train, further increasing speeds on existing track. Today, Talgo trains are used in many places in Europe and they have also found a home in North America on some short and medium distance routes such as Seattle, Washington, to Vancouver, British Columbia. // Events and trends World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... Centrifugal force (from Latin centrum center and fugere to flee) is a term which may refer to two different forces which are related to rotation. ... Seattle redirects here. ... This article refers to the city in British Columbia, Canada. ...

Another type of tilting train that is seeing widespread use across Europe is the Pendolino. These trains, built by the Fiat Ferroviaria company (now owned by Alstom)), are in regular service in Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Czech Republic and now the United Kingdom. Using tilting trains, railroads are able to run passenger trains over the same tracks at higher speeds than would otherwise be possible. A tilting train is a train with a tilting mechanism that enables increased speed on regular railroad tracks. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Pendolino ( small pendulum in Italian) is a tilting train used in Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. ... Alstom (formerly GEC-Alsthom) (Euronext: ALO) is a large French company whose businesses are power generation and manufacturing trains (e. ... track Rail tracks are incredibly exciting. ...

U.S. High-Speed Rail

Unlike in most Western European countries, in the United States high-speed rail is more a case of hope than reality. It is possible to trace the development of high-speed railways back to the streamliners that criss-crossed the United States in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s which, in turn, can be traced further back to the competing companies operating different routes between London and Scotland, and to railways in Germany and France. However, several factors contributed to the stagnation of rail transport in the U.S., a decline which occurred just as Europe and Japan were pushing forward with new technologies. Download high resolution version (1440x862, 108 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: High-speed rail Categories: United States government images ... Download high resolution version (1440x862, 108 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: High-speed rail Categories: United States government images ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x666, 52 KB) Details Amtrakâ€™s high-speed Acela Express at Union Station Washington, DC]] Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x666, 52 KB) Details Amtrakâ€™s high-speed Acela Express at Union Station Washington, DC]] Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Union Station is the grand ceremonial train station designed to be the entrance to Washington, D.C. when it opened in 1907. ... This map from 2001 shows a number of proposed highâ€“speed routes in the U.S. High-speed rail in the United States is more a case of hope than reality. ... A streamliner is a vehicle that incorporates streamlining to produce a shape that provides less resistance to air, and is more pleasing to the eye. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 kmÂ² 1. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ...

Amtrak, the only nationwide passenger rail carrier in the U.S., has been operating Acela Express trains between Boston and Washington, D.C. since 2001. These trains tilt into curves along the track, reaching a top speed of 150 mph (240 km/h). However, this maximum speed is not really considered fast enough for Acela to be genuinely called high-speed technology. The scheduled transit time for the 5:00 am departure from Washington DC arriving in Boston South Station on Acela express service is roughly 6 hours and 36 minutes. Subtracting a fifteen minute scheduled layover in New York City, the average speed is 68 mph for the 450 mi (720 km) trip. Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida Amtrakâ€™s high-speed Acela Express at Penn Station New York, NY Amtrak is the brand name of the intercity passenger train system created on May 1, 1971 in the United States. ... At Union Station (Washington, D.C.) Acela Express (often called simply Acela, leading to early confusion with the Acela Regional) is the name used by Amtrak for the high-speed tilting train service operating between Washington, D.C. and Boston via New York City and Philadelphia along the Northeast Corridor... Boston is a town and small port c. ... Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Official website: http://www. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... A tilting train is a train with a tilting mechanism that enables increased speed on regular railroad tracks. ... ... South Station, located at Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street, in Boston, Massachusetts is a major intermodal transportation hub. ... Nickname: The Big Apple, The Capital of the World Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ...

There has been a resurgence of interest in high-speed rail in the U.S. in recent decades, with many plans being examined for high–speed rail across the country. Current service, however, remains relatively limited, and is usually far more expensive than is reasonable for the average traveller.

List of United States railroads

There arergwertwertert[1] Kyle Railroad (KYLE) [2] Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad (MNA) [3] Montana Rail Link (MRL) [4] Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway (MMA) [5] Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado RailNet (NKCR) New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYSW) [6] Northern Plains Railroad Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) [7] Palouse... . ... The BNSF Railway (AAR reporting mark BNSF), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the largest railroad networks in North America (only one competitor, the Union Pacific Railroad, is comparable in size). ... Canadian National Railways logo or herald (used pre-1960) Network Map of Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway (CN; AAR reporting marks CN, CNA, CNIS), known as Canadian National Railways (CNR) between 1918 and 1960, and Canadian National/Canadien National (CN) from 1960 to present, is a Canadian Class... The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR; AAR reporting marks CP, CPAA, CPI), known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a Canadian Class I railway operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited. ... CSX Transportation (AAR reporting mark CSXT) is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the CSX Corporation. ... The Kansas City Southern Railway (AAR reporting mark KCS) is a United States-based Class I railroad operating over 3,130 track miles in 10 central and southeastern states. ... Norfolk Southern Corporation (AAR reporting mark NS) NYSE: NSC is a US publicly-traded stock corporation based in Norfolk, Virginia. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark UP) (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ... External link Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum Categories: Corporation stubs | Historical stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | California railroads | Nevada railroads | Utah railroads | Historic civil engineering landmarks ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark SP) was an American railroad. ...

Contents

Rolling stock

Historical Background

Before 1800

1800 - 1850

1851 - 1900

1901 - 1970

1970 - present

Passenger Rail Technology

Car types

19th century: First passenger cars and early development

1900-1950: Lighter materials, new car types

1950-present: High-technology advancements

U.S. High-Speed Rail

List of United States railroads

Further reading

References

External links

See also

Contents

Rolling stock

Historical Background var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};

Before 1800

1800 - 1850

1851 - 1900

1901 - 1970

1970 - present

Passenger Rail Technology

Car types

19th century: First passenger cars and early development

1900-1950: Lighter materials, new car types

1950-present: High-technology advancements

U.S. High-Speed Rail

List of United States railroads

Further reading

References

External links

See also

Historical Background