Railroads : How It All Began

April, 2007

There is nothing new about using tracks for wheeled vehicles. Made of stone, wood, and iron, rails have been used since Babylonian times. Wooden railways were common in 16th-century Europe, mainly at mines. Wrought-iron rails enabled a locomotive to approach maturity. Eventually, the creation of the "modern" railways began with the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Line in 1825, and the Liverpool & Manchester in 1829, both in England.

George Stephenson, born in 1781 at Wylam, Northumberland, England, was possibly the most famous railway engineer ever, and he is rightly acclaimed as the "Father of Railways." The best known of his numerous achievements is the 1829 locomotive ROCKET.

Though England was its birthplace, railroading quickly took hold in North America. The vastness of the United States and Canada provided an ideal environment for this new mode of transportation.

Different 'gauges' served different rail purposes, but the lack of a standard gauge for mainline rail world-wide has created problems. Today's standard gauge of 4 feet 8 1/2 inches is derived from the width of early horse-worked railways, approximate to the space needed for two horses working side by side. Wheel ruts left by Roman chariots were of similar proportion.

Though standard gauge predominates throughout Europe, North America, and China, there are many areas of the world in which it doesn't. These include Russia (5 feet), the Indian subcontinent (5 feet 6 inches), Africa (mainly 3 feet 6 inches), and Latin America (3 feet).

So, there's your rail lesson for now. Study the above carefully. There may be a quiz later.

GET INTO TRAINING WITH THE WORLD'S PASSENGER RAIL NETWORK.

-Doug