Did you know that America’s oldest railroad runs right through good ole Ohio? The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad built in the United States and this allowed for easier transportation and trade with the trans-Appalachian settlers. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad included an animal-powered railroad that was built in the 1800s called the Leiper Railroad. The Leiper Railroad was the very first permanent horse-drawn railroad in America. Then eventually in 1829, The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad started to develop steam locomotives. By the 1970s, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad stretched over 5,000 miles of road and 10,000 miles of railroad track. Railroad transportation revolutionized the way Americans could trade among people and places and also allowed for further expansion into the West.
By the 1870s, steam locomotives had almost completely taken over as the lead mode of transportation beating out canals, turnpikes, and even steamboats. Why were railroads so much more successful than the other types of transportation in the 1800s? Well, during wintertime, canals, waterways, and rivers were out of order due to the freezing weather. However, locomotives could operate no matter the weather conditions which gave them an advantage. Locomotives were also safer than transportation on steamboats. Steamboats would commonly sink in the 1800s. Railroad transportation was faster as well which allowed businesses to order less inventory and lose less money on wasted products.
After World War II, many railroad companies went out of business. This was due to the competition faced by airplanes and highways. Most businesses used trucking businesses to transport their goods. Also, most Americans owned cars by then and no longer need to use passenger trains. However, in the 1980s, Congress passed the Staggers Rail Act which deregulated the railway industry and removed regulations that were restricting railroad companies. This finally allowed railroad transportation to compete with the trucking business.
During the early 21st Century, the government and port agencies invested in railroad infrastructure which gave a huge boost back to the railroad industry to become what we know it as now. The rail shipping system has come a long way and helped make America what it is today.