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Railroad
Beginnings in the U.S.
Transporting
goods was the driving force in the development of railroads in the United
State. Trains could potentially reach more markets faster. Some of the
early railroad cars were pulled by horses. The first railroad that was
constructed for the transportation of freight and passengers in this
country was the Baltimore and Ohio. Fifteen miles were opened on May
15, 1830. |
Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, 1830
Courtesy of Cornell University Library
Nineteenth
Century Periodicals Collection
American Locomotives And Cars. [Scribner's magazine. / Volume 4, Issue
2, August, 1888] |
Courtesy
of Cornell University Library
Nineteenth
Century Periodicals Collection
American Locomotives And Cars.
[Scribner's magazine. / Volume 4, Issue 2, August, 1888]
|
Fitchburg
Railroad
The
Fitchburg Railroad, chartered in 1843, was opened to Fitchburg on
March 5th, 1845. Investors worried that there would not be enough
profits. However, the Fitchburg Railroad began to pay well, very soon
after its completion.
1859
Annual and Semi-annual Dividends
| Cost
of Road |
Miles |
Dividends |
| 3,565,800 |
51 |
3
and 3 |
Extending
the rail line to the West required drilling the Hoosac Tunnel. Drilling
began in 1851 and was completed in 1876. It was sold to the Fitchburg
Railroad Company along with the Troy and Greenfleld Railroad by the
State of Massachusetts in 1887. By 1896, the Fitchburg Railroad Company
had obtained the Vermont & Massachusetts, the Boston, Barre &
Gardner, the Troy & Boston, the Cheshire, and the Boston, Hoosac
Tunnel & Western. The company also owned 204 locomotives. In 1900
the Boston & Maine bought the Fitchburg Railroad. Today you can
ride a commuter train from Boston to Fitchburg operated by the Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority. |
Advertisement
Click
to view a larger image
Courtesy of Cornell University Library
Nineteenth
Century Periodicals Collection
[The New England magazine. / New Series,
Volume 21, Issue 6, Feb 1900]
|
Railway
Growth
Year |
Miles |
1829
|
3 |
| 1830 |
41 |
| 1840 |
2167 |
| 1850 |
7355 |
| 1856 |
23,242 |
Railway-Engineering
in the United States.
[The Atlantic monthly. / Volume 2, Issue 13, November 1858] p.643 and
644
|
Math
Activity
1.
What is the percentage or growth rate from 1829 to 1830?
2. What is the percentage or growth rate from 1830 to 1840?
3. What is the percentage or growth rate from 1840 to 1850?
4. What is the estimate of the growth rate for 1850 to 1860?
5. What is the total growth rate between 1829 and 1856?
6. Predict the percentage of growth for 1860 to 1870. |
Story
Problems
1. If the
train to Fitchburg traveled 15 mph and the distance was 30 miles, how
long was the ride for Henry's friend?
2. Locomotive
Speed
"The Lowell Courier says that a new engine
called the Camilla, built by Hinkley & Drury,
and designed for speed, on the Boston and
Lowell Railroad, has driving wheels of 6k
feet diameter, and is capable of running a
mile in a minute."
How many miles per hour would the train travel?
Nineteenth
Century Periodicals Collection
[Scientific American. / Volume 4, Issue 6, October 28, 1848] |
|
Courtesy
of Cornell University Library
Nineteenth
Century Periodicals Collection
Railway Passenger Travel. [Scribner's magazine. / Volume 4, Issue 3,
September, 1888] |
Ticket
Cost Comparison
1.
If the distance from Concord to Fitchburg, Massachusetts is 30 miles
and the cost of the ticket in 1845 is 90 cents, how much did it cost
per mile?
2.
If the distance from Concord to Fitchburg, Massachusetts is 30 miles
and the cost of the ticket in 2001 is $3.00, how much does it cost
per mile?
3.
Compare the cost in 1845 with the cost in 2001. |
ebay photograph
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Baggage
Check/Claim
A
checking system was invented to keep track of luggage being transported
on the trains. Metal disks or checks were placed on each item and a
duplicate given to the passenger. At the final destination, the check
was presented to claim the luggage. The example on the left is a "through"
tag. The item traveled over several railroad lines.
Fitchburg
Boston Hoosac Tunnel & Western RR
New York, West Shore & Buffalo
Grand Trunk
The manufacturer's mark is also stamped on the check which was a common
advertising practice during that time period.
Nineteenth
Century Periodicals Collection
Railway Passenger Travel. [Scribner's magazine. / Volume 4, Issue 3,
September, 1888] |
Listen
to the Train Passing Walden Pond
Click on
Image to see a Movie
|
Sounds
"The
Fitchburg Railroad touches the pond about a hundred rods south of where
I dwell. I usually go to the village along its causeway, and am, as
it were, related to society by this link. The men on the freight trains,
who go over the whole length of the road, bow to me as to an old acquaintance,
they pass me so often, and apparently they take me for an employee;
and so I am. I too would fain be a track-repairer somewhere in the orbit
of the earth."
- Henry David Thoreau Walden
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Economy
"One
says to me, 'I wonder that you do not lay up money; you love to travel;
you might take the cars and go to Fitchburg today and see the country.'
But I am wiser than that. I have learned that the swiftest traveller
is he that goes afoot. I say to my friend, Suppose we try who will get
there first. The distance is thirty miles; the fare ninety cents....
Well, I start now on foot, and get there before night;... You will in
the meanwhile have earned your fare, and arrive there some time tomorrow,
or possibly this evening, if you are lucky enough to get a job in season.
Instead of going to Fitchburg, you will be working here the greater
part of the day."
- Henry David Thoreau Walden |
Take
a Ride on a Modern Train to Fitchburg
\
Click
on Image to see a Movie |
American
Pattern of Locomotive
Courtesy of Cornell University Library
Nineteenth
Century Periodicals Collection
The Evolution of the American Locomotive.
[Manufacturer and builder / Volume 18, Issue 11, November 1886]
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