The First Railway

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Today we could not imagine having no train transportation. If we want to travel by train we just purchase some tickets and we are on our way to any destination we want. It all began a long time ago when the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad became the first U.S. railway to be chartered for commercial transport of both passengers and freight. During those times there were many people who doubted that steam engines could make the journey along steep grades and twisting, winding turns. The very first steam engine that proved that it could take this on was known as the Tom Thumb and was designed by Peter Cooper. It is hard to imagine that the firs railroad track in the U.S was just 13 miles long but it was enough to convince people that railroad transport was on its way. The first stone when construction began was laid by Charles Carroll, who was the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. The starting point was the Baltimore Harbor in Maryland on July 4, 1826. Baltimore and the Ohio River were connected by rain in 1852 when the B&O was completed at Wheeling, West Virginia. Later extensions extended to Chicago, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri and Cleveland, Ohio. The Central Pacific line and the Union Pacific line joined in 1869, creating the first transcontinental railroad. Train journeys became romanticized and train travel became appealing to many people. Lots of songs, stories, poems, and plays have been written about the railways and train journeys. Among my favorites is “The City of New Orleans” by Arlo Guthrie which opens with the line Good morning America how are you? and was the first thing that came to my mind when I flew back to the U.S. I would have taken a train but there was the matter of having to cross an ocean. How many of you enjoy traveling by train?