Railroads

=__ The Railroad Industry __= BR CR

The Transcontinental RailRoad connected the nation from the west coast to the east coast.it made the west a very rich place.it brought immigrants to the United States of America. It started out with the transcontinental rail road, than the pullmans sleeping car, and than the Hepburn and the Elkin's Act. The Hepburn act brought more sense to the railroading industry, saying how many free rides are aloud, riding rates, ect. The Elkin's act gave rebates to their most common customers.
 * 1797 || The steam locomotive is invented in England. ||
 * 1823 || The first public railway in the world opens in England. ||
 * 1827 || Baltimore merchants charter the first railroad in North America, the Baltimore & Ohio. ||
 * 1830 || The first regularly scheduled steam-powered rail passenger service in the U.S.begins operation in South Carolina, utilizing the U.S.-built locomotive "The Best Friend of Charleston." ||
 * 1833 || A total of 380 miles of rail track are in operation in the U.S. ||
 * 1838 || Five of the six New England states have rail service, as do such frontier states as Kentucky and Indiana . ||
 * 1840 || More than 2,800 miles of track are in operation. ||
 * 1850 || More than 9,000 miles of track are in operation in the U.S., as much as in the rest of the world combined. ||
 * 1860 || More than 30,000 miles of track are in operation in the U.S. ||
 * 1861-1865 || The Civil War becomes the first major conflict in which railroads play a major role as both sides use trains to move troops and supplies. ||
 * 1862 || President Abraham Lincoln signs the Pacific Railroad Act for the construction of the transcontinental railroad that will ultimately link California with the rest of the nation. ||
 * 1865 || The "golden age" of railroads begins. For nearly half a century, no other mode of transportation challenges railroads. During these years, the rail network grows from 35,000 to a peak of 254,000 miles in 1916. ||
 * 1869 || On May 10, at Promontory, in the Utah Territory, the "Golden Spike" joins the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads, marking completion of the first transcontinental railroad. ||
 * 1872-1945 || Presidents from Ulysses S. Grant to Franklin D. Roosevelt travel largely by train. For them, as for virtually every American, the railroad offers the fastest, safest means of travel. ||
 * 1917 || The Federal government seizes control of the railroads for the duration of World War I. By the time they are returned to private ownership in 1920, they are in seriously run-down condition and in need of substantial maintenance and improvement. ||
 * 1900-1940 || Other modes of transportation grow from small beginnings to challenge rail dominance over freight and passenger transportation. By the eve of World War II, automobiles, large buses, trucks, planes and pipelines – supported by government subsidies and less burdened by regulation than railroads -- have become full-fledged competitors to railroads. ||
 * 1929-1940 || The Great Depression exacts a heavy toll on the railroad industry, forcing substantial segments of the industry into bankruptcy. ||
 * 1941-1945 || Railroads remain under private control during World War II and move on average twice the monthly volume of both freight and passengers as during World War I. ||
 * 1945-1970 || Railroads enter the post-war era with a new sense of optimism that leads them to invest billions of dollars in new locomotives, freight equipment and passenger trains. That investment would see retirement of the last steam locomotive by the late 1950s in favor of diesel engines. In spite of this modernization, the decline in rail market share that began before the war resumes. ||
 * 1955 || Intermodal freight -- the movement of containers and highway trailers by rail – is reported as a separate category of freight for the first time. In that year, railroads moved 168,000 carloads of trailers and containers. ||
 * 1970-1975 || Burdened by regulation and faced with subsidized competition, nine Class I railroads, representing almost one-quarter of the industry's trackage, file for bankruptcy protection. ||
 * 1970 || The Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 creates Amtrak to take over intercity rail passenger service. Amtrak officially begins service on May 1, 1971. ||
 * 1976 || The Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act creates the Consolidated Rail Corp. from six bankrupt Northeast railroads. It also included regulatory reforms that were supposed to make the rail regulatory system more responsive to changed circumstances. ||
 * 1980 || The Staggers Rail Act reduces the Interstate Commerce Commission's regulatory jurisdiction over railroads and sparks competition that stimulates advances in technology and a restructuring of the industry, including creation of hundreds of new short line and regional railroads. ||
 * 1987 || Conrail is privatized in what -- at that time -- was the largest share offering in U.S. history as investors pay $1.9 billion to buy shares in the railroad. ||
 * 1996 || After 108 years of existence, the Interstate Commerce Commission goes out of existence and is replaced by the Surface Transportation Board, which assumes responsibility for remaining railroad economic regulation. ||
 * 1998 || U.S. freight railroads move 1.38 trillion ton-miles of freight, more than ever before, setting new safety records in the process. ||
 * 2003 || Intermodal overtakes coal as the primary source of revenue for Class I railroads; intermodal revenue was 22.0 percent of total revenue, or $7.7 billion, while coal revenue was $7.6 billion. ||
 * 2004 || Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reports continuous improvement in railroad safety, “by nearly every indicator”. ||
 * 2005 || 25 years since deregulation of the industry under the Staggers Rail Act of 1980. ||
 * 2006 || Class I railroads set record in hauling 852 million tons of coal (previous record was 804 million tons in 2005). ||
 * 2006 || 14.6 million intermodal trailers and containers are moved, eclipsing the 2005 record by 5 percent. ||
 * 2006 || Safest year in the history of the U.S. rail industry. ||
 * 2007 || The industry equaled the 2006 record of hauling 1.77 trillion revenue ton-miles ||
 * 2008 || Due to recession, revenue ton-miles declined 1 percent and intermodal units were down four percent√ ||

the completion of the railroads allwed quicker and effiecient travel of goods and people. people were able to travel to places sooner then they orinigaly exspected. Peter cooper created regulary operated steam powered railroad in south carolina in 1830. This was the birth of all railroads and is a big contributer to the major industry of railroads. Durring the production of the Baltimore and the Ohio Railroad in 1877 workers on the rail road went on strike for their wages being cut twice the times it had been cut the previous year. In rage on july 18th, 1877 the workers blockade the railroad so that no trains could pass. By the end of August the strike was over, mostly because of the government. Building and manning the railroad was quite layborous. Working conditions of a railroad worker was pretty poor. The hours were layborous and long back during the building of the transcontinental railroad. It had gotten better as the years went by now people nowadays have laws and rights. The railroading had expanded over time, more railroads, the faster people could get from here to there. Above; Peter Cooper, union pacific train; circa:1869

Below:Timeline 2 Railroads today run on many different fuel sources. Some run on magnetics, compared to back than where they created crude railroads, todays is a few steps up.
 * || Feb 22, 1804 || First steam tramway (road, as opposed to railroad) locomotive in Wales. ||
 * 1814 || George Stephenson built first steam railway locomotive (Blucher) for Stockton & Darlington Railway. ||
 * 1815 || First North American railroad charter for Camden & Amboy. ||
 * Mar 8, 1817 || New York Stock & Exchange Board organized. ||
 * 1819 || Panic of 1819, often blamed on the Second Bank of the United States tightening credit, but probably the result of long-declining agricultural prices. ||
 * Oct 7, 1826 || First horse-powered railroad (3 miles long) completed in United States at Quincy, MA granite quarry. ||
 * Feb 28, 1827 || First railroad, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, chartered in the United States. ||
 * May, 1827 || Mauch Chunk (9 miles long) gravity railroad built near Carbondale, PA. ||
 * Dec 22, 1828 || Baltimore & Ohio completes first section of horse-drawn rail service. ||
 * Aug 8, 1829 || Delaware & Hudson Canal Co runs first steam-powered locomotive "Stourbridge Lion" near Carbondale, Pennsylvania. ||
 * Aug 28, 1830 || Peter Cooper operates "Tom Thumb" - the first locomotive manufactured in the United Stares - on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. ||
 * 1830 || John Stevens invents T-Rail. ||
 * Nov 14, 1832 || John Mason starts first horse-drawn streetcar service along Bowery Street in New York. ||
 * 1835 || Samuel Morse uses earlier technology (Joseph Henry, 1830) to create telegraph. ||
 * 1836 || First railroad in Canada opens - Champlain & St Lawrence. ||
 * May 10, 1837 || Banks in New York City stopped payment in gold and silver, precipitating the Panic of 1837. Six-year depression follows. ||
 * 1837 || First railroad in Cuba (Havana to Guines.) ||
 * 1842 || Brokers begin trading stocks too small for listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Since they had no offices, and merely traded on Broad Street, they became known as "Curbstone Brokers" and "New York Curb Market." This outdoors arrangement lasted until 1921. ||
 * Mar 24, 1844 || First message transmitted over telegraph line completed between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. ||
 * Apr 13, 1846 || Pennsylvania Railroad chartered. ||
 * 1846 || British government adopts "standard gauge" of 4' 8-1/2", the same as the Stockton & Darlington road. ||
 * Sep 16, 1850 || First railway in Mexico opens - 11 km between Veracruz and Molino. ||
 * Sep 20, 1850 || President Millard Fillmore signs Land Grant Act. ||
 * 1851 || Trains dispatched by telegraph. ||
 * Feb 20, 1852 || First rail connection between East Coast and Chicago. ||
 * Jul, 1854 || Stock market crash caused by discoveries of fraudulent stock issuances in New York & New Haven RR, Harlem Co, and Vermont Central Ry ||
 * Jan 28, 1855 || Panama Railroad completed across Isthmus of Panama. ||
 * Apr 21, 1856 || Chicago Rock Island & Pacific train crosses first railroad bridge across Mississippi River between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. ||
 * Sep 21, 1856 || Illinois Central Railroad completed between Chicago and Cairo, IL. ||
 * Apr, 1857 || Severe Baltimore & Ohio Railroad labor strike with several deaths ||
 * Aug 24, 1857 || New York branch of Ohio Life Insurance & Trust Co fails, precipitating the Panic of 1857. ||
 * Oct 14, 1857 || Run on bank deposits forced suspension of withdrawals on Wall Street banks. Numerous bank failures. ||
 * 1857 || St Louis connected by rail to East Coast. ||
 * Oct, 1861 || Overland Telegraph and Pacific Telegraph complete transcontinental system and quickly merge into Western Union. ||
 * Jul 1, 1862 || Congress passes Pacific Railway act, authorizing construction of Transcontinental railroad. Act creates Union Pacific Railroad Company. ||
 * Jan 10, 1863 || First subway opens in London. ||
 * Jan 29, 1863 || New York Stock & Exchange Board changes name to New York Stock Exchange. ||
 * Aug, 1864 || Gold hits $261.75 ||
 * 1864 || George Pullman invents Pullman sleeping car. ||
 * Nov 6, 1865 || Milwaukee & Prairie Du Chien Railway Co stock "cornered"; price driven from 40 to 210 and back to 110; many brokerages failed because of inability to cover short sales. ||
 * Dec 9, 1865 || New York Stock Exchange occupies new building. ||
 * Dec 25, 1865 || Giant Union stockyards open in Chicago. ||
 * 1865 || Smelters in Chicago mill first steel rails. ||
 * Apr, 1866 || Michigan Southern RR stock "cornered"; price driven from 84 to 104 and back to 80 with 24 hours. Heavy speculation and "corners" in Reading, Chicago & Rock Island, Hudson River, Cleveland & Pittsburg and Northwestern. ||
 * Dec 7, 1867 || Charles T Harvey successfully demonstrates first cable-pulled elevated railway in New York. ||
 * Jan 16, 1868 || William Davis patents refrigerator car. ||
 * Apr 20, 1868 || New York legislature gives full control of Erie (first Gould railroad) to Jay Gould and James Fisk; Commodore Vanderbilt defeated. ||
 * Jul 1, 1868 || West Side Elevated opened between Cortlandt Street and Battery Place in New York. ||
 * Jul, 1868 || Jay Gould becomes preident of Erie Railway ||
 * Feb 1, 1869 || New York Stock Exchange requires shares of all listed companies to be officially registered (anti stock-watering decree) ||
 * Apr 13, 1869 || George Westinghouse patents automatic air brake. ||
 * May 10, 1869 || Union Pacific and Central Pacific drive "Golden Spike" at Promontory Point, Utah, completing the transcontinental railroad. ||
 * Sep 24, 1869 || Jay Gould and James Fisk precipitate "Black Friday" gold market crash after driving gold to 162; U.S. government announced it would sell gold and prices fell to 135 within 15 minutes. ||
 * Jan 17, 1871 || Andrew Smith Hallidie patents first cable car. ||
 * Apr 20, 1871 || First steam-powered elevated railway operation in New York City. ||
 * Jan 6, 1872 || Edward Stokes murders James Fisk in Grand Central Hotel, New York. ||
 * Mar 15, 1872 || Jay Gould forced to resign from board of Erie; replaced by John Dix. ||
 * Sep 4, 1872 || New York Sun begins exposing Credit Mobilier financing which culminates in huge railroad financing scandal. ||
 * Nov 20, 1872 || Gould, Schell and Clark corner Erie stock and drive price from $83.75 on the 20th to $230 on the 23rd. Prices quickly fell back to $85, seriously hurting Drew and Smith. ||
 * 1872 || Canadian railroads converted lines to standard gauge of 4' 8-1/2". ||
 * 1872 || Vanderbilt interests acquire sufficient Union Pacific stock to install Horace Clark as president. ||
 * Apr 29, 1873 || Eli H. Janney patents knuckle coupler. ||
 * Jun, 1873 || Jay Gould acquires first Union Pacific shares upon death of Horace Clark. ||
 * Aug 1, 1873 || First cable car opens for operation in San Francisco. ||
 * Sep 18, 1873 || Jay Cooke & Co brokerage fails because of problems financing the Northern Pacific. Failure of Cooke and 37 additional brokerages and banks precipitates the Panic of 1873. New York Stock Exchange closed for 10 days. Five-year depression follows. ||
 * Mar, 1874 || Jay Gould elected to Union Pacific board of directors. ||
 * Jul 4, 1874 || Eads steel arch bridge at St Louis opens across the Mississippi. ||
 * Jul 14, 1877 || Railroads decrease pay because of depression. Strikes, labor unrest, and violence follows. Labor unions increase in power. ||
 * Nov, 1879 || W.H. Vanderbilt sold 250,000 shares of New York Central & Hudson River @$120/share to J.S. Morgan & Co. ||
 * Jan, 1880 || Jay Gould acquires Missouri Kansas & Texas stock and becomes president. ||
 * Mar 13, 1882 || To counter reports of financial hardship, Gould displayed $53 million in stocks and offered to show an additional $30 million. ||
 * Mar 21, 1882 || Chicago Stock Exchange organized. ||
 * Aug 8, 1883 || Southern Pacific and Atlantic & Pacific complete line from New Orleans to Pacific Coast at Needles, CA. ||
 * Sep 8, 1883 || Northern Pacific Railroad drives last spike. ||
 * Nov 18, 1883 || U.S. and Canadian railroads adopt four standard time zones. ||
 * Jul 3, 1884 || Charles Dow creates stock average (precursor to Dow Jones Industrial Average) which includes nine railroad issues: Chicago Milwaukee & St Paul, Chicago & North Western, Delaware Lackawanna & Western, Lake Shore, Louisville & Nashville, Missouri Pacific, New York Central, Northern Pacific (preferred), and Union Pacific. ||
 * Feb 16, 1885 || Charles Dow modifies "Dow Dozen" to include twelve railroads and two industries. New railroads include Central Pacific, Central RR of New Jersey, and Delaware & Hudson. ||
 * Jan 2, 1886 || Two companies removed from Dow Average; constituents include Chicago Milwaukee & St Paul, Chicago & North Western, Delaware & Hudson, Delaware Lackawanna & Western, Lake Shore, Louisville & Nashville, Missouri Pacific, New York Central, Northern Pacific (preferred), and Union Pacific. ||
 * May 31, 1886 || Standard gauge of 4'-8-1/2" adopted by the Southern railroads. ||
 * Feb 4, 1887 || Interstate Commerce Act become law. Intended to insure reasonable rates, prevent pooling, and stop two-tiered pricing. ||
 * Sep 29, 1890 || Congress passes law to require railroads to forfeit unused land grants. ||
 * Apr 19, 1892 || Charles and Frank Duryea perfect first automobile. ||
 * Jan 6, 1893 || Great Northern Railway drives last spike at Scenic, Washington. ||
 * Feb, 1892 || Philadelphia & Reading Railroad fails with $125,000,000 debt, leading to collapse of stocks on New York market. ||
 * Jun 27, 1893 || New York stock market collapses, resulting in 4-year depression. ||
 * Apr 9, 1894 || Dow average modified; constituents include Chicago Burlington & Quincy, Chicago Milwaukee & St Paul, Chicago & North Western, Chicago Rock Island & Pacific, Delaware & Hudson, Delaware Lackawanna & Western, Louisville & Nashville, Missouri Pacific, Northern Pacific (preferred), and Union Pacific. ||
 * May 11, 1894 || Pullman Palace Car Co slashes wages and causes workers to strike. ||
 * Jul 2, 1894 || U.S. government issues injunction against striking Pullman Palace Car Co. workers. ||
 * Jul 3, 1894 || President Cleveland sends U.S. troops to Chicago to enforce injunction. Two men are killed on July 6. Troops are withdrawn on July 20. ||
 * Jan 14, 1895 || Trolley employees strike in New York. Riots follow, eventually stopped by New York and Brooklyn militia. ||
 * May 26, 1896 || Dow creates Industrial Index and moves railroad stocks to Dow Jones Railroad Index. ||
 * May 26, 1896 || Charles Dow creates Dow Jones Industrial Average. All roads moved to Dow Jones Railroad Average. ||
 * Sep 1, 1897 || First electrified U.S. subway opens in Boston. ||
 * May 9, 1901 || James Hill and J.P. Morgan fight with Edward Harriman and Kuhn Loeb over control of Great Northern and Northern Pacific. Stock hits $1000/share, causing panic and collapse in other stocks. ||
 * Nov 13, 1901 || Northern Securities Co formed to control Great Northern and Northern Pacific. Near-monopoly in northern shipping follows, eventually resulting in major trust company. ||
 * Mar 10, 1902 || Attorney General begins prosecution against Northern Securities Company for violating the Sherman Anti-Trust law. ||
 * Feb 19, 1903 || Congress passes Elkins Act, outlawing all rebates on published railroad freight rates. ||
 * Mar 14, 1904 || Supreme Court rules against Northern Securities Co. for violating the Sherman Anti-Trust law. ||
 * Oct 27, 1904 || First New York subway opens. ||
 * May 21, 1906 || Congress passes Hepburn Act, allowing the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroad, pipeline, and terminal rates. ||
 * Jun 18, 1910 || Congress passes Mann-Elkins Act allowing the Interstate Commerce Commission to begin proceedings against railroads, pipelines, terminals, telegraph, and telephone companies in violation of rate regulations. ||
 * Jul 31, 1914 || New York Stock Exchange closes through November 27 upon declaration of war. ||
 * Jul 31, 1914 || Chicago Stock Exchange closes through December 11 upon declaration of war. ||
 * Aug 29, 1916 || Congress passes Army Appropriations Act which includes clause allowing the President to take control of any system of transportation during times of war. ||
 * Aug 10, 1917 || Congress passes Priority Law authorizing President to make carriers give precedence to military defense traffic. ||
 * Dec 28, 1917 || President Woodrow Wilson uses Federal Possession and Control Act to take possession of "each and every system of transportation...within the boundaries of the United States." U.S. Railroad Administration created. ||
 * Mar 19, 1918 || United States adopts five standard time zones across the nation and Alaska. ||
 * Mar 21, 1918 || Congress passes Railway Control Act to officially control U.S. railway system during World War I. ||
 * Feb 28, 1920 || Congress passes Esch-Cummins Act, creating the Railroad Labor Board. ||
 * Mar 1, 1920 || Government returns control of all railroads. ||
 * Apr 26, 1920 || Stock Clearing Corporation established. ||
 * 1921 || "Curbstone Brokers" ("New York Curb Market") moves indoors. ||
 * Oct 4, 1922 || Canada creates Canadian National Railway and nationalized system. ||
 * Dec, 1923 || First diesel locomotive demonstrated. ||
 * 1925 || Diesel locomotives start production. ||
 * Oct 24, 1929 || Stock prices collapse on New York Stock Exchange. This day becomes known as "Black Thursday." Forerunner of Great Depression. ||
 * 1929 || "Curbstone Brokers" ("New York Curb Market") renames itself the New York Curb Exchange. ||
 * Sep 3, 1930 || Thomas Edison runs first experimental electric passenger train between Hoboken and Montclair, NJ. ||
 * Mar 6, 1933 || President Roosevelt orders "Bank Holiday" from Mar 6 to Mar 9 (Executive Proclamation 2039). Banks and stock exchanges close. ||
 * Mar 9, 1933 || President Roosevelt extends "Bank Holiday" indefinitely. (Executive Proclamation 2039.) ||
 * Mar 10, 1933 || President Roosevelt orders banks reopened (Executive Order 6073.) ||
 * Apr 5, 1933 || President Roosevelt orders confiscation of gold coins, gold certificates, and bullion (Executive Order 6102.) ||
 * Apr 19, 1933 || President Roosevelt takes U.S. off gold standard. ||
 * May 27, 1933 || Congress passes Federal Securities Act requiring full disclosure about stocks offered to the public. ||
 * Jun 5, 1933 || Congress nullifies all U.S. contracts that promise to repay interest or principal in gold. (H.J. Res. 192, 73rd Congress, 1st Session. 'Joint Resolution to Suspend the Gold Standard and Abrogate the Gold Clause'.) ||
 * Jun 6, 1934 || President Roosevelt signs Securities Exchange Act establishing the Commission to regulate exchanges and stock transactions. ||
 * Jun 7, 1934 || Congress passes Corporate Bankruptcy Act allowing corporate reorganization with support of two-thirds of creditors. ||
 * May, 1934 || Streamlined diesel locomotives appear. (CB&Q Pioneer Zephyr) ||
 * Jun 13, 1937 || Mexico nationalizes railroads. ||
 * Dec 27, 1943 || President Roosevelt orders (Executive Order 9412) Federal takeover of railroads to prevent shutdown by labor. Army controls railroads until Jan 18, 1944 ||
 * Jan 18, 1944 || Army returns control of railroads to private ownership. ||
 * May 17, 1946 || President Truman (Executive Order 9727) authorizes Federal control of railroads to prevent collapse of transportation system during strike. Strike ends May 25. ||
 * May 10, 1948 || President Truman (Executive Order 9957) authorizes Army to operate railroads. ||
 * Jul 9, 1948 || Army terminates operation of railroads allowed on May 10. ||
 * Jun 5, 1950 || United States Supreme Court decides that segregation in railroad dining is illegal (Henderson v United States.) ||
 * Aug 26, 1950 || President Truman orders Army to operate railroads to prevent strike from crippling transportation. (Executive Order 10155.) ||
 * May 23, 1952 || Army returns railroads to private control. ||
 * Jan 5, 1953 || New York Curb Exchange renames itself the American Stock Exchange. ||
 * Apr 25, 1963 || President Kennedy authorizes Department of Interior to operate Alaska railroads (Executive Order 11107.) ||
 * Jan, 1970 || Dow Jones adds air lines to Railroad Index of 20 stocks. Renames average to Transportation Average. ||
 * Jun 21, 1970 || Penn Central declares bankruptcy, the largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history at the time. ||
 * Oct 14, 1980 || President Jimmy Carter signs Staggers Rail Act, deregulating railroads and leading to divestiture of thousands of miles of unprofitable lines. ||  ||   ||

What was the name of the railroad that connected the west to the east? What did Peter Cooper do?

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