Historical Outline of Railroading in the United States

• Beginnings
  • The Steam Engine
  • The First Locomotive
  • The First Railroads
  • The United States
• Years of Growth:  1835-1860
  • Construction
  • Impact on American Culture
• Nation Building:  1860-1900
  • Construction
  • Settlement
  • Growth of Business Practice
  • Labor Relations
  • Robber Barons
  • Safety
• The Golden Age:  1900-1945
  • Consolidation
  • Passenger Travel
  • Impact on All Aspects of American Society
  • The Depot
  • World War I and the 1920s
  • The Great Depression and World War II
• Decline and Revitalization:  1945-1995
  • The End of Private Passenger Service
  • Amtrak
  • Freight Service and Regulation
  • Management and Labor Relations
  • Years of Crisis
  • Deregulation
  • Technology and Innovation
• The Future