Existing comment:
Evolution of Rail
Helping to Build a Nation
Steel production increased rapidly in the United States after the Civil War. Prior to the war, the United States had not produced one single steel rail. By 1873, it had produced nearly 115,000 tons of steel rail. As steel prices continued to decrease, the old iron rails disappeared from the landscape and were replaced with shiny new steel ones. The transition from iron to steel decreased railroad costs, increased efficiency and facilitated the emergence of a new, stronger, more prosperous nation from the aftermath of the Civil War.
The New Shape of Rail:
At first, steel rail mimicked the shape of the old iron pear rail. It was soon discovered, however, that steel's strength allowed for more cost-effective design. Thus, the pear rail was replaced with "T" rail, which required less material to fabricate due to its sleeker form. In addition, the new steel rail did not need to be replaced nearly as often as the old iron rail. For both these reasons, steel rail allowed railroad companies to operate more efficiently.
Rail Today:
The railroad industry has undergone many changes since the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. Mammoth diesel-powered locomotives roar down the tracks in place of their steam-driven ancestors, ghost towns dot the countryside where once thriving communities supported the early railroad and airplanes have become the dominant mode of long-distance passenger travel. Despite these and other changes, basic "T" shape rail has endured. Even today, you will find "T" rail on any modern railroad. |