01-02-2016, 06:38 PM
More commodities went by rail because it was faster than trucks before the interstates were built.
All the raw materials for steel making in inland mills were handled by railroads.
Automobiles were shipped in boxcars, livestock was shipped on the hoof because reliable mechanical refrigeration cars had not made the scene.
Our local grocery store (A&P) had a siding where they got carloads of dry goods and carloads of produce.
Potteries shipped their ware, and received the specialty clays from all over the country, This included feldspar from Maine, silica's from central Ohio, kaolin from Georgia, and ball clay from Tennessee to name a few.
Bricks were made in many local plants all over the country and shipped by rail.
Beer, wine, whiskey, soda, and fruit juices were shipped by rail.
Specialty gases including helium went by rail.
Military equipment, gasoline, oil, ethanol (not a new commodity for the railroad) coke, and ashes as well as sand gravel and other stone materials.
The railroads did a great job. The 4 and 5 man crews were a necessity before radios. A forty car train was the norm because there were Babbitt bearings on the cars and no hot box detectors so the crew had to watch for smoke.
Take away long haul trucks today and all of that would be back on the railroad, and the railroad could handle it. Take away the railroad today and throw all the merchandise on the highway and nothing would move.
I hope that answers some of your questions.
They fun we have with GERN industries really is not that far from fact.
Charlie
All the raw materials for steel making in inland mills were handled by railroads.
Automobiles were shipped in boxcars, livestock was shipped on the hoof because reliable mechanical refrigeration cars had not made the scene.
Our local grocery store (A&P) had a siding where they got carloads of dry goods and carloads of produce.
Potteries shipped their ware, and received the specialty clays from all over the country, This included feldspar from Maine, silica's from central Ohio, kaolin from Georgia, and ball clay from Tennessee to name a few.
Bricks were made in many local plants all over the country and shipped by rail.
Beer, wine, whiskey, soda, and fruit juices were shipped by rail.
Specialty gases including helium went by rail.
Military equipment, gasoline, oil, ethanol (not a new commodity for the railroad) coke, and ashes as well as sand gravel and other stone materials.
The railroads did a great job. The 4 and 5 man crews were a necessity before radios. A forty car train was the norm because there were Babbitt bearings on the cars and no hot box detectors so the crew had to watch for smoke.
Take away long haul trucks today and all of that would be back on the railroad, and the railroad could handle it. Take away the railroad today and throw all the merchandise on the highway and nothing would move.
I hope that answers some of your questions.
They fun we have with GERN industries really is not that far from fact.
Charlie