The Railroad: The Life Story of a Technology

(Hardback)

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Description

Railroads altered the landscape of the United States. Within a few decades of the invention of the locomotive, railways stretched from coast to coast, enabling people and goods to travel far greater distances than ever before, completely altering our concept of time and space. And while railroads may seem like an old technology, they continue to be an essential means of transporting both good and people, and new technologies are making the railroads an increasingly relevant resource for the 21st century. This volume in the Greenwood Technographies series tells the life story of all aspects of railroad technologyeverything from the structure of the track to communications to what powers the locomotive.

Reviews

Another in the Greenwood Press series Greenwood Technographies, this publication offers a detailed, informative picture of the history and advancement of the railroad. Throughout the past 200 years, the railroad has evolved from its beginnings in Britain with coal burning propulsion and wooden cars to today's diesel- and turbine-powered locomotives and steel cargo cars. Grant writes in a very general and understandable style, and he manages to do an excellent job of thoroughly discussing the details and specifics of the way that rail technology improved and what brought about these improvements. . . . An excellent example is how the need for scheduling trains helped bring about the establishment of time zones. Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates; two-year technical program students. * Choice *
Keeping the discussion largely within the context of the United States, Grant narrates the development of the railroad as a technology. Traveling from rail's gestation in the early 1800s to the present time, he discusses the inventors and innovations that impacted the design and operations of railroads and trains. * SciTech Book News *
High school students in particular will find these quick references provide easy consultation on the 'life story' of each technology's evolution, covering different generations of computers and trains, surveying their importance in American lives, and following key changes and events. All are excellent references, highly recommended.' (reviewed in conjuction with Computers, Greenwood, 2005) * Midwest Book Review *

Author Bio

H. Roger Grant is professor of history at Clemson University. He is a specialist in American transportation history. Some of his recent books include histories of the Erie Lackawanna, Chicago & North Western and Wabash railroads and he is completing a book-length study of the Georgia & Florida Railroad.