(no subject)
It's the birthday of the American railroad!!
On October 7, 1826, the Granite Railway opened in Quincy, Massachusetts.
It is the oldest known chartered railway in America, and the first known "common carrier" (a railroad that transports goods or people for any person or company).
The Granite Railway ran three miles from quarries to the Neponset River. Although steam locomotives had been in operation in Britain for 13 years, the Granite Railway used horses to pull its cars. The rails were wood, plated with iron and laid 5 feet apart.
In 1830, a section called "the Incline" was added to haul granite from the Pine Ledge Quarry up to the railway level 84 feet above. The Incline continued in operation until the 1940s.
The railway introduced several important inventions, including railway switches, the turntable, and double-truck railroad cars.
The Granite Railway remained in operation until 1963.
On October 7, 1826, the Granite Railway opened in Quincy, Massachusetts.
It is the oldest known chartered railway in America, and the first known "common carrier" (a railroad that transports goods or people for any person or company).
The Granite Railway ran three miles from quarries to the Neponset River. Although steam locomotives had been in operation in Britain for 13 years, the Granite Railway used horses to pull its cars. The rails were wood, plated with iron and laid 5 feet apart.
In 1830, a section called "the Incline" was added to haul granite from the Pine Ledge Quarry up to the railway level 84 feet above. The Incline continued in operation until the 1940s.
The railway introduced several important inventions, including railway switches, the turntable, and double-truck railroad cars.
The Granite Railway remained in operation until 1963.