Railroad Expansion

1860-1865:

The Civil War causes unprecedented traffic for northern railroads, destruction of most southern railroads, and new appreciation for railroads' capabilities.

1863:

Twelve enginemen form the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the first successful railroad labor organization.

1868:

Confederate veteran Eli Janney patents a design for an automatic knuckle coupler, the basis for today's standard couplers.

1869:

The Union Pacific Railroad meets the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, forming a continuous railroad line from coast to coast.

1870:

Gen. William Jackson Palmer organizes the Denver & Rio Grande Railway.

1873:

George Westinghouse perfects the triple valve and the automatic air brake.

1883:

On November 18, "The Day of Two Noons," when railroads (and many cities) adopt Standard Railway Time -- the basis for our time zones today.

1885:

The Canadian Pacific Railway completes Canada's first transcontinental line.

1887:

The Interstate Commerce Act becomes effective, marking the first federal regulation of railroads.

A record total of 12,876 miles of track is laid in the United States; the amount would never be surpassed.

1893:

The Railway Safety Appliance Act is signed into law, improving worker safety over the next two decades.

New York Central locomotive 999 sets an unofficial speed record of 112.5 mph-supposedly the first time man exceeded 100 mph.

1894:

A strike at the Pullman Palace Car Company spreads nationwide.

1895:

General Electric installs the first mainline railroad electrification in America on the B&O in Baltimore.­