130 likes | 230 Views
Railways Lead the Way. Chapter 19, Section 1 Pgs. 556-559. Consolidation. The practice of combining separate companies. Standard Gauge. The uniform width of railroad tracks adopted in the 1880s. Rebates. Secret discounts that large railroads offered to their biggest customers. Pools.
E N D
Railways Lead the Way Chapter 19, Section 1 Pgs. 556-559
Consolidation • The practice of combining separate companies
Standard Gauge • The uniform width of railroad tracks adopted in the 1880s.
Rebates • Secret discounts that large railroads offered to their biggest customers.
Pools • Secret agreements railroad barons made amongst themselves.
Railway Lines in the Nation • There were 5 railway lines in the nation by the 1890s. • By 1900, 250,000 more miles of track had been laid.
Vanderbilt • Vanderbilt gained control of the New York line and made a fortune by consolidating several companies.
Railroads Lead to Industrial Growth • Iron – used to make steel • Steel – tracks and trains • Lumber – tracks • Coal – to run the steam engine trains
Advantage of a Standard Gauge • It allowed trains from different railroads to use the same rails, eliminating the transfer of goods from one train to another.
Technological Developments • Air brakes • Janney car couplers • Refrigerated cars • Pullman sleeping car
Railroad Barons • By consolidating and driving other railroads out of business using rebates and pools railroad barons were able to make huge fortunes.
Time and Distance • They began to measure distances by how many hours the trip would take instead of how many miles traveled.
Effects of Railroad Expansion • People moved westward • Industry moved westward • Transporting raw materials to factories and manufactured goods to market became more efficient • Cities and towns grew along the railroads • New technologies were developed • The American economy grew • Many people became wealthy