I had thought that this book would cover the history of the American railroad system, and it does. However, it also covers the history of railroad systems around the world. So, the level of information is in some cases very broad, but not terribly deep. Having said that, I did learn a couple of things about the history of the railroad in the United States that I did not know. I had been hoping to learn about all of the various railroad lines, and this book only covers the main lines. However, there is also information about the tracks themselves, various engines throughout the years, and other railroad arcana.
If your ancestors were not in the United States in the mid 1800’s, this book could give you an overview of railways in their home county. Nearly every nation was starting to build a railroad, some with more success than others (see the chapter on Australia!). And the US was not the only country where robber barons profited unduly from building and running a railroad. I don’t know whether that is reassuring or depressing. This book talks about a number of them, and also the various usually unsung heroes who came up with improvements and innovations.
Railroads were the main method of transportation from the late 1800’s through the early to mid 1900’s. Even if your family did not move west via the railroad, it would have been an important part of their lives. Many people (including one of my grandfathers) worked for the railroad, not just initially laying track, but in the day-to-day operations. And most of the raw materials and finished goods were shipped via train. On a day-to-day basis, the railroad would have been important in our ancestor’s lives, one way or another.
If this was your family, how would you research them? If your ancestors moved to a new location in the mid to late 1800’s, especially after the opening of the Transcontinental line in 1869, they may have traveled by rail. If they started off outside of the United States, they may have traveled by rail to get to a port to sail here. If you think your ancestor worked for the railroad after 1936, you might find the records of the Railroad Retirement Board in the National Archives, https://www.archives.gov/atlanta/public/railroad-retirement-board-records. There is also a Railroad Genealogical Society, which tries to locate and preserve all records from every North American railroad. They will search their records for you for a fee. You can find them at https://rrgs.org/.