Development of the Modern Railroad in America - Essay Example

How did the development of the modern railroad affect every day life in North America I have chosen the given topic, as in my opinion it could deal with any aspect of the physical landscape that was modern in its time. The first first steam engine was created in England in 1698 by military engineer Thomas Savery ( 1650-1715). He has created the steam water-lift intending for drainage of shafts and pump the water, and the steam machine becoming the prototype. The first inventor of the steam machine is English engineer Thomas Newcomen (1663-1729). Machine of Newcomen appeared extremely successful and was used across the Europe for more than 50 years. It was used to pump the water from numerous shafts in Great Britain. It was the first business lot product in a history of technical equipment (some thousand pieces are let out). In 1740 the machine with the cylinder in length of 2,74 m and diameter of 76 cm during one day performed the work which brigades of 25 person and 10 horses, working in shifts, were carrying out for a week. Nevertheless, machine of Newcomen was far from perfection. It transformed to mechanical energy only about 1% of thermal energy and as a consequence, devoured huge amount of fuel, that, however, had no special value when the machine worked on collieries. As a whole, machines of Newcomen have played a huge role in preservation of the coal industry. With their help it was possible to renew a coal mining in many flooded shafts. About the invention of Newcomen it is possible to say, that it was really steam machine, more truly, the pair atmosphere machine. Therefore the inventor of the steam machine is the Englishman Thomas Newcomen who has developed the pair atmosphere machine in 1712. During same time in England James Uatt also worked on the creation of the steam machine. Debugging the model of the pair atmosphere Newcomen's machines, Uatt was convinced of low efficiency of similar machines. It was clear, that the basic lack of machine of Newcomen was the heating and cooling of the cylinder. Uatt removed this lack. Subsequently the universal steam engine of double action with continuous rotation (Uatt's steam machine) received a wide circulation and played a significant role in transition to a mechanical production. Since 1800 to 1821 Northern war was held. So the further development of railway transportation was stopped for some time. But steam machines which were created at the end of 18 centuries had the big popularity. Modern safe position of railways of Northern America is caused by unprecedented growth of freight traffic. This situation promotes also to rise in branch of manufacture of a rolling stock as the railway companies increase transportation capacities. Since then the financial position of the large companies has become stronger, demand for their services exceeds the offer. These changes bring favorable prospects to the railway companies. For many railway companies of Northern America the last years were successful from the point of view of growth of transportations and, hence, incomes. The stage-by-stage decision of these problems and a general economic situation allowed the bases for positive forecasts of Northern America railways development. (Orme 2000) Prospects of cargo railways of Northern America are determined by two tendencies: proceeding economic rise in the countries of continent and globalization of economy. High rates of economic growth in the USA as a whole - 44,2 % since 1980 - have caused a significant gain of demand for services of a truck transport. And the parameter for railways in the the USA, 52 %, is better than the general parameter that has allowed to increase its share in the market from 35 up to 39 %. (Orme 2000) Railways have already confirmed the ability to correspond to significant economic growth. Within the next two decades 50 % growth of the transport market is expected. This gain can be mastered both by the rail, and motor transport. Railway has preconditions for development of throughput and ability to take with smaller expenses for the society, than automobile. Within the nearest 20 years the railway companies planned to invest about 160 billion dollars in actions on reduction of branch conformity resources with needs of the country. Source of capital investments in development of motor transport, on the contrary, will be taxes and tax collections. Through payment for travel users compensate only a part of motor transport charges. According to Eno Transport Foundation data, in 1996 more than 113 billion dollars were spent for development and service of highways the USA. The payment of users for travel has paid expenses at a rate of 62 billion dollars; the rest was compensated due to tax bearers. Moreover, railways can develop the ability not to take negative influence on the environment. On average locomotives pollute the air environment 3 times less, than lorries, and so they are more effective from the point of view of the fuel consumption. Besides, direct influence indirect is also present as unloading highways. The data of researches show, that automobile allocate up to 250 % of polluting substances in comparison with a mode of movement. ("Philosophy of Railways: The Transcontinental Railway Idea in British North America") One train with loading containers in two circles can take off from a highway up to 280 transport units. Interaction with the motor transportation, ship and logistical companies promoted outstripping growth of railway transportations, volume of which since 1980 has almost trebled: form about 3 million up to 8,8 million. ("Philosophy of Railways: The Transcontinental Railway Idea in British North America") Economy orientation to the development of the international communications demands development of export transportations. Average distance of transportation in the USA is 2400 kms in comparison with several hundreds kilometers in continental Europe and less than 160 in Japan. Such position is favorable for railways because in conditions of the big distances of transportation, the advantages of railways are multiplied. (Bradbury 2002) About 30 % of transportations of railways is connected to international trade. The range of import and export covers cargoes from coal and automobiles up to electronics. Transportation of coal and grain in the export markets, import and export of automobiles have special value. The USA is the second exporter of coal in the world (the share of the railway companies in its transportations comes nearer to 60 %) and first exporter of grain (railways transport up to half grain sent on the foreign markets). (Bradbury 2002) The agreement on free trade in Northern America (NAFTA) promoted 50 % growth of volumes of trade between the USA and Canada, on the one hand and the USA and Mexico on the other hand. According to the forecasts, the North American market will grow, so the distances of transportation will be longer. "Not surprisingly, this enhanced trade has resulted in increased traffic on North American highways and railroads, as well as at seaports and airports. The inevitable result has been massive delays and congestion, especially in transborder corridors." (Bradbury 2002). Restructuring and privatization of railways of Mexico in the greater degree will strengthen a role of railway transportation in Northern America. However these tendencies as such do not guarantee growth of transportations for railways. Its main condition is the quality of service. Therefore only in 1999 railways the USA invested 7,3 billion dollars in development of a network, and since 1980 several billion dollars were invested in perfection of the infrastructure. Last years the railways of several thousand kilometers were constructed and got about 4000 new locomotives by capacity 6000 litres. From the beginning of 1990th years number of freight cars has increased almost by 20 %. "The present continental transportation system was constructed incrementally and independently over time as Canada, the United States, and Mexico each pursued their own national transportation policies based on individual economic and political requirements. As a result, much of the continental system was designed and built to respond to very different economic realities. Examination of the history of national transportation policies for the three countries illustrates that they were planned and structured for conditions that existed over a century ago, and that network expansion, whether rail or highway, has tended to merely reinforce the existing structure rather than reorient it." (Bradbury 2002) As a whole it is planned to invest additional 160 billion dollars into the development of railways and then more than 200 billion on maintenance service that should provide quality of service on the world level. The railway companies demonstrated that they can correspond to the needed requirements. One of the largest companies has provided arrival of 90 % of trains without delay. Operational plans of road are developed with the closest conformity to the character of transportations, plans of sorting works and routing - with reference to each car, days with high and low volumes of transportations. In 2005 CPR planned to develop the new information-managing system Thoroughbred Yard Enterprise developed by railway Norfolk Southern (NS). In transportations of automobiles the accuracy of terms of delivery observance has allowed to increase a share in the market from 40 % in 1980 up to 70 %. Volume of transportations which cover the cargoes demanding delivery in stipulated term was trebled since 1980. (Orme 2000) Rails are also the major element of a railway infrastructure as traffic safety depends on their state in many respects. Besides rail facilities inputs make a significant share of all railways development charges. Therefore the companies-suppliers of rails and means connected to rail facilities aspire to improvement of operating conditions of rails, to maintenance of the constant control over their condition, development and introduction of new technological processes and the equipment. (Orme 2000) With increase in axial loading and speed of trains movement operating conditions of elements of a railway, including rail fastenings become complicated. Therefore companies - manufacturers develop new and improve existing designs of fastenings for heavy conditions of operation. The car-building companies continue to improve released production and to develop new in view of change of railways requirements. The big attention is given to the development and introduction of agreements on communication (Interline Service Agreements) which oblige all participants of process of transportation to communicate and coordinate operational processes on concrete direction. Now such agreements operate on eight key directions. In Chicago, for example, it was signed with eight railways. (Orme 2000) Such agreements include requirements on an exchange of freight cars, frequency and time of transition of borders, processing of locomotives and cars. It is the long term provided to coordinate schedules of trips and exact times of arrival for special sendings, to develop plans of action in non-staff situations during transit. An association of the American railways (AAR) constantly aspires to involve all interested sides in the process of cargoes safety increasing - those who send cargoes, the forwarding companies, suppliers of a rolling stock, regularly visit the conferences with their participation. ("Philosophy of Railways: The Transcontinental Railway Idea in British North America") Besides the accumulation of experience and knowledge of existing programs of rolling stock modernization and road performance improvement efficiency, those who sends cargoes, those who builds cars and the experts of railways engaged in questions of safety of cargoes, defines the necessity for exact information on the cars, received with the help of satellite systems of tracking and other technologies on data gathering by results of tests, and also for improvement of communication between those who sends cargoes, those who receives cargoes and suppliers of a rolling stock. The market of railways passenger transportations of Northern America is submitted by several kinds of communication. Long-distance communication are appreciable progress in the development of regional and city systems of rail transport in the USA and Canada and, accordingly, increase of attention to revival of public transport as such. Electronic data exchange and communication are considered as potential sources of railways productivity and consumers of its services increasing. Advantages of the Internet are obvious. All railways of the first class already apply or develop corresponding appendices for registration of applications for cars, accounts, procedures of cars tracking promotion, granting of the cars, answers to inquiries under tariffs, actual distance of transportation, contracts. Railways are one of the first to be engaged in a computerization. They are going to use maximum full and effective opportunities of the Internet so that everyone who sends cargoes received offers by all possible variants of any cargo transportation. Large investments of last two decades have allowed to create the base for world level cooperation effective system of freight traffic. ("Philosophy of Railways: The Transcontinental Railway Idea in British North America") The economy of Northern America was stabilized. Lack of abilities to take on cargo motor transport enables railways to put forward and realize new offers on business development. Successes of railways are connected not only to the improvement of the economic situation as a whole. So, from the point of view of administration of Canadian National Railway (CN) company, delay in economic development in the country as a whole will not affect its activity. Bibliography Bradbury, Susan L. "Planning Transportation Corridors in Post-NAFTA North America." Journal of the American Planning Association 68, no. 2 (2002): 137+. Gilland, Bernard. "The West and the World." Contemporary Review, September 1995, 119+. Gray, Earle. "Protests and Politics: Canada's Free Trade Quests Span 155 Years." Canadian Speeches, March/April 2001, 33-44. Hiss, Tony. "Rails to Trails: Across America Disused Railbeds Are Being Converted to Trails for Hiking and Biking." The Atlantic Monthly, December 1997. Orme, Antony R., ed. The Physical Geography of North America. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. "Philosophy of Railways: The Transcontinental Railway Idea in British North America." American Review of Canadian Studies 29, no. 2 (1999). Salloum, Habeeb. "Canada's Railroads." Contemporary Review, December 2002, 360+. Taylor, Kelly. "Coming through! the NAFTA Super Highway: The Planned NAFTA Super Highway Would Radically Reconfigure Not Only the Physical Landscape of These United States, but Our Political and Economic Landscapes as Well." The New American, August 7, 2006, 12+. Read More