Why were the railroads so important to both the Confederates and Union and how were they targets of raids? How were railroad executives involved in the course of the war? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this...

Everything necessary to know about the Westinghouse Air Brake for railroad cars is included on this site. There are diagrams of the air pump, triple valve, and advice on how to use the brake correctly. This brake was a life-saver for...

Young scholars will compare two primary accounts of overland travel in the 1860s,one by stagecoach, the other by railroad, to see how travel changed upon completion of the transcontinental railroad.

In this lesson plan, learners will consider Edward Hopper's House by the Railroad: From Painting to Poem. Worksheets and other supporting materials can be found under the Resources tab.

This article from the Encyclopedia of Chicago explains how a strike by railroad workers in West Virginia eventually made its way to Chicago and was taken up by workers from many industries. See how city officials resolved this general...

The critically acclaimed PBS series, "The West," provides the text of the actual Pacific Railway Act, designed to aid in the construction of a Railroad and Telegraph Line from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.

Railroad depot and related buildings.

This is a history of the construction and significance of a railway through the Crowsnest Pass that connected a part of British Columbia that was cut off from the rest of Canada. Included are maps, photographs and primary source documents.

This brief history recounts the construction in 1899 of the the Edmonton and Slave Lake Railway by a group of businessmen with an interest in exploiting the mineral deposits in the Athabasca Landing and Lesser Slave Lake area.

The Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Railway was incorporated in 1896 to provide a rail connection between two political and economic rivals, Strathcona in the south and Edmonton in the north. This is a brief history of its evolution.

This collection of maps details the railway system in Western Canada in 1916. Viewer can zoom in on the maps for added detail.

This is a brief history of of the development the Canadian Northern Railway that was built in western Canada, and completed in 1915. The site also provides primary source resources in the the form of photographs, excerpts, figures and maps.

This history of The Calgary and Edmonton Railway is an account of the necessity to build branch lines in order for the Canadian Pacific Railway to develop its vast land holdings on the prairies. Included are maps, photographs and primary...

This brief history describes the evolution of the Canadian Northern Western Railway. German entrepreneur, Martin Nordegg was unable to convince The Canadian Pacific or Grand Trunk Pacific to build a line so he turned to the Canadian...

Read this homage to Granville Woods, whose inventions and improvements to the railway system not only made railroad travel safer, but also made the New York City railway system a possibility.

"If I Had Just Two Wings", an historical novel by Virginia Frances Schwartz, follows the journey of some slaves as they flee to Canada along the Underground Railroad. This teacher's guide includes detailed chapter summaries and project...

Teachers will find detailed lesson plans covering varying aspects of railroad safety. Connections to curriculum subject standards, such as physics, are provided. Various data and activity sheets, as well as grading rubrics, can be easily...

This is a brief history that describes the establishment of the Alberta Railway by Alexander Tilloch Galt. It would be a means of moving coal from his companies coal properties to Medicine Hat. Included are maps, photographs and primary...

This brief history relates the construction in 1909 of what was to be an extensive network of lines, of which only two were built. An engineering challenge was faced during the construction due to a deeply incised, old glacial meltwater...

This history of the Canadian National Railways (CNR) describes its formation in 1918 as the Government of Canada merged the assets of the Canadian Northern Railway with those of the Canadian Government Railway and later the Grand Trunk...

Homepage of the Golden Spike National Historic Site. Provides general information about the completion of the transcontinental railroad and contains links to other information.

When World War I ended in 1918 and the troops came home, folks felt optimistic about the future and eager to get on with their lives. This optimism led to an extraordinary decade that brought major changes in the way citizens traveled by...

During World War l, 300 miles of rail and other track materials were taken in response by the British Government for rails to be used for military purposes in France. This brief account includes pictures and primary documents.

This detailed and informative site explains how the Pullman Strike, which began as a peaceful protest about rent in the company town of Pullman, spread across the country and brought railroad traffic to a halt.