Railroads and Interurbans

Railroads and Interurbans were once very important components of the transportation system of the United States. The railroads are still important in the transportation of goods and raw materials but are not really a significant component of passenger transportation. The vast interurban system is gone.

In other parts of the world, in Europe, for example, the railroads are very important in the transportation of good and people. While the United States labors with an out-of-date railroad system almost exclusively powered by diesel locomotives, much of railroad lines in Europe have been electrified . Whether railroads have been electrified is important because electric railroads, in comparison to non-electric railroads with diesel locomotives, have locomotives which are faster, more efficient, more powerful, quieter, cleaner, and more reliable. These are qualities which will become more important with each passing year for a number of reasons. The last entry on the table is the minuscule 401 miles of electrified track in the United States.

The United States once had a vast network of electric rail systems. They flourished throughout the country. The interurban rail network was particularly dense in the Midwest . The extensive system of electric interurbans in Ohio was as developed as any in the country. There is a question about whether these vast systems died a natural death or were executed. Whatever the cause of death, looking up remnants of this advanced transportation system is an interesting pastime.

Some insight as to the cause of the demise of the country's vast interurban and trolley systems can be found in a book reviewed elsewhere in this web sight. Excerpts can be found here.