Historical sizes of railroads facts for kids
Imagine a time when trains were the kings of travel! In 1948, railroads were super important. They moved people and goods all across North America. This was before highways and airplanes became common. Many huge railroad companies operated thousands of trains. They connected cities and towns far and wide.
At this time, 14 railroads in North America were truly massive. Each one had more than 1,000 steam locomotives working. Twelve of these giant companies were in the United States. The other two were in Canada. These trains were the backbone of transportation. They helped build the economies of both countries.
North America's Giant Railroads in 1948
In 1948, these big railroad companies owned many miles of track. They also had huge fleets of steam locomotives. A locomotive is the engine that pulls the train. "In service" means the engines were ready to work. They were hauling passengers and freight every day.
The table below shows the biggest railroads. It lists how many steam locomotives they had. It also shows how many miles of track they managed. You can see which companies were the largest.
| Railroad | Number of Steam Locomotives
in Service, Early 1948 |
Number of Route
Miles of Track |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Railroad | 4467 | 9736 |
| New York Central Railroad | 3473 | 10534 |
| Canadian National Railway | 2300 | 23000 |
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | 2030 | 6192 |
| Canadian Pacific Railway | 1800 | 17000 |
| Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | 1730 | 13081 |
| Southern Pacific Railroad | 1554 | 8195 |
| Southern Railway | 1509 | 7705 |
| Illinois Central Railroad | 1324 | 6581 |
| Union Pacific Railroad | 1323 | 9756 |
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | 1213 | 10359 |
| Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad | 1208 | 5076 |
| Chicago and North Western Railway | 1042 | 8058 |
| Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | 1030 | 8867 |
| Color Key | Canadian Railroad | US Railroad |
The End of an Era
By the end of 1949, there were still about 29,000 steam locomotives. These were on the largest railroads in the United States. These big companies were called "Class I railroads." This means they earned a lot of money each year. However, steam locomotives were slowly being replaced. Newer, more efficient diesel engines were starting to take over. This marked a big change in how trains operated.
