The rails of the day were made from relatively soft iron which often broke or would wear away after continued use. Northern foundries began to experiment with stronger and more durable iron products such as steel.
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As a stronger material, steel steadily replaced iron for use on railways and allowed considerably longer lengths of rails to be rolled. Today, there are high speed trains that use steel wheels on steel tracks that can travel at ridiculously high speeds.
Early tracks were constructed with wooden or cast iron rails, and wooden or stone sleepers; since the 1870s, rails have almost universally been made from steel.
In the United States, the most famous railroad monopoly was launched by Cornelius Vanderbilt, an early investor in railroads and water transportation. Starting with a single boat, the Vanderbilts eventually controlled an enormous empire of shipping and railway routes.