Why were steam locomotives better than other forms of transportation?

Together, steamboats and steam-powered trains offered unprecedented speed and efficiency for travel, trade, and communication between distant parts of the country and world. The steam engine played crucial roles in the Industrial Revolution and westward expansion.



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It was easier to increase the horsepower of a steam engine than to up the horsepower of a horse. An improved locomotive reached the ferocious speed of 30 mph in a speed test at Baltimore in 1831. The B&O stopped using horses to pull its carriages on July 31 of that year.

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RAIL SHIPPING PROS:
  • Cost-effective shipping.
  • Comparable speed to truck shipping.
  • Ability to transport large volumes of freight at one time.
  • Reliable transit times and schedules.
  • Environmentally responsible and fuel efficient.


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It is very true that when moving on flat ground in a straight line, trains on steel wheels and rails are the most efficient form of transportation. Rolling on steel rails reduces rolling resistance and traveling at slow speeds (compared to jet aircraft) reduced the force of air resistance.

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