There was fierce competition between railroad owners who did not want their equipment to ever fall into the hands of their rivals. The lines of competing railroads rarely met, even if they ran through the same town. read more
Civil War railroad operations were characterized by the widespread use of locomotives and rolling stock to support armies tactically as well as logistically. Americans set precedents for a variety of modern armored fighting vehicles, including armored railroad cars, armored trains, railroad batteries and other railroad weapons. read more
The North, being the industrial leader, had a huge network of railroads, and thus, when the Civil War hit, could quickly and easily transport war goods and troops to the front line. The South, on the other hand, already started out with a much smaller network of railroads. read more