Trains in the 20th Century

By 1900, the country's total rail mileage had increased to 193,346, from 163,597 in 1890.  It would continue to grow for another decade before reaching its all-time high during the World War I era.  At the 20th century's dawn, railroads had reached their economic supremacy; it seemed rails poked into the tiniest of hamlets and trains dominated American commerce in every possible way.  This resulted in a minority group of very rich and influential individuals; names like Cornelius Vanderbilt (and his heirs), Edward Harriman, Jay Gould, James Hill, and Collis P. Huntington.  By the late 19th century the federal government had grown weary of their power and sought to reel in the industry.  That effort began in 1887 with the Interstate Commerce Commission's creation, tasked with regulating the railroads.  It continued with 1893's Railway Safety Appliance Act, forcing railroads to install the automatic air brake and knuckle coupler on all equipment.  Between 1900 and 1910 a series of additional acts were passed to further tighten the government's grip. From a statistical standpoint, the new century's first twenty years were the industry's zenith in terms of size and scope; after 1920 traffic and corridors were slowly lost to other transportation modes (accelerated by the depression).