Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Lives on the Railroad: Salisbury, North Carolina 1927
Replica of the Salisbury, North Carolina railway station teaches about riding and working on the railroad in the 1920s when railroads were a central part of American life. Railroad lines crisscrossed the country. They carried people,...
Other
Railroad Archive: Westinghouse Air Brake
Everything necessary to know about the Westinghouse Air Brake for railroad cars is included on this site. There are diagrams of the air pump, triple valve, and advice on how to use the brake correctly. This brake was a life-saver for...
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr Photographic History Museum: Car Builder's Dictionary, 1884
Here you will find drawings from the 1884 book which details the various train cars in use at the time. There are drawings of two Pullman rail cars, as well as "emigrant sleeping cars," which were gave free transportation to emigrants...
Government of Alberta
Alberta Learning Information Service: Railway Car Technician
This resource provides information about the career of railway car technician.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: George Pullman: His Impact on Rr Industry, Labor, and American Life in 19th C.
[Free Registration/Login Required] This lesson plan seeks to discover the impact George Pullman had, not only on the railroad industry, but also on American life, by improving rail travel, and also establishing a company town for his...
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Portraits of American Railroading: Gustavus F. Swift
Read a brief biography of Gustavus Swift, who was at the forefront of developing the refrigerato rail car that revolutionized shipment of meat from the Midwest to the East.
Chicago History Museum
Chicago History Museum: Pullman Luxury Rail Car
Read about the luxurious rail car George Pullman introduced that made transcontinental rail travel so desirable.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr: Lewis Metzler Clement: A Pioneer of the Central Pacific Railroad
Provides biographical information on Lewis Metzler Clement, the chief engineer for the Central Pacific Railroad, who both designed much of the route and supervised construction of the railroad. Includes several primary sources ranging...
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Made in Chicago: The Refrigerated Rail Car
This brief description explains how the refrigerated rail car worked and why it was so important to the shipment of meat products from the Midewest to the east.
A&E Television
History.com: How a Deadly Railroad Strike Led to the Labor Day Holiday
The history behind the Labor Day holiday is far more complex and dramatic than most might realize, starting with a heated campaign by workers in the late 19th century to win support and recognition for their contributions. In July 1894,...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Biography of America: Gustavus Swift and the Refrigerator Car
This article provides an account of Gustavus Swift's development of the vertically integrated cattle industry through his use of the refrigerated rail car. From Industrial Supremacy, part of Annenberg Media's Biography of America.
PBS
Pbs: Who Made America?: George Westinghouse, Jr.
From the series, They Made America, on PBS, this biography of George Westinghouse tells about his development of the air brake for railroad cars, and his experimentation with alternating current that revolutionized the transmission of...
Other
The Pullman State Historic Site : The Pullman Company
Read about the Pullman Company, founded by George M. Pullman. Find out about the many variations of the Pullman rail car that were manufactured and how they helped the company grow.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr: Car Builder's Dictionary: Pullman Palace Sleeping Car
Shows detailed floor plans of Pullman Palace Sleeping Car and Drawing Room/Parlor car.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Binding the Nation by Rail
Read about the explosive growth of railroad track across the United States after the Civil War. Find out about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, the men who made fortunes from the railroads, and the first American regulatory...
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Traveling by Car
Learn how the Model T automobile changed public transportation and how the national highway system was the rest of the story about America's love affair with the automobile.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway is the largest and longest railway in Canada. An in-depth profile of the company and its history are included on this website, as well as the CNR today. Also looks at the different kinds of trains, cars, and...
Other
Kansas Heritage: Pullman Strike, Chicago, 1894
This detailed and informative site explains how the Pullman Strike, which began as a peaceful protest about rent in the company town of Pullman, spread across the country and brought railroad traffic to a halt.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Momentum/collisions: Diesel Engine and Flatcar Collision
This animation portrays the inelastic collision between a very massive diesel and a less massive flatcar. After the collision, both move together with the same velocity. Students can figure out the after-collision velocity of the two...
Other
Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography: George Pullman
This biography of George Pullman outlines his business acumen in the development of the Pullman railroad sleeper car, which offered luxury on long train trips. Read the description of the company town he developed in Illinois to house...
University of Groningen
American History: Essays: The Iron Horse: The Town of Pullman
From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes how George Pullman amassed a fortune making specialized rail cars. He then decided to build a town for his labor force, one that was very...
University of Groningen
American History: Essays: The Iron Horse: The Pullman Boycott
From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section provides a good description of the events of 1893-1894, including the reasons for the boycott of Pullman cars, the people involved, and how the...
Chicago History Museum
Chicago History Museum: George Pullman: Social Reformer
Click through four pages on this larger website about the Pullman Rail Car Company. Read about George Pullman's ideas about establishing a company town for his workers that would address their housing, recreation, and even moral needs.
Other
History Magazine: The Impact of Refrigeration
Scroll through this history of refrigeration to the sections that deal with the refrigerated rail car and how that revolutionized the shipping of meat, at first, and later other perishable products.