Often in steam locomotive design speed was limited by wheel diameter and cylinder design. I'm sure some high drivered 4-4-0 "American" type locomotives were capable of 88 mph in 1885. In 1893, the modified New York Central 999 pulled an express train at 102 mph.
How far did the railroad go in 1850?
By 1850, more than 9,000 miles of railroad were in operation. In these early years, railroads provided a means for previously inaccessible areas to be developed, for mineral, timber and agricultural products to get to market, and for the developed and undeveloped areas of a growing nation to be bound together.
How did people travel in the 1850s?
At the beginning of the century, U.S. citizens and immigrants to the country traveled primarily by horseback or on the rivers. After a while, crude roads were built and then canals. Before long the railroads crisscrossed the country moving people and goods with greater efficiency.
How fast could trains go in the 1850s?
What was the golden age of travel?
Aviation's 'golden age': The 1950s and 1960s have now nostalgically become known as air travel's "golden age." First class on a Pan Am flight: Not many could afford to sample the luxury on board. The most likely frequent flier was a white, male businessman traveling on his company's expense account.
How safe was flying in the 50s?
People also forget that well into the 1960s, air travel was far more dangerous than it is today. In the 1950s and 1960s US airlines experienced at least a half dozen crashes per year – most leading to fatalities of all on board.
What was traveling like 100 years ago?
The 1900s was all about that horse-and-carriage travel life. Horse-drawn carriages were the most popular mode of transport, as it was before cars came onto the scene. In fact, roadways were not plentiful in the 1900s, so most travelers would follow the waterways (primarily rivers) to reach their destinations.