ABSTRACT
The need for reliable transportation systems evolved with the industrial revolution. By the early nineteenth century, it was necessary to transport materials, finished goods, and people over greater distances in shorter times. These needs, in conjunction with the development of steam power,∗ heralded the birth of the railroad. The steam locomotive with a trailing train of passenger or freight cars became a principal means of transportation. In turn, the railroad industry became the primary catalyst in the evolution of materials and engineering mechanics in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
