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On this day many events occurred including the death of Gen Dahlgren and 109 of his troops in the Richmond raid in 1864 and in 1865 Gen Robert E. Lee began communication with Grant to end the war. The most significant was the establishment of US rail gauge at 4 foot, 8 and one-half inches’ against Lincoln desire for a 5 Foot gauge.
http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/158670
http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/158670
Civil War
Technology
Trains
Edited >1 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 4
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LTC Stephen F.
No problem my friend COL Mikel J. Burroughs. Each day I spend some time researching what was going on in the 1860's and compose a question.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
LTC Stephen F. that is great - thanks for taking the time to put together something of quality!
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LTC Stephen F. being that railroad was such a major player in U.S. westward expansion, and is still a major means of transporting freight inland, the rail gauge is my choice. Additionally, control of the rails during the Civil war would have meant a huge advantage in moving people and materiel, much like control of the skies in and area does today. Setting a default gauge was the first step in dominating the rails.
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LTC Stephen F.
I concur with your assessment PO3 Steven Sherrill. I was interested in President Abraham Lincoln's view that it should be a 5 foot gauge. If that happened I expect our vast requirements for rail would have drawn others to that standard.
After all the vast requirements in Russia led that nation to develop their own standard in large part as a defense against the west so that rail cars would need to be switched at the frontiers.
After all the vast requirements in Russia led that nation to develop their own standard in large part as a defense against the west so that rail cars would need to be switched at the frontiers.
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