modern production behind that miracle is a story a distinguished and continuing chapter in the annals of american progress and prosperity a story of the american railroad here was our country only a little more than one hundred fifty years ago vast in territory rich in natural resources a land where opportunity waited only for men to come and gras efficient transportation what good vast territory if people could not reach them what value fertile farmland of crops could not be delivered to important market how could industry take root then expand without dependable low cost means of transporting raw materials to factories and finished products to consumer market in its first fifty years as an independent nation america had no adequate answers to these questions and its vast potential in agriculture comers and industry was still in the future and then a little more than a century and a quarter ago came the impetus for the railroad providing the the history of america and the history of transportation by railroad became integral part one of the other each drawing streng vital function of railroad is to move anything anywhere anytime to mill markets importance swiftly and safely at low cost giving the nation's products meaning and value for both producer and consumer railroad other common denominator of american industry agriculture mining manufacture each in its own right a great and by the oil industry but each dependent on another basic industry transportation by ra grains from the plains of the north and west and every grocery shop on every table fruits and vegetables from the pacific coast and the far south delivered by railroad arrive at destinations fresh as the day they were picked coal from pennsylvania from kentucky from the virginia illinois and a score of others they transported to thousands of factories and millions of homes all over the land cover from the mines of montana arizona and utah iron from the mines of alabama and the great ranges at the head of lake superior lumber from the north west and the deep s me from the plains of the west cotton from dixie oriel from the mid continent on the west coast the product of thousands of mills and factories moving in the mainstream of american life industry moving at below cost moving by railroad keystone in the design of american business is more than a week and coal and iron and steel america is people one dynamic people always on the move for ever reaching out for new things to do new places to go new things to see every of every season of the year every night of every day people planning packing arriving and departing enjoying the conveniences and comforts of the most modern design in a streamlined train to accommodate the nation from the american railroads are constantly at work building finer faster more modern trains the last word in streamlined comfort and space today's passengers traveling cars which have been designed built and decorated to provide travel comfort combining service and dependability with safety speed and economy this primary function as a buyer of goods and services from other in with a shopping list that touches practically every conceivable phase of american commercial activity the railroad industry as one of the country's best customers railroad spend two billion dollars a year buy the products of american industry railroad needs range from toothpicks to crush time from paper clips to steel rails from sheets and pillowcases to powerful locomotives railroad by large quantities of co stagger the imagination and their purchases translated in terms of dollars and cents help to enrich every facet of the nation's economy an example of the forward progress of america's railroads a is welded rail conventional thirty nine foot length are welded together to form continuous rail eliminating joints to provide a smoother ride and greater economies and and clock doing more work electronics revolution is sweeping the classification yarn transforming it into an almost automatic operation bringing greater efficiency in that is batch of cars and brakes in pushbutton yards electronics and electricity radio and radar teletype and television work together in a vast web of communications and control to facilitate the flow of freight cars are shoved to the top of an elevation or hump here the cars are uncoupled one or two at a time to coast down hill by gravity but always under control of an operator in the yard tower at his fingertips is the nerve center of this modern mark and electronic machine which at once weighs the rolling car measures its speed calculate how far it must roll before it couples up to a new train and then applies the right pressure against the car wheels to ensure that it will roll into the proper place at the safe coupling speed another example of technology in transportation of science and railroad the use of electronics extends beyond the limits of the classification yard this is centralized traffic control or directing and regulating the movements of trains over long stretches of tracks controlled by a single operator sometimes a hundred or more miles away on a central control panel flashing lights indicate the position of trains on the road the operator flips a lever and along the lines signals are s switches throw the train moves onto a siding to await the passing of another train another outstanding example of progress in modern railroading is protective service provided by the railroads for the handling of perishable keeping such things as fruits and vegetables fresh and fit to eat two and three thousand miles cars are really nice sometimes several times on routes by modern methods which minimize operational st here is an example of progress in the handling of freight piggybacked the fast moving developments that is helping to relieve congestion on intercity highway moving truck trailers on railroad track cars between terminals providing door to door service for shippers and receiver's not blockaded on railroad track these are but a few of the developments by which america's railroads keep pace with progress constantly giving better performance and improved service at less cost so that you can have the things you need when you need  time in good condition and without delay the railroads of america were created by the investment of more than thirty billions of dollars almost all of it the invested savings of american people the money of millions of individuals put into the stocks and bonds of the nation's railroads either directly or through the investments of savings banks insurance companies and other institute humans which are the trustees of american save the savings have been utilized to acquire the cars and engines to build shops and stations to provide the railway the the yards terminal docks and all the other essentials of railroad operation among the agencies performing general transportation services the railroads are unique in that they provide all their own facilit only the vehicles in which they move the nation's commerce but also the roadways over which this commerce move railroads not only build and maintain these ways at their own expense they also pay taxes on them as well as on their cars locomotives and other facilities most of the so called taxes paid by other forms of commercial transportation are spent on the roadways and other facilities provided and maintained for their use but railroad taxes are not used to furnish roadways and stations for railroad use they go to help support the armed forces the public health and safety the general services of the government even to help build and maintain the highways the waterways the airways and the airports used by competitive farms of commercial so there you have the american railroad created by the individual efforts of the pooled and invested savings of the american people with justifiable pride in accomplishment of the past accomplishments in peace no less than in war the american railroads face forward to the future they are ever at work on the job of self improvement in research laboratories on track in shops in yards and term opportunity to earn the money necessary to make these better things come true for the american people their industry their prosperity their very existence as a nation depend in large measure on the effective services made with abiding faith in the fundamentals of democracy the railroad will continue to serve the nation and its people along the proven pathway to continued progress and ever greater prosperity