What do Thomas the Tank Engine, the Industrial Revolution, and little picky eaters all have in common?
They owe their success to trains.

The Rise of the Railroad

Clackety clack goes the train, followed by the choo choo of its whistle. Whether it’s chugging along the countryside or up into the mountains, trains have carved their place in the history books. And simultaneously trains have revolutionized how parents have fed their toddlers, who will eat vegetables if they arrive on a choo choo train.

Train travel has been a staple in transportation in Europe and North America for the last two hundred years. Once upon a time during the Industrial Revolution, trains played a critical role in the explosive industrial and urban growth in New England.

The Industrial Revolution began around 1760 as a result of a drastic shift in the existing manufacturing process. Artisan, handcrafted goods were replaced by mass-produced, machine-made products, which were cheaper and quicker to make. Around the same time in the late 1770’s the steam engine was invented by James Watt. The steam engine was a breakthrough in transportation as it lead to the creation of a steam locomotive, a faster and cheaper mode of travel. Prior to the steam locomotive the only other way to transport large amounts of goods was by river or horseback.

Once a rail network was built in the 1830’s, New England raced full steam ahead into the Industrial Age. Raw materials were transported from different parts of the country to the factories in the northeast. Young people, particularly women and children, were drawn by the surplus of jobs and they too boarded trains heading to the nearest city. Once they arrived, factory workers toiled away for more than twelve hours a day making textiles like boots and machine-woven cloth.

Expansion and Evolution

New England continued to grow and develop in part owing to its railways connecting Massachusetts to Maine, Vermont to New Hampshire, and beyond. Train travel also evolved over the next century and in the 1930’s diesel locomotives rolled into the station. They were cheaper to maintain, and gradually the revolutionary steam engines were discontinued. Luckily for parents, the trademark train whistle remained and children did not fuss over the switch to diesel choo choos.

Ultimately diesel trains couldn’t keep up with emerging modes of transportation in the post-WWII era. Personal cars and commercial planes were quickly gaining ground and acclaim as they became more affordable. Train stations which previously had fifty daily departures now just had a few.

Today train travel is a nostalgic yet irreplaceable form of transportation. Though many of the original train lines are no longer in use, many are still standing and they are far from forgotten. Driving through the White Mountains of New Hampshire you can still see the dramatic steel bridges that once helped trains cross lake and rivers. There are abandoned train tracks leading into the woods and stations that no longer sell tickets, relics of a time when riding the rails represented freedom and opportunity.

It’s not the end of the tracks for children, however, who still delight in accepting food from the incoming spoon-train.

The Little Trains that Could

Despite the shift toward air travel and cars, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. While many tracks crossing New England no longer operate, in the last few decades there has been a resurgence of tourist trains popping up around New Hampshire and the region. Many people still prefer riding the rails over being stuck in traffic and choose to take a train. Some train companies offer scenic rides all year long while others have seasonal journeys with Santa in winter.

One of the trademarks of New England is its colorful fall foliage. As summer ends the leaves turn bright rainbows of color before they fall. Many of the sightseeing train trips take you through the vibrant forests and allow you to leaf peep with abandon. In New Hampshire in particular you can ride in a classic, vintage train through the mountains and by bodies of water. There are excursions lasting just 45 minutes or up to five hours, some of which include three course meals.

Train enthusiasts can visit the museums scattered about New England, which are dedicated to the mechanics of train travel and its impact on the region. After all trains played a pivotal role in catapulting the United States into the Industrial Revolution by crossing the vast distances between the rural and urban centers. Not only were trains important for transporting goods and people, they also contributed to spreading political ideas that forever shaped the development of the country.

Most importantly, train travel continues to be critical to parenting. It was a monumental moment the first time a parent said to his or her child, “open up, here comes the choo choo train”. After two hundred years of feeding children, trains will not fade quietly into history. The grand steel bridges and rattling train cars are still full steam ahead.