Tennessee railroad equipment and practices at the outset of the Civil War period were primitive.  Compared to Northern lines, Tennessee's railroads were small organizations with less equipment running on lighter rail, in keeping with most other southern lines.  Exacerbating the situation was the South's philosophical discomfort with highly organized, structured governmental activity--indeed, the Confederacy never established a strong centralized railroad authority similar to the more effective U.S. Military Railroads.  As Federal control gradually extended further and further across the state during the course of the war, many of Tennessee's antebellum railroads were taken over by the USMRR, which instituted centralized management and imported substantial amounts of new equipment and supplies, in support of the Federal military operations.

Because railroading technology during the Civil War was still in its infancy, and most people alive today are familiar with highly evolved transportation systems, it's difficult for us to fully appreciate the early railroad equipment and its operational implications.  Fully understanding the role of railroads in the Civil War requires familiarization with the trackage, locomotives, rolling stock, buildings, engineering structures, and other infrastructure as it was during the mid-19th century.

Please select an appropriate entry in the following table to learn more about the technical aspects of railroading during the Civil War period:
 
 

Railroad  Rolling Stock	Locomotives Freight Cars Passenger Cars  Medical Cars Other Railroad Cars
Railroad  Facilities	Trackage Buildings Engineered Structures  Servicing Facilities
Railroad  Practices	Organization & Management   Communication

Tennessee Civil War Railroads  |  Civil War Technology & Industry in Tennessee

Last update:  May 10, 2000