As early as the 16 th century, roads of wails called wagon ways were being used in Germany. These railed roads consisted of wooden rails over which horse-drawn carts moved with greater ease than they would have over dirt roads. These wagon ways, although primitive, were the beginning of what we now consider modern railroads.
By 1776, iron has replaced the wood in the rails and the wheels on the carts. Wagon ways evolved into tramways, with horses providing all the pulling power, and spread throughout Europe. In 1789, the first wagons were designed with flanged wheels that allowed the wheels to get a better grip on the rail. This new design was important to the design that carried over to later, more modern locomotives.
The key development to the invention of modern railroads was the development of the steam engine. The development of the steam engine was a long process and to give credit to any one person would be to steal credit away from its many rightful owners. It took three different British inventors and about a hundred years to develop the steam engine, as we know it today.
The first crude steam powered machine was built by Thomas Savery in 1698. Savery built his machine to help pump water out of coal mines and it was an extremely simple and inefficient design. There were no moving parts and it used up lots and lots of coal just to pump small quantities of water. To call this machine a "steam engine" would be stretching the meaning of the words, but it would be fair to say that Savery was the first person to find a practical way of using steam to perform useful work.
The next stage in the development of the steam engine was a result of the work of Thomas Newcomen. Newcomen knew that there must be a way of improving on Savery's inefficient steam powered pump. He built a machine that was more true to the word "steam engine," which took the place of Savery's machine. Neither Savery nor Newcomen had any other purpose in mind for their machines than pumping water out of coalmines.
Everything changed in 1763, when James Watt, came into the picture and set out to improve on Newcomen's design. He figured out a way to develop a "crankshaft," and produce a circular motion with the steam. Watt did not have the money to develop his improved steam engine; however, he was able to convince an English manufacturer that building steam engines could become a profitable business. Together, Watt and his business partner started a company that built these steam engines. He hoped that factories would find many uses for his new design, but he did not realize the effect his design would have on the world.
With the invention of the steam engine, the development of the modern railroad came. James Watt and his fellow inventors can be credited not only for the development of the steam engine and the rail road, but also for ushering in the industrial revolution and with that a more modern age.
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