These days, if you asked someone how they prefer to travel long distances, they will probably tell you either by car or plane. That was not always the case. From the mid-1800s to mid-1900s, the preferred method of long-distance travel in the United States was by railroad. While it was not the quickest way to travel, the trains were always on time, and trains provided a much more comfortable ride compared to traveling across the nation’s unpaved roads.