ABSTRACT
Sten De Geer’s classic monograph-length geographical interpretation of the American Manufacturing Belt (AMB) 1 published in 1927 concludes with a major section on the importance of ‘railroad lines and systems’. 2 Although rich in descriptive content and categorization of these systems, as of his time of writing, in-depth explanation either of the geographical or economic rationale for their original development and subsequent evolution is rather limited. This is hardly surprising, given the complexity of the dynamics of the transportation network of the AMB, at a variety of spatial and temporal scales, to serve a growing population and a rapidly expanding urban-industrial base.
