The RAILROAD resulted from the successful marriage of a promising new technology, the STEAM ENGINE, and a growing need: fast, safe, and inexpensive transportation. RAILROADS applied the unprecedented power of the locomotive to the pulling of trains of loaded wagons over rails. This resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of cargo that a few men could move quickly and over great distances. RAILROADS were a critical contributor to INDUSTRIALIZATION. They not only made it easier to obtain raw materials and reach markets, but the search for better equipment spurred innovation that benefited many other industries.