Exploring and Interpreting the Railway GIS

Lab Exercise

 

The purpose of this exercise is twofold: 1) to become acquainted with the available data on the rail system and its extension from 1845 to 1914; 2) to identify the connections between the patterns of railway development and your chosen research topic.

 

I.                    Using the Layout feature in ArcView, create and print a picture that shows the extent of the rail system in 1854, in 1876, and in 1914.  Study and compare the three maps and then write a comment that describes one main pattern you find, the change in this pattern over time, and the historical significance of your findings.  Suggested patterns of interest: a) the development of the main rail corridors and the peripheral lines from the main corridors; b) the evolving density of rail lines in urban areas; c) the evolving density of rail lines in rural areas. (Attach the map to this page and use the space below or equivalent to for the description and significance.)

 

Description and historical significance:   

 

II.                 How do your findings relate to your chosen research topic? How might they be connected with an aspect of your research topic?  What implications do they hold for your topic? Use no more than the space below.  Aim to write three brief paragraphs, each one beginning with a main point and going on to elaborate upon it briefly.

 

Point One

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Point Two

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Point Three