said by Sinbad Sam:Some nits to pick...
Railroad roadway not maintained for 17 years....
Then the logistics for the locomotive ie fuel(wood) and water.
Well the wood and water, what's the problem with that? Trains ran across the continent when there was no electricity other than the telegraph.
As for the maintenance, the Monroe Army could have been working on fixing up the tracks for a long while. And they seem to have plenty of slave labor to do it....
Good points, though.