Industry, PA Road Trips

Industry has existed since ancient times, but for most of history it involved a marginal part of the world's population, as most people earned their living in hunting and gathering, and later in farming. The history of steam power and the Industrial Revolution begins approximately where the early modern and colonial era artisanal handicraft end. The initial source of power was water to operate streamside mills; this gave way to steam and then to electricity. Great Britain was a forerunner in this process; see Industrial Britain. Railroads were an important component of the Industrial Revolution, and heritage railways often reconstruct industrial technology of the steam era. On the other end of the time (and speed) scale, high speed rail has nothing museum-like to it but can also make the journey the destination. In some towns, a former mine site may be open for guided tours. Some former industrial sites are now museums. A few locations have (or had) entire company towns built around a single industry or manufacturer. The second industrial revolution began in the 1870s and saw the rise of new great powers, such as the United States, Germany and Japan. Automotive history is a common theme for museums, along with rail travel and other transport infrastructure. Trains that used to carry kings and empresses have a particularly high chance of having been preserved and they are often centerpieces of their respective museums. Route 66 in particular is closely intertwined with nostalgia for the automotive manufacturers of yesteryear.

A working factory, despite best efforts of workers, management and unions to build a safer workplace, is filled with powerful machinery, potentially hazardous materials and all manner of processes and equipment which may require specific precautions. Factory visits will be carefully organized, supervised tours and there will usually be a visible gap (ranging from a windowed permanent visitors' gallery to a simple yellow line on the factory floor) separating visitors from work in progress. Various protective devices (safety glasses, earplugs, hard hats, steel-toe boots, work gloves) will be needed and supplied, depending on the job site. A necktie quickly becomes a noose if caught in fast-moving industrial machinery; jewelry and loose clothing may also be restricted for safety reasons. Most factory tours will impose a minimum age for visitors if safety hazards are present. Your hosts will inform you of any specific required precautions on arrival.