Photographer: Unknown
Location: India
The photo taken is of a railway being constructed by the Bengal Nagpur Railway Company. Beginning in 1853, the company pioneered the development of railways throughout India . The photo shown illustrates some wooden steps that were built to reach the top of a soon to be constructed bridge. This photo dates back to 1890, one year before the main line from Nagpur to Asansol was built, highly suggesting that the photo displayed in this picture depicts the construction of that line. Further details on the location of the photo are harder to determine because the photo shows a rural area with no other discernable clues.
Photographer: Abel Briquet
Location: Mexico
This photo shows a train station in Vera Cruz with people standing in front of it. You can tell it’s the front of the station due to the fact that the only transportation, a horse drawn carriage, is pictured in front of it. Vera Cruz is an important station in Mexico’s railway history. It is a railway line that goes from Veracruz to Mexico City and was commissioned all the way back in 1837, although construction on the proposed railway did not actually begin until 1864 and due to political upheaval, took nine years to complete. After the completion of this construction, further railway construction continued to flourish and be encouraged under Mexico’s new leaders.