The rail system first developed in the mid-1500s mining operations and tramways of Europe. The primitive rail system used gravity or horsepower. Another 250 years passed before engineers could take full advantage of the invention. In 1801 the Surrey Iron Railway was the first public railroad to carry freight using an engine. The railroad served as one of the most efficient means of transportation across long distances in the 20th century, quickly and economically transporting goods between manufacturers and consumers.