How did railroads and steamships affect Charles Lyell's travels in North America?

During his travels in North America throughout the 1840s and 1850s, Charles Lyell was notably impressed by the efficiency of the continent's emerging transportation infrastructure.1

As a geologist who had previously experienced the difficulties of travel during the era of coaches and sailing ships, Lyell frequently praised the speed and comfort provided by the new railroads and steamships. This technological advancement allowed him and his wife to visit nearly every part of the United States east of the Mississippi River, as well as much of eastern Canada, with a level of ease that he found remarkable for the time.1