How were steam shovels and railroads used to build the Panama Canal?

To build the Panama Canal, chief engineer John F. Stevens transformed the project into a massive, highly organized railroad operation. Recognizing that the primary challenge was moving immense volumes of earth and rock on a strict schedule, he upgraded and expanded the network of railways serving the construction site to ensure efficiency.1

Railroads and heavy machinery were essential to this effort. More than 100 steam shovels were deployed to excavate the Culebra Cut—later renamed the Gaillard Cut—which was one of the most difficult sections of the project due to unstable soil and frequent landslides.2

Workers used these steam shovels, alongside rock drills and dynamite, to remove approximately 96 million cubic yards of material. The railroads were then used to haul this massive amount of debris away from the excavation sites, allowing the project to proceed toward the successful completion of the canal in 1914.2