Placid Weissenbach, Secretary General and President of the Board of the Central Railway, as well as the first General Director of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), details the development of the Swiss railway system from its beginnings to the early 20th century in his two-volume work. Volume 1 deals with the origins and development of the railway system in Switzerland, from the first Swiss railway law to early nationalization plans towards the end of the 19th century, culminating in the repurchase of the main railways at the beginning of the 20th century and the founding of the SBB. This is a reprint of the original edition from 1914.