▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁by ▁ 1 8 4 0 , ▁and ▁a ▁water ▁works ▁system ▁was ▁built . ▁Flo ods ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 2 ▁and ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁w re aked ▁hav oc ▁with ▁the ▁canal ▁and ▁to w path . ▁Both ▁were ▁rep a ired . ▁Town ▁business men ▁began ▁to ▁lo bb y ▁for ▁a ▁rail road , ▁but ▁Virginia ' s ▁General ▁Assembly ▁refused ▁to ▁fund ▁such ▁construction . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁civ ic ▁boost ers ▁began ▁s elling ▁subscri ptions ▁for ▁the ▁Lyn ch burg ▁and ▁Tennessee ▁Rail road . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁Lyn ch burg ▁( al ong ▁with ▁New ▁Bed ford , ▁Massachusetts ) ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁rich est ▁towns ▁per ▁cap ita ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁Tob acco ▁( including ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁plug ▁to b acco ▁in ▁fact ories ▁using ▁r ented ▁slave ▁labor ), ▁slave - tr ading , ▁general ▁commerce , ▁and ▁iron ▁and ▁steel ▁manufact uring ▁power ed ▁the ▁economy . ▁ ▁Rail ro ads ▁had ▁become ▁the ▁wave ▁of ▁the ▁future . ▁Const ruction ▁on ▁the ▁new ▁Lyn ch burg ▁and ▁Tennessee ▁rail road ▁had ▁begun ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁and ▁a ▁locomot ive ▁tested ▁the ▁track ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 2 . ▁A ▁locomot ive ▁called ▁the ▁" L yn ch burg " ▁ble w ▁up ▁in ▁Forest , ▁Virginia ▁( near ▁Pop lar ▁Forest ) ▁later ▁that ▁year