Based test. There is this mix of practical knowledge (different types or cars, terminals, etc), but also theory and history or how other country's rail system worked at the time and why they developed in that way. The last question is incredibly good:

> Compare the experience of France with state railroad operation with that of Germany. What, in each case were the causes which led to state operation, the extent of the lines operated, the results from state operation, and the reasons for those results?

Wow. Looks like Harvard's Class of 1906-ish was expected to understand and operate parts of the real-world economy.

In America.

How times have changed!

> Answer 1, 2, 3, and five other questions

Where’s 2 and 3? The question numbered 4 seems to be referred to as (2) in the question numbered 5

Sure, it works in the real world but does it work in theory? (an old economics joke)

>The shipment to be sent “collect,” and the Chicago & Northwestern to get one-third of the total rate

Makes me think of “call collect” - might be a borrowed term from railroad payment terminology since phone company history if very strongly connected to railroad networks.

Here’s an excellent history of american economics and the role the railroads played in it:

https://nyupress.org/9781583671351/railroading-economics

A poling yard is one where the tea cars are sorted by pushing them with a pole using an engine on an adjacent track. They are banned today

That is very different from what "economics" is today.

Amusing to me that Minneapolis was important enough at the time that Harvard put it on an exam.

is there an answers sheet somewhere as well?