They had to have known.

[wausaubob]

The railroad industry in both the US and the Confederacy had to have known that the Confederate railroad industry would wear out in about three years.
The first demonstration of steel rails took place in Derbyshire, England in 1857 in response the crisis in maintenance costs of high traffic areas. By 1861, the knowledge of this maintenance problem had to have been widely known.
Other than Baltimore and St. Louis, there was no place in the Confederacy that accept locomotives from the entire system, put them in shop and rebuild them they Altoona, PA could.

 

[Norm53]

The railroad industry in both the US and the Confederacy had to have known that the Confederate railroad industry would wear out in about three years.
The first demonstration of steel rails took place in Derbyshire, England in 1857 in response the crisis in maintenance costs of high traffic areas. By 1861, the knowledge of this maintenance problem had to have been widely known.
Other than Baltimore and St. Louis, there was no place in the Confederacy that accept locomotives from the entire system, put them in shop and rebuild them they Altoona, PA could.

So what? Are you implying that the CSA should have known from this fact that it could not win the war?

 

[wausaubob]

So what? Are you implying that the CSA should have known from this fact that it could not win the war?

I implying that General Lee knew that Confederate logistics were on downward trajectory. He knew his army's best chance to operate was during the summer when livestock could forage on the country side.

 

[Norm53]

I implying that General Lee knew that Confederate logistics were on downward trajectory. He knew his army's best chance to operate was during the summer when livestock could forage on the country side.

OK, good. Thank you. Now I understand sth about the implications of your first post.

 

[wausaubob]

If the coastal trade and steamboat traffic were cutoff, the Confederate railroads would be under more pressure. If the blockade was loose, the Confederacy would be under less pressure. But it Norfolk, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and New Orleans were blockaded, the Confederacy would be under more pressure.
If the blockade runners could not be stopped entirely, it would be beneficial to make the successful blockade runners narrower, faster vessels unable to import bulky, heavy cargoes.

 

[jackt62]

It would surprising if the political, economic, and military leadership of the south were not aware of the huge deficit in manufacturing and infrastructure development that the Confederacy faced in contrast to the north. A short war rather than a lengthy one would therefore favor the south as the northern economic advantage would not come into play immediately. Of course, the one disadvantage to a long war that the north faced would be war weariness among its population, which in fact was a real factor that the north and the Lincoln administration had to contend with.