Remember, too, the Erie Railroad went west from the Hudson as as short cut to Lake ErieNot true. The Erie RR LOOKS to be shorter, but it is really longer by actual miles travelled, due to the zigzagging thru the terrain. The benefit it did have was it was a year-round operation, unlike the canal.
In all ways the Railroad has an important roll to play. If you think about it the St. Lawrence Sea Way and the Great Lakes shipping season shuts down from November to early March. The Railroads gain a major roll in keeping Iron Ore, Coal, Salt, and Grain on the move when outher competeing modes of transport are closed.Iron and coal did not move much on winter for two reasons: in the midwest, they were mined from open pits, hard to keep running under 3' of snow and loads ran the risk of freezing in the hopper cars. Also, lake shipping was so economical that materials would all be shipped in summer to be stockpiled rather than pay RR shipping in "off-season."
Factories could stockpile raw materials, but not finished goods, and those goods also needed to go places ships did not. THAT is where the RRs became vital.