Ran across this side note in an otherwise not overly interesting article about the maturation of the IT industry:

It is a very sad thing unquestionably that railways, which mechanically have succeeded beyond anticipation and are quite wonderful for their general utility and convenience, should have failed commercially.

—— The Economist, 1857

Still true, alas. (And if you’re in the biz, it has to make you wonder about airplanes.)