Back in the 1860's, artificial light was limited to single flame devices like candles and lanterns. Consequently, everyone was used to moving around in the dark, much more than what we are used to today. If you let your eyes get used to the dark, it is amazing how much you can see. Here you can get a good idea of what train travel was like at night over 150 years ago.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)