How did the railroad contribute to the cattle ranching boom in the west?

The cattle would be brought to the railroad. Railroad would ship cattle to the east.

Bring cattle to the railroad would be called a cattle drive.

(Make sure and eat some good grub on the chuck wagon.)

Later spur lines would bring the trains, closer to the cattle, and the drives would be shorter.

A great western writer is name Louis La'Loumour. (Fiction stories, but utterly amazing.)