Well it depends what they are in need of. They most commonly would want more land for their country to build and farm on. They may want land with fertile soil for farming. They may want the land because of it's geography, for example, for simple trade routes leading to and from the areas around north America (Canada, Mexico) etc.
Railroad tycoons were the early industrial pioneers amassing or overseeing construction of many large railroads through the early 20th century. The names of the leaders are, James Hill, Jay and George Gould, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Edward Harriman, and Collis P. Cornelius Vanderbilt was a famous industrialist who worked in railroads and shipping.
hope this helps!!
