(1798-1862) and his elder brother Peter Buchanan (1806-1860), Isaac Buchanan played a key role in the establishment of the Great Western Railroad, which commenced operation in 1854 as the first major railroad in the United Province of Canada.In addition to his parliamentary career and involvement with numerous public and private bodies, Buchanan became a writer of some note on the subjects of currency and trade and is generally credited as being a formative influence on John A. Macdonald's National Policy.