I was having a difficult but great civilization ]|[ game, many defensive and offencive battles were won. Resources were very tight and I tried to obtain them in one massive fight for iron which was succeeded.

Throughout the survival I was lagging behind in science, I finally acquired steam power so I could boost some resource sqaures. What do you know??

No coal in my zone!!
I contacted the weakest link, the Egyptians who had coal on a few Islands.
Made a trade agreement to acquire the coal.

I was getting important 'Fine Coal' from Egypt, however....

my workers still couldn't build Railroads, and no coal improvemts could be built!? ... any ideas..

I tried to wait a few turns, but nothing surfaced. I declared a war against the Ottoman's that were the strongest civilization and managed to take the one city next to coal connected by road back to my empire.

Still no Railroads!?!? :cry:

Can you post a save here?

do you have iron?

You have to make sure that you have all of the proper resourses. Goto the Civilapedia and check what is required for what ever you're building. If you dont have the necessary resourses, trade for them. If no one has them, wait as they may have already traded with someone else. Once you get them for whatever you're trying to build, concentrate on that item as the trade only lasts for 20 turns.

I had the same problem in one game and I was scratching my head big style as to whi I couldnt build Ironclads or roads.

Turned out I was so fixated on getting coal I forgot you also needed Iron and my only source had been used up centuries earlier :\