A Bug?

[Neoman]

Is it normal to have a machine part shortage in the trade market up until as late as 1867?

In my game as Japan the only machine parts I got were from tech research. The U.S. by 1867 only had a small area around D.C. with expirimental railroad, and Europe has mostly expirimental with some early railroads in certain provences.

 

[unmerged(75409)]

speaking as a user, not a modder:
No it is not usual. Check if your installation went right. Usually by the late 1840s there should be exp. railroad networks in UK, Prussia, France and Austria at least and by 1850s they should mushroom all over. By the 1860s it should be to RR level 3 in the advanced places.