Transcontinental Railroad Congress passed Railroad Act of Central Pacific starts in Sacramento,CA Union Pacific starts near Omaha,NE
Problems CP- getting supplies from the East WHY? UP-getting ties WHY?
Equipment Each mile required 100 tons of rail 2500 ties 2-3 tons of spikes and fish plates Also need wheel barrows,horse drawn scrapers,2 wheel dump carts, shovels,axes,crowbars,blasting powder, and more
How Track Was Laid Survey crews worked ahead Graders graded 100 miles at a time Bridge and trestle crews worked 5-20 miles ahead Track layers grabbed rails and ties from horse drawn carts Pounders drove spikes
General Grenville Dodge Union Pacific
The Big Four Huntington, Hopkins, Stanford, Crocker
Officers of the Central Pacific
West- Central Pacific East- Union Pacific
Chinese Workers Hired by the Central Pacific 9/10 were Chinese Avg. Height-4’10” Avg. Weight- 120lbs. Dug tunnels through Mts. Use pick,shovel, black powder Avg.8”/day 24hrs./7days winters 40’ snow dug tunnels through snow to get to tunnels in Mts.
Chinese workers All this hard work for: $20/week and supply own food later strike to get $35/week and not to be whipped suffered prejudice because were different clean,saved $,not drink away, and different customs
Chinese Workers for the Central Pacific
Chinese Laborer Camp
China Wall Road Marker
China Wall near Truckee,CA
China Wall and Snow Shed near Truckee,CA
Workers laying rails
Laying Rails in the Desert
The Last Rail is Laid
Completion-May 10,1869 Promontory Point, Utah
Railroad Mural Lincoln, NE
Union Pacific Engine near Scott’s Bluff NE
Union Pacific Heading East near Scott’s Bluff, NE