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Completed, on September 6, 1869: a railroad line that extended from the Eastern US to the West Coast
Last edited Fri Sep 6, 2019, 03:00 PM - Edit history (1)
Oh, you fell for that Golden Spike hoax, didn't you? What happened on May 10, 1869, was the completion of a line from Omaha, Nebraska, to Sacramento, California. The line still needed a bridge over the San Joaquin River on its western end and the Missouri River on its eastern end to be a true transcontinental.
First Transcontinental Railroad
The ceremony for the driving of the "Last Spike" at Promontory Summit, Utah, May 10, 1869
Overview
Locale: United States
Termini: Omaha, Nebraska (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
Alameda Terminal, starting September 6, 1869; Oakland Long Wharf, starting November 8, 1869 (San Francisco Bay)
{Later in the Wiki, it says September 8, 1869. They can't both be right. Trainorders also goes with September 6, 1869.}
Operation
Opened: May 10, 1869; 150 years ago
Transcontinental Railroad 75th Anniversary Issue stamp of 1944
The First Transcontinental Railroad ( known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the "Overland Route" ) was a 1,912-mile (3,077 km) continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail network at Council Bluffs, Iowa with the Pacific coast at the Oakland Long Wharf on San Francisco Bay. The rail line was built by three private companies over public lands provided by extensive US land grants. Construction was financed by both state and US government subsidy bonds as well as by company issued mortgage bonds. The Western Pacific Railroad Company built 132 mi (212 km) of track from the road's western terminus at Alameda/Oakland to Sacramento, California. The Central Pacific Railroad Company of California (CPRR) constructed 690 mi (1,110 km) eastward from Sacramento to Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The Union Pacific built 1,085 mi (1,746 km) from the road's eastern terminus at Council Bluffs near Omaha, Nebraska westward to Promontory Summit.
....
Central Pacific route
....
Subsequent to the railhead's meeting at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory, the San Joaquin River Bridge at Mossdale Crossing (near present-day Lathrop, California) was completed on September 8, 1869. As a result, the western part of the route was extended from Sacramento to the Alameda Terminal in Alameda, California, and shortly thereafter, to the Oakland Long Wharf at Oakland Point in Oakland, California, and on to San Jose, California. Train ferries transferred some railroad cars to and from the Oakland wharves and tracks to wharves and tracks in San Francisco. Before the CPRR was completed, developers were building other feeder railroads like the Virginia and Truckee Railroad to the Comstock Lode diggings in Virginia City, Nevada, and several different extensions in California and Nevada to reach other cities there. Some of their main cargo was the thousands of cords of firewood needed for the many steam engines and pumps, cooking stoves, heating stoves etc. in Comstock Lode towns and the tons of ice needed by the miners as they worked ever deeper into the "hot" Comstock Lode ore body. In the mines, temperatures could get above 120 °F (49 °C) at the work face and a miner often used over 100 pounds (45 kg) of ice per shift. This new railroad connected to the Central Pacific near Reno, and went through Carson City, the new capital of Nevada.
After the transcontinental railroads were completed, many other railroads were built to connect up to other population centers in Utah, Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado, Oregon, Washington territories, etc. In 1869, the Kansas Pacific Railway started building the Hannibal Bridge, a swing bridge across the Missouri River between Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas which connected railroads on both sides of the Missouri while still allowing passage of paddle steamers on the river. After completion, this became another major east-west railroad. To speed completion of the Kansas Pacific Railroad to Denver, construction started east from Denver in March 1870 to meet the railroad coming west from Kansas city. The two crews met at a point called Comanche Crossing, Kansas Territory, on August 15, 1870. Denver was now firmly on track to becoming the largest city and the future capital of Colorado. The Kansas Pacific Railroad linked with the Denver Pacific Railway via Denver to Cheyenne in 1870.
The ceremony for the driving of the "Last Spike" at Promontory Summit, Utah, May 10, 1869
Overview
Locale: United States
Termini: Omaha, Nebraska (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
Alameda Terminal, starting September 6, 1869; Oakland Long Wharf, starting November 8, 1869 (San Francisco Bay)
{Later in the Wiki, it says September 8, 1869. They can't both be right. Trainorders also goes with September 6, 1869.}
Operation
Opened: May 10, 1869; 150 years ago
Transcontinental Railroad 75th Anniversary Issue stamp of 1944
The First Transcontinental Railroad ( known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the "Overland Route" ) was a 1,912-mile (3,077 km) continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail network at Council Bluffs, Iowa with the Pacific coast at the Oakland Long Wharf on San Francisco Bay. The rail line was built by three private companies over public lands provided by extensive US land grants. Construction was financed by both state and US government subsidy bonds as well as by company issued mortgage bonds. The Western Pacific Railroad Company built 132 mi (212 km) of track from the road's western terminus at Alameda/Oakland to Sacramento, California. The Central Pacific Railroad Company of California (CPRR) constructed 690 mi (1,110 km) eastward from Sacramento to Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The Union Pacific built 1,085 mi (1,746 km) from the road's eastern terminus at Council Bluffs near Omaha, Nebraska westward to Promontory Summit.
....
Central Pacific route
....
Subsequent to the railhead's meeting at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory, the San Joaquin River Bridge at Mossdale Crossing (near present-day Lathrop, California) was completed on September 8, 1869. As a result, the western part of the route was extended from Sacramento to the Alameda Terminal in Alameda, California, and shortly thereafter, to the Oakland Long Wharf at Oakland Point in Oakland, California, and on to San Jose, California. Train ferries transferred some railroad cars to and from the Oakland wharves and tracks to wharves and tracks in San Francisco. Before the CPRR was completed, developers were building other feeder railroads like the Virginia and Truckee Railroad to the Comstock Lode diggings in Virginia City, Nevada, and several different extensions in California and Nevada to reach other cities there. Some of their main cargo was the thousands of cords of firewood needed for the many steam engines and pumps, cooking stoves, heating stoves etc. in Comstock Lode towns and the tons of ice needed by the miners as they worked ever deeper into the "hot" Comstock Lode ore body. In the mines, temperatures could get above 120 °F (49 °C) at the work face and a miner often used over 100 pounds (45 kg) of ice per shift. This new railroad connected to the Central Pacific near Reno, and went through Carson City, the new capital of Nevada.
After the transcontinental railroads were completed, many other railroads were built to connect up to other population centers in Utah, Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado, Oregon, Washington territories, etc. In 1869, the Kansas Pacific Railway started building the Hannibal Bridge, a swing bridge across the Missouri River between Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas which connected railroads on both sides of the Missouri while still allowing passage of paddle steamers on the river. After completion, this became another major east-west railroad. To speed completion of the Kansas Pacific Railroad to Denver, construction started east from Denver in March 1870 to meet the railroad coming west from Kansas city. The two crews met at a point called Comanche Crossing, Kansas Territory, on August 15, 1870. Denver was now firmly on track to becoming the largest city and the future capital of Colorado. The Kansas Pacific Railroad linked with the Denver Pacific Railway via Denver to Cheyenne in 1870.
Steam & Excursion > 150th Anniversary Special Event - Sept 7-8 at Niles Canyon Railway
Date: 08/05/19 11:07
150th Anniversary Special Event - Sept 7-8 atNiles Canyon Railway
Author: DWDebs/2472
150th Anniversary of Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad to San Francisco & Alameda
Niles Canyon Railway invites you to ride special trains to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad through to San Francisco and the Alameda Ferry Terminal!
https://www.ncry.org/ride/golden-spike-150th-anniversary-railfan-days-2/
*** Special "Early-Bird" 20% Discount Fares apply to all tickets purchased before 6:00am Wed Aug 7th. ***
The rails of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were joined at the “Golden Spike” celebration on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Point, Utah Territory. At that time, the Central Pacific only went as far west as Sacramento, where trains connected with paddlewheel steamboats and scow schooners (shallow-draft sailing ships, for bulk freight) for San Francisco.
In the following six months, the railroad was extended from Sacramento to Altamont Pass, Niles Canyon, San Jose, San Francisco, and Alameda. Per Wikipedia: "The coast-to-coast railroad connection revolutionized the settlement and economy of the American West. It made transporting passengers and goods considerably quicker, safer and cheaper."
On Saturday, September 7, 2019, Niles Canyon Railway will operate special steam-powered trains for the 150 years (plus one day) Anniversary of the first through passenger train from the East. Passengers will enjoy one of the best-preserved scenic parts of the original Transcontinental Railroad, vintage railroad cars and locomotives (many over 100 years old), photo run-bys, and a 1869-style BBQ picnic lunch. Both trains will be powered upgrade by Mallet steam locomotives 2-4-4-2 no. 7 “Skookum” (built 1909, the oldest operating Mallet in North America), and 2-6-6-2T Clover Valley Lumber Company no. 4 (built 1927).
....
Date: 08/05/19 11:07
150th Anniversary Special Event - Sept 7-8 atNiles Canyon Railway
Author: DWDebs/2472
150th Anniversary of Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad to San Francisco & Alameda
Niles Canyon Railway invites you to ride special trains to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad through to San Francisco and the Alameda Ferry Terminal!
https://www.ncry.org/ride/golden-spike-150th-anniversary-railfan-days-2/
*** Special "Early-Bird" 20% Discount Fares apply to all tickets purchased before 6:00am Wed Aug 7th. ***
The rails of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were joined at the “Golden Spike” celebration on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Point, Utah Territory. At that time, the Central Pacific only went as far west as Sacramento, where trains connected with paddlewheel steamboats and scow schooners (shallow-draft sailing ships, for bulk freight) for San Francisco.
In the following six months, the railroad was extended from Sacramento to Altamont Pass, Niles Canyon, San Jose, San Francisco, and Alameda. Per Wikipedia: "The coast-to-coast railroad connection revolutionized the settlement and economy of the American West. It made transporting passengers and goods considerably quicker, safer and cheaper."
On Saturday, September 7, 2019, Niles Canyon Railway will operate special steam-powered trains for the 150 years (plus one day) Anniversary of the first through passenger train from the East. Passengers will enjoy one of the best-preserved scenic parts of the original Transcontinental Railroad, vintage railroad cars and locomotives (many over 100 years old), photo run-bys, and a 1869-style BBQ picnic lunch. Both trains will be powered upgrade by Mallet steam locomotives 2-4-4-2 no. 7 “Skookum” (built 1909, the oldest operating Mallet in North America), and 2-6-6-2T Clover Valley Lumber Company no. 4 (built 1927).
....
For the berthers: *
Happy 150th anniversary, the (not really) transcontinental railroad
* Do you see what I did there?