From Deseret News archives:
Workin' on the railroad: Today's builders hurdle barriers unknown in transcontinental era
Over 1,000 men, all employed by the Central Pacific Railroad, accomplished the feat on April 28, 1869. Twelve days later, the last spike was hammered into the nation's first transcontinental railroad here at Promontory Summit.
Now, about 50 miles from this historic site, the Utah Transit Authority has begun work on a commuter-rail line. But even with modern equipment such as bulldozers, cranes and special rail-laying machines, the work is slow, and UTA has yet to lay even one mile of rail in one day during construction of the FrontRunner commuter-rail line.
Steve Meyer, UTA project manager over commuter rail, said the differences between his rail project and the transcontinental railroad are substantial. If laying rail was all UTA had to worry about, modern equipment would allow the agency to lay up to 20 miles or more in one day, he said.
Construction of the entire transcontinental railroad took six years, according to the Central Pacific Railroad's online museum. It stretched 1,776 miles, from Omaha, Neb., to Sacramento, Calif.
Today, only an outline of the historic 10-mile segment remains. Erosion and time are slowly erasing the path. Up against the Promontory Mountains, just a few miles from the "last spike" site, you can see places where dirt was pushed up and packed down to create a level surface for the tracks to be laid.
"It's hard to see," said Bret Guisto, archaeologist for the Golden Spike National Historic Site. "The tracks are gone."
Back in 1928, Erle Heath, associate editor of the railroading magazine Southern Pacific Bulletin, wrote in an article reminiscing about the event: "The scene was an animated one. From the first 'pioneer' to the last tamper, about two miles, there was a line of men advancing a mile an hour; iron cars with their load of rails and humans dashed up and down the newly laid track; foremen on horseback were galloping back and forth."
Modern complications
Comments
- Utahns hit roads, runways 11:21 p.m.
- West Jordan pummel West 11:14 p.m.
- Obama hails U.S.-India partnership 11:00 p.m.
- AF handles scrappy Fremont 10:50 p.m.
- Human race related to earliest fossils 10:40 p.m.
- Alaska diocese agrees to pay $10M 10:32 p.m.
- Photo: Lion cubs pride of Ohio zoo 10:31 p.m.
- California could get Tesla plant 10:31 p.m.
- Loyal to Cougarettes, Crimson Line 10:24 p.m.
- Ex-legislators call for ethics reform 10:23 p.m.
- Utah, BYU are top choices for bowls
- BYU would like friendlier rivalry
- Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
- Best prep football games of 2009
- KSL: Prostitution in Utah County
- Man trapped in own body for 23 yrs
- Kirilenko climbing blocks list
- Woman describes stabbing, killing
- Boys basketball rankings
- 'Dancing' will fill out finale
- BYU would like friendlier rivalry
229 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
224 - RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
202 - Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
189 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
179 - Bronco, Kyle rubber match
137 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
136 - BYU records with win
133 - Letters: Rushing to judge Palin
120 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
104
As long as BYU doesn't try to go deep, they are going to be fine on offense....
This game is actually very close on paper. BYU has more yards per game, but...
Way to go Donny you had my vote from the start. I thought they gave to much...
Is there someplace where we can watch the Cougarettes perform? Is there...
How is Pleasant Grove ranked higher than Syracuse when Syracuse beat them in...
Just wanted to put my 2-cents worth in to all of this. So if anyone...
you will wait the rest of your life.. He could care less
I've been reading the book with by daughters. It's a short book and it...
The ethics commission simply researches complaints. They have no power to...
Well, maybe the Ute program has maturity but the fans...? See post above.




You can be the first to comment on this story.