What route was picked for the transcontinental railroad?
North America’s 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 …
Where did the east and west railroads meet?
Promontory Summit
26, 1863, the first spike was driven. As Central Pacific laid tracks eastward, Union Pacific was working westward and the race to Promontory Summit, Utah, where they would eventually meet on May 10, 1869, was on.
What states did the transcontinental railroad pass through?
The route largely followed the well established Oregon, Mormon and California Trails. The new line began in Omaha, Nebraska, followed the Platte River, crossed the Rocky Mountains at South Pass in Wyoming and then through northern Utah and Nevada before crossing the Sierras to Sacramento, California.
What was the initial purpose of the transcontinental railway?
The transcontinental railroad was a railroad built to connect the country from the East to West. This was designed to help boost trade and transportation throughout the country. With the railroad built goods from the new farms in the West could be delivered to people in the West.
Where were the starting points of transcontinental railroad?
The Central Pacific Railroad was chartered by Congress, through the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862, to construct a portion of the first transcontinental line, starting in Sacramento and proceeding eastward. Many considered a railroad running through the nation’s interior to be the key to westward expansion and the future of the country.
Where did the First Transcontinental Railroad connect?
What began as the Pacific Railroad, the First Transcontinental Railroad began in 1869 between Council Bluffs Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska and Alameda California. By connecting the railroad with the Eastern United states, the two coasts were linked by railway.
What trail was the Transcontinental Railroad built upon?
Donner Pass Transcontinental Railroad Tunnels Trail . Parts of the Transcontinental Railroad were built in tunnels in order to bypass mountains. One of the biggest chains of tunnels was located at Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada. Now, there is a trail here that will take you through the tunnels, where you can see parts of the abandoned railroad tracks.