What problems did the central Pacific have while building the railroad?
As they built the railroad, the Union Pacific workers faced many struggles with the Native Americans. Bloody battles resulted from the railroad’s appearance in these peoples lands. The Native Americans felt threatened by the “white man and his iron horse”. However, they fought through and continued to build.
What was the biggest problem for the Central Pacific railroad?
The Central Pacific met its greatest challenge at the outset—the towering Sierra Nevada, which presented enormous engineering obstacles and strangling winter snows. Deep fills, rock cuts, high trestles, snaking grades, and 15 tunnels through 6,213 feet of solid granite blooded the CP crews.
What was one of the problems that the Union Pacific had?
Finding wood for ties on Nebraska’s nearly treeless prairie was one of the UP’s worst problems. Any tree of sufficient size, hard wood or soft, was used. As the road extended westward, canyons full of cedar trees near North Platte fell to the ax, and workers crafted hewn ties in the mountain forests of Wyoming.
What difficulties were there during the construction of the railroad?
Laying track and living in and among the railroad construction camps was often very difficult. Railroad construction crews were not only subjected to extreme weather conditions, they had to lay tracks across and through many natural geographical features, including rivers, canyons, mountains, and desert.
What was the challenge of the Central Pacific Railroad?
The Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroad’s experience many unspeakable challenges along the way. As the building of the railroad continued, the Central Pacific struggled to keep laborers. The work was difficult and dangerous. In order to keep up with their progress, Charles Crocker, the head of construction, began to hire Chinese immigrants.
Where did the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific meet?
In 1862, the Pacific Railroad Act chartered the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroad Companies, and tasked them with building a transcontinental railroad that would link the United States from east to west.
Where did the Workers of the Union Pacific Railroad live?
Workers lived in canvas camps alongside the grade. In the mountains, wooden bunkhouses protected them from the drifting snow, although these were often compromised by the elements. Each gang had a cook who purchased dried food from the Chinese districts of Sacramento and San Francisco to prepare on site.
Who was the contractor for the Central Pacific Railroad?
Stanford, at least, would change his tune. In early 1865 the Central Pacific had work enough for 4,000 men. Yet contractor Charles Crocker barely managed to hold onto 800 laborers at any given time. Most of the early workers were Irish immigrants.