What challenges did railroad workers face?
Another challenge they faced was the need to create tunnels through the mountains. Using nitroglycerin, they had to blast through the mountains in a very dangerous manner. On average, they were only able to get through 1 foot of mountain at a time. In the end, 11 tunnels were completed.
Why was life as a railroad worker difficult?
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 railroad job pays the most?
According to BLS.gov, the largest employment numbers for this occupation are found in Texas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. In conclusion, the top 3 highest paying railroad jobs are locomotive engineers, locomotive engineer assistants, train conductors, and yardmasters.
Why was there so many problems with the railroad?
Many of the financial problems for the railroad included people thinking the railroad would not be a success and they would loose their money. Another problem is when the workers needed to clear paths for the trains. There were numerous problems with the explosives they used to clear the path.
What did workers face in building the transcontinental railroad?
The Union Pacific Railroad and The Central Pacific Railroad Companies were formed to build the railroad. Many of the CPR workers working east from California were Chinese-Americans and many of the UPR workers building west from Nebraska were Irish immigrants. What dangers did the railroad workers face when the transcontinental railroad was built?
What was the challenge of the Union Pacific Railroad?
Union Pacific Challenges. 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 working conditions in the Central Pacific Railroad?
The majority of workers for Central Pacific were Chinese immigrants, who agreed to work in very poor conditions. In order to lay track in the mountains, laborers had to blast through granite cliffs, risking their lives to lay explosives. Snowstorms, explosions, freezing temperatures, and avalanches killed hundreds of workers.