Day 5: May 10, the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad

May 10, 2019 is the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, one of the most significant events of the Nineteenth Century. The Golden Spike ceremony marking the completion of the railroad took place at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869.

There are ceremonies scheduled in Utah and other places to mark the occasion. Many commemorative publications have been produced, including special issues of "Trains" magazine, and magazine articles and an impressive photo book, After Promontory: 150 Years of Transcontinental Railroading, from the Center for Railroad Photography & Art.  

We met a couple from Gettysburg at Union Station in Chicago at the start of our trip who were on their way to Utah with a group for the celebrations.

Groundbreaking for the Transcontinental Railroad
(Mural in Sacramento station)

Surveyor and first locomotive on the Central Pacific
(California Railroad Museum)

Gold Spike at
California Railroad Museum

“The Last Spike” by Thomas Hill at
California Railroad Museum

The James family from Gettysburg:

Happy 150th Anniversary to the Transcontinental Railroad