Chronicles the race to build the first railroad to cross the North American continent.

"Examines the Transcontinental Railroad by discussing why it was needed and the immediate and lasting effects it had on the nation as well as the people and places involved."--

Discusses the history of the transcontinental railroad, including the construction of the Central Pacific, Union Pacific, and other related railroads which joined the east and west coasts by meeting at Promontory Point, Utah.

"In the 1850s, gold fever swept the West, but people had to walk, sail, or ride horses for months on end to seek their fortune. The question of faster, safer transportation was posed by national leaders. But with 1,800 miles of seemingly impenetrable mountains, searing deserts, and endless plains between the Missouri River and San Francisco, could a transcontinental railroad be built? It seemed impossible. Eventually, two railroad companies, the Central...

The Transcontinental Railroad was an engineering marvel as well as a technological nightmare. In the 1860s, the Union Pacific began laying tracks westward from Omaha, and the Central Pacific did the same heading eastward from Sacramento. Work on the railroad represented the nation's struggle to forge an iron link between East and West, making cross-country travel faster and easier than ever.