From May-December 1869, Promontory was the terminus of the transcontinental railroad (the junction point for Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads).
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By spring 1869, Central Pacific had made it through the mountains and onto the relatively flat land of western Utah, constructing 690 miles of track through some of the most difficult terrain ever encountered by a railroad.
Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 on July 1, 1862, and the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) and the Union Pacific Railroad were authorized by Congress.
The Railroad Act of 1862 put government support behind the transcontinental railroad and helped create the Union Pacific Railroad, which subsequently joined with the Central Pacific at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869, and signaled the linking of the continent.
While much of the original transcontinental railroad tracks are still in use, the complete, intact line fell out of operation in 1904, when a shorter route bypassed Promontory Summit.
This culminated in the April 28, 1869, record set by Chinese and Irish crews of the Central Pacific who laid 10 miles 56 feet (16.111 km) of track in one day.
The longest regularly scheduled train in North America is Via Rail Canada's Canadian between Toronto and Vancouver, a distance of 2,775 miles (4,466 kilometers). The longest train in the USA is Amtrak's Texas Eagle between Chicago and Los Angeles via San Antonio, a distance of 2,728 miles (4,390 kilometers).
A pyramidal monument marks the spot where the golden (last) spike was driven on May 10, 1869, linking the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads. Replicas of the Central Pacific's Jupiter and the Union Pacific's No. 119, the two engines used during the final stages, are on display.
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.
The Middleton Railway is known as the oldest working railway, excluding cable systems. It was built in 1758 in Leeds in West Yorkshire, an upland county in England. Originally, it was constructed from wooden tracks but by 1799 employed iron edge rails.
The Trans-Australian Railway line of 1108 miles from Kalgoorlie (Western Australia) to Port Pirie (South Australia) includes 297 miles without a curve - the longest straight stretch of track in the world [picture] / C.
The Trans-Siberian Railway, historically known as the Great Siberian Route and often shortened to Transsib, is a large railway system that connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over 9,289 kilometers (5,772 miles), it is the longest railway line in the world.
The railroad opened for through traffic on May 10, 1869, when CPRR President Leland Stanford ceremonially drove the gold Last Spike (later often referred to as the Golden Spike) at Promontory Summit in Utah.
However, the race was ultimately a runaway victory for the Union Pacific, which was able to lay 1,085 miles of track to the 690 miles put down by the Central Pacific.
John Stevens is considered to be the father of American railroads. In 1826 Stevens demonstrated the feasibility of steam locomotion on a circular experimental track constructed on his estate in Hoboken, New Jersey, three years before George Stephenson perfected a practical steam locomotive in England.