September 2007 - the 4th Division • PNR • NMRA

Page 8 Issue 492 • September 2007
OnTrack Train Trivia
Dan Cioffi
The Grab-Iron is pleased to feature a new column by Dan Cioffi, with interesting questions and answers about railroad trivia. You may
contact Dan at dcioffii@tampabay.rr.com. This issue is about the Transcontinental Railroad.
The Transcontinental Railroad
1. Known as one of the classic icons of American imagery, the photograph, “Laying the Last Rail,” shows two locomotives nose-tonose
after the last tie was placed and the last rail spiked. In the photograph, which of the two railroads’ locomotives is on the left and
which is on the right?
2. What are those two locomotives’ numbers?
3. The date of the photograph is May 10, 1869, but what is the legal completion date of the Transcontinental Railroad?
4. What were the eastern and western terminals for the railroad?
5. On what date did construction start?
6. How long was the Transcontinental Railroad?
7. Which railroad laid more miles of track?
8. The Pacific Railroad Act provided federal money to help pay for construction. Which President signed that Act?
9. Which President was a former Railroad Attorney for the Union Pacific? What other railroads did he perform legal services for?
10. A portable “city” followed the UP’s progress. It was the location of company headquarters for the construction. What was the affectionate,
tongue-in-cheek name of this “city?”
Answers
1. The Central Pacific is on the left; the Union Pacific is on the right.
2. The CP Jupiter on the left has no road number. The UP on the
right is #119.
3. The official date of completion of the Transcontinental Railroad is
November 6, 1869 per a 1879 United States Supreme Court decision,
Union Pacific Railroad vs. United States (99 U.S. 402).
4. Sacramento, CA and Omaha, NE
5. On January 1, 1863, Governor Leland Stanford broke ground in
Sacramento, California, to begin construction of the Central Pacific
Railroad. Stanford was also a part owner.
6. 1,776 miles of track were laid between Omaha and Sacramento.
Feature Articles
7. Much to their chagrin, the Central Pacific laid only 690 miles of
track, while the Union Pacific laid 1,087 miles. Since the U. S.
Government paid the railroads by the amount of track laid,
both had incentive to lay as much track as possible.
8. Abraham Lincoln.
9. Abraham Lincoln was known as a skillful railroad attorney.
Besides the UP, he did legal work for the Chicago, Rock
Island and Pacific and the Illinois Central Railroads.
10. The “city” was called Hell-on-Wheels. It not only contained
a company store and suppliers, but was home to gambling,
drinking and prostitution for the construction workers.
When the railroad reached the Benton, Wyoming, Hell-on-
Wheels was permanently located there. Reaching 3,000 residents
at its peak, it was only in existence from July to September
1868 since there was no close source of water for
the city.
The easiest way to contact your 4D officers, board members, and group leaders is through the
“Contact Us” page on the 4D web site, www.4dPNR.org, or through The Masthead on page 11.
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