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Stop 15: An Epic Story:
Construction features along the Big Fill Trail demonstrate the engineering skill and sheer determination of railroad workers who labored here. Not since tunneling through the Sierra Nevada did the Central Pacific confront such a rugged landscape. This portion of the railroad also represents the most grueling construction the Union Pacific undertook from Omaha to Promontory. As you walk the trail, remember that all construction was completed entirely by hand. What will take you 1 to 1-1/2 hours to walk, took the railroad companies about three months to build -- just for this small section of the railroad. Also remember that the construction features you will see along the way are only part of the epic story of the transcontinental railroad. At 1776 miles long, the railroad stretched from Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California. It remains one of the most remarkable engineering feats in American history. |