A transcontinental railroad in the United States is any continuous rail line connecting a location on the U.S. Pacific coast with one or more of the railroads of the nation's eastern trunk line rail systems operating between the Missouri or Mississippi Rivers and the U.S. Atlantic coast.

Apr 20, 2010 · America’s first steam locomotive made its debut in 1830, and over the next two decades, railroad tracks linked many cities on the East Coast. By 1850, some 9,000 miles of track had been laid east...

America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the "Overland Route") was a 1,911-mile (3,075 km) continuous railroad line built between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail network at Council Bluffs, Iowa, with the Pacific coast at the Oakland Long Wharf on San Francisco ...

Jan 29, 2008 · It was 1,776 miles long and served for the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States to be connected by rail for the first time in history. The Transcontinental Railroad was also known as the Pacific Railroad for a while and later on as the Overland Route — after the main passenger transport service that operated the line.

Apr 10, 2019 · Map showing the major places, roads, highways, and railroad locations related to the original U.S. Transcontinental Railroad

The Transcontinental Railroad. The possibility of railroads connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts was discussed in the Congress even before the treaty with England which settled the question of the Oregon boundary in 1846.

Jan 21, 2025 · This is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad -- the investors who risked their businesses and money; the enlightened politicians who understood its importance; the engineers and surveyors; and the Irish and Chinese immigrants, the defeated Confederate soldiers, and the other laborers who did the work on the tracks.

Feb 6, 2022 · The Transcontinental Railroad helped facilitate American interests in the west. It allowed for far easier access to the western states. Instead of having to trek through the untamed wilderness or sail around South America, Americans could now ride on a train and get from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Sacramento, California in a matter of weeks.

Feb 5, 2025 · The American rail network was essentially complete by 1910 when the last transcontinental line, the Western Pacific Railroad to Oakland, California, was opened. Advances in traction systems. Diesel-electric locomotives appeared in the 1920s.

A summary of the building of America's Transcontinental Railroad along with a map and overview of how it was built.