Building the Transcontinental Railroad

It was the moonshot of the 19th century – crews working East from Sacramento and West from Omaha to build the Transcontinental Railroad, meeting on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah. To help mark the project's 150th anniversary, the 7,000 horsepower Union Pacific steam engine #4014, built in the 1940s, has been restored. John Blackstone takes a ride, and talks with descendants of Chinese immigrants who were key to completing the 1,776-mile-long railroad.

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[hawkeyeten]

Finally, I was wondering when the media would at last give this story attention. Big Boy is more than a mere steam train, it's an American icon (and the largest successful engine ever). Glad to see it finally getting the spotlight it deserves.

[Misfitfan]

I adore CBS Sunday Morning. Imagine a world where most of the programming was like this. Positivity would shine through.

[Mister]

I'm so glad the descendants of the Chinese railworkers are in this piece, and their history reviewed!

[USAF]

Our nation is built on the contributions and sacrifices of many people from many lands. WE would not be America or Americans if it were not for our rich tapestry of people who chose to become Americans. Thank you, let's stand together, not divided and be proud moving forward always.

[erikaramirez]

I never thought I'd see Abraham Lincoln talking into a cell phone 2:34! 😄

[KrazeDiamond]

Thank you CBS for giving some exposure to the Chinese-Americans who helped built America. This piece of history has long been ignored and it's way overdue for Chinese-Americans to receive the respect & recognition they deserve. Give credit where it's due.

[awfulorv]

Eight Irish workers laid ten miles, fifty six feet, of rail from sunup to sundown, on one of the last days before the join up.
They picked up, and laid down, 3520 rails, each weighing 560 lbs, for a total of 1, 971, 200, nearly two million lbs.
Therefore each man carried, and put in place 246, 400 lbs of steel, or 123.2 tons of steel, and walked at least ten miles, while doing so.
They were supposed to be relieved at noon, but didn't trust the relief crew, so they worked all day.
This shows the pride, and toughness, the workers of those day's had.
Bless their memories.

[billnye]

My History teacher Is making me watch this

[roaenokesyzlak]

"If they can build a wall, they can build a railroad" Charles Crocker - Central Pacific R.R.

[quelin]

Next time you are stuck at a crossing; sit, breathe, relax. Remember; we are moving the freight that supplies a nation.

[stinker]

In the 1970s, a couple of college friends and I came up to the Donner Summit area and camped out ovenite with the idea to go rock climbing. Well, I don't recall any rock climbing there, but we walked thru the tunnels when there was no grafitti yet in place. I will never forget going thru those tunnels. Can't do that any more.

[tjprptchable]

I believe at school we should talk more about the transcontenental railroad because it was like the first man to go to the moon in the 1800 and it was such a big accomplishment in history without the transcontenental railroad America woldint be America I am happy that this history finally hit the spotlight. And thank you UP for bringing back the iorn giant that we thought would never rule the rails agen.

[KamleshMallick]

Big Boy - What a collosus !

Memories of
Rail Road Tycoon 2 !
What a game. Still play the 1998 classic.

[ChrisJones-gxfc]

So happy to say I got to be there on May 10th! Something like 10, 000 people turned out for the 150th anniversary at Promontory Summit (and that might have been just on May 10th!). Just as the Chinese were the bulk of the workforce on the Central Pacific, the Union Pacific's workforce was made up of a lot of Irish immigrants who too faced prejudice from their non-Irish counterparts. When both railroads entered Utah and were building side by side, the Irish and Chinese workers often worked together and could both relate to facing prejudice and discrimination. At the 150th anniversary the music group the Black Irish Band told this story and invited some Chinese descendants up on stage to sing some traditional work songs, showing how the two groups came together and shared a story that not many may have known about.

[brucewilson]

One of those Chinese Railroad Workers was named Bing. After the Railroad was completed he found work on an Orchard in the Pacific NW. There, he developed a Cherry we know today as the Bing Cherry.

[TSemasFl]

Now that's cool, good for them bringing our history back to life. I want to see it.

[SethMethCS]

0:23 they forgot to mention that what we railfans might never see again is the doubleheader.

A doubleheader is where two steam engines supply traction on one train. Union Pacific #844 was behind #4014. This was a doubleheader, this is what we may never see again.

[johnwhite]

Conditions were so bad on the Central Pacific's path through the mountains that a saying it the time "Chinamans Chance" meant no chance at all.

[Altoclarinets]

It's very simple:
They started in the east, laying down the rail, and out in California folks were blazing out a trail. Towards the center they did strive; no one knew when they would arrive, building the Transcontinental Railroad. They cleared the way and blasted through the mountainside, and built big tressel bridges stretched across the valleys wide, and it's a fact they laid more than three thousand miles of track to build the Transcontinental Railroad.

It took six years, and in the spring of 1869, in Promontory, Utah they connected the first line. And across the growing nation, folks joined in the celebration of the Transcontinental Railroad.

[gailbaron]

Thank You John Blackstone. I dressed the part, took a chance, you made my dream come true! I got to be part of the historic day. 2:33.