Preliminary requirements for Transcontinental Railroad

[envelope]

There was initially 5 different surveys completed, and eventually 5 were completed, although all did not join the both Oceans, but would have to make connections by ferry boat on the Mississippi.

 

St.Paul, MN to the Columbia River and Pubet Sound

     Surveyors - Stevens - Saxton - McClellan

 

Omaha, NE via Salt Lake to Sacramento, CA

     Surveyors - Dodge - Judah

 

St.Louis, MS via Salt Lake to Ft.Reading

     Surveyors - gunnison - Beckwith

 

Ft. Smith, AR to Las Angeles

     Surveyors - Whipple

 

Preston, TX to San Diego

     Surveyors - Pope - Parke

Not accessible until after the Gadsen Purchase

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>'These were basically the promotors of the different routes, but were rejected from possible problems for the first transcontinental railroad.

 

Benton's Buffalo - Piuto Territory - Died

Chipple - over estimated cost

Stevens - Mountainous

Southern - Mexico - Gadsen Purchase - Civil War

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Requirements :  grade of 116 feet per mile

                          curve radius of 300 feet

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Main reasons for a Transcontinental Railroad, in comparison with the transportation already being used to the completion.

 

Isthmus - 540 miles - $300 per ticket - malaria and insects

 

Cape Horn - 6 months - 13,600 miles - risky, tough and terrible trip, sea sickness

 

NY via Calcutta, India to SFO - easier, shorter, safer, sea sickness. ( I don't see the routing as being shorter, but that is what the article's author indicated.)  (No mention made of a time duration, but I would believe that the distance from NY to India, approx the same and around the Cape Horn.  But don't quote me.

 

Imigrant Trail - sunburns, walking, Indians, sicknesses, wiery animals

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Maintainence Financiers: Central Pacific Rwy

     Originally their occupations were that of Storekeepers  - Hardwares

 

Charles Crocker - Construction CO - President

Mark Hopkins - Treasurer

Collis Huntington - Vice President

Leland Stanford - President

 

There were at least 12 more, which are indicated as Managers for both the CP and the UP, which are part of the RT2 and RT3 Editions.

 

Hope this gives some light on some of the aspects to get the Transcontinental Railroad. 

[Gwizz]

interesting information.

 

I wonder how many railroads have aspired to reach faraway places.   By how they were named, There must be many. 

 

 

In researching the Copper Canyon RR I found:

 

Richest silver mine in Mexico was discovered in 1684 and closed in 1896 at Alamos Mexico.  The small mining RR actually helped close the mine.

 

It was proposed in 1860 an d was finally started in 1897.

 

it was originally purposed from Kansas to the Pacific sea port in Mexico at Polobampo,

 

Over a 90 year period a number of short lines were built over the route.  Some connecting and some not.

 

1914 Juarez across the river in Mexico , was connected to Chihuahua, a farming area and then to Creel a logging area.

 

Going West for 160 miles through the Canyons of the Copper Canyon area, was the most difficult track to build.

 

In the 1940s Mexico bought a number of railroads and finished the last part of the RailRoad in 1961.

 

Today the only passenger trains running in Mexico are the four trains running on the Copper Canyon RR.

 

Freight trains are very busy.