Library of Congress
Loc: Rise of Industrial America: Railroads in the Late 19th Century
A compilation of primary source documents addressing building and running the railroad system in the late 19th century.
The Newberry Library
Newberry: Historical Geography: Map 11: The Transcontinental Rail Network, 1878
Lesson for K-12 using historical maps examine the geographic, political, and economic factors that influenced the growth of railroads.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr Photographic History Museum: Constructing the Central Pacific Railroad
From a book written by a civil engineer, John Debo Galloway, this article discusses the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad including construction methods, problems, and the eventual meeting of the rails at Promontory Point.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr History Museum: Pacific Railroad Explorations and Surveys of 1853 54
Provides information and documents of Jefferson Davis, George McClellan and the War Department's Pacific Railroad explorations and surveys of 1853 to 1854.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr History Museum: Nelsons' Pictorial Guide Books: Central Pacific Railroad
Contains Nelson's pictorial guide-books, a fascinating look at the journey on the Central Pacific Railroad from Utah to California, including time schedules and descriptions of scenery.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr Photographic History Museum: The Pacific Railroad Unopen
From the September, 1869, magazine, "Overland Monthly", is this article by Robert L. Harris who traveled the route of the Central Pacific Railroad before it was officially opened, and wrote a description of the scenery along the route.
Cengage Learning
Cenage: Credit Mobilier Scandal
A very interesting excerpt from a book published in 1873, recounting the formation of the Credit Moblier Company, explaining who created it, and why the company was at the heart of a huge scandal in the building of the transcontinental...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Transcontinental Railroad
Explore the mechanics of railroad trains. Investigate boom towns and explore the life and challenges of sheriffs in these frontier settlements.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Binding the Nation by Rail
Read about the explosive growth of railroad track across the United States after the Civil War. Find out about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, the men who made fortunes from the railroads, and the first American regulatory...
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr History Museum: Chinese American Contribution to Transcontinental
In April of 1999, Representative John T. Doolittle delivered a speech before the United States House of Representatives commemorating the contribution of Chinese-Americans to the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. This site...
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr History Museum: Pacific Railroad Acts
See a copy of the document that enacted legislation for the development of a transcontinental railroad. Included is the text of the document also.
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Frontier House: The Northern Pacific Railroad and Those Who Built It
The goods and services brought to the frontier by the railroad improved the quality of life. Read about the construction and route of the Northern Pacific Railroad in this companion essay to the PBS series, Frontier House.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr Photographic History Museum: Tunnels of the Pacific Railroad
This site offers an abstract from Van Nostrand's Eclectic Engineering Magazine from 1870 from a paper by John R. Gilliss. A comprehensive look at the tunnels built along the route of the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific...
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr History Museum: Railway & Travel Guides and the Pacific Railroad
Ride the rails in the late 19th century by following these travel guides for railroads across the country. Find copies of the guides showing time tables, maps, and descriptions of the trips.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr: Lewis Metzler Clement: A Pioneer of the Central Pacific Railroad
Provides biographical information on Lewis Metzler Clement, the chief engineer for the Central Pacific Railroad, who both designed much of the route and supervised construction of the railroad. Includes several primary sources ranging...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Railroad, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
A speech and an engraving that illustrate how the railroad helped to unite the country after the Civil War.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Early American Railroads
Read about the growth of railroads throughout the eastern part of the United States, which greatly reduced transportation costs. See why there was opposition to railroads from many groups. Be sure to look at the stereograph of the...
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr History Museum: The Pacific Railroad Open: How to Go: What to See
Contains a guide for travel to and through Western America on the Central Pacific Railroad written by Samuel Bowles in 1869.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Streamliners: James J. Hill, 1836 1916
As part of a larger site about American railroads is this informative biography of James J. Hill, who built a rail line across the Northwest without federal assistance.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum: Linking the Oceans
A chapter, "Linking the Oceans" from "The Railroad Builders" by John Moody, published in 1919. Included is information about the building of the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad as well as other transcontinental...
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr Photographic History Museum: The Origin of the Idea for a Pacific Railroad
As part of a book about the Central Pacific Railroad written in 1898, this article discusses the origin of the idea to construct a transcontinental railroad.
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Railroads in the 1800s
Learn details of the fascinating history of the early American railroads in the 1800s including their invention, their expansion, significance, and their impact on the transportation system of America.