#2 Parallel Grading

Quick Facts

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Golden Spike National Historical Park

Notice the second grade on your right and the parallel cuts ahead. They are remnants of the great railroad race to Promontory. With huge land grants and government subsidies to be gained, both the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads strained hard to build more track than the other. In 1864 Congress authorized each company to send graders up to 300 miles ahead of its end-of-track. Here in Utah, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific crews actually met and passed one another with roadbeds. The result was utter duplication of effort, with grades often running within sight of one another for miles. Congress finally stopped the wastefulness on April 10, 1869 by establishing Promontory Summit as the meeting place. Thereafter each company concentrated on reaching Promontory, the shallow valley ahead.
Time has not erased the extravagance of this effort. Evidence of this parallel grading is best preserved here at Golden Spike National Historical Park.

• Parallel Grading

  
  

  Notice the second grade on your right and the parallel cuts ahead. They are remnants of the great railroad race to Promontory. With huge land grants and government subsidies to be gained, both the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads strained hard to build more track than the other. In 1864 Congress authorized each company to send graders up to 300 miles ahead of its end-of-track. Here in Utah, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific crews actually met and passed one another with roadbeds. The result w

  Date created:

  04/11/2025

  Audio Transcript

  Notice the second grade on your right and the parallel cuts ahead. They are remnants of the great railroad race to Promontory. With huge land grants and government subsidies to be gained, both the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads strained hard to build more track than the other. In 1864 Congress authorized each company to send graders up to 300 miles ahead of its end-of-track. Here in Utah, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific crews actually met and passed one another with roadbeds. The result was utter duplication of effort, with grades often running within sight of one another for miles. Congress finally stopped the wastefulness on April 10, 1869 by establishing Promontory Summit as the meeting place. Thereafter each company concentrated on reaching Promontory, the shallow valley ahead.