Description
The Transcontinental Railroad, which opened in 1869, meant travelers could go from the East Coast to the West Coast in under a week in relative comfort compared
to several months it took by covered wagon. The railroad opened the West for settlement and facilitated the flow of goods from coast to coast. The cost of making the 3,000-mile trip by rail was about $150, compared to almost $1,000 by wagon train. Mark Carlson explains how this mammoth construction project was completed in just under six years.
