Talk:Promontory, Utah

Parallel tracks by rivals
I recall hearing on a "Today in History" feature that when the Union Pacific and Central Pacific roadbuilding crews came close to each other, they kept right on building past each other, laying parallel tracks. After several dozen miles of parallel tracks had been laid, the President ordered them to join the lines at Promontory Summit and drive the golden spike there. Thus, they would have had to pull up a lot of tracks and construct a single track to join them up. I suppose some of the double tracking could have been left to allow trains to pass in that area. GBC (talk) 03:13, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

That's correct. When the U.S Gov't funded the Union Pacific and Central Pacific, the legal document said they would build toward each other but did not specify a meeting place or what to do when they met. Since the railroads were paid per mile of track they laid, and also received land grants along the right-of-way, they simply continued to grade past each other because they made money doing it. Once the Gov't realized this loophole, they specified a time and place for the meet, which happened to be Promontory. (Hopefully someone can find the actual document to reference). One can see the remains of parallel roadbeds in person. Travelling west on Route 83 from Corinne, UT, the roadbed remains become visible on the south side of the road once the farmland turns to desert. They continue somewhat parallel to Route 83 until near the ATK plant, where Route 83 turns north. The roadbeds turn west and curve south. Near the ATK plant turn left onto another road with signs for the Golden Spike NHS. Remains of the "Big Fill" and "Big Trestle" can be seen off to the right about 2.5 miles down this road. The Central Pacific decided to span this gap with an earth fill, while the Union Pacific built a wooden trestle. It is possible to walk along the roadbed (and even drive it in some areas, it's all part of the NHS), and there are signs and photos describing the fill and trestle, as well as a sign showing a map of the parallel roadbeds. USHistorybuff (talk) 05:09, 17 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Does this mean that the exact location of the famous photograph of the golden spike hammering is known? I remember reading a center-column Wall Street Journal story from the late 1960s stating that the exact location had been lost. 06:55, 7 May 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Eye.earth (talk • contribs)

"point " v "summit"
When I was in school, the location of the Golden Spike ceremony was always described as "Promontory Point." The wiki article about Promontory Point makes it clear that the point and the summit are two different things. However, the two are still confused in the public mind--googling "Promontory Point" and "Golden Spike" gets 12,000+ hits. I think that this article as well as the pp article should contain a reference to the distinction. As an aside, does anyone know how the confusion occurred? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.91.64.185 (talk) 21:20, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * I believe the confusion resulted from the fact that both the original grade, and the replacement Lucin Cutoff passed features with Promontory in the name. Dave (talk) 18:40, 15 September 2010 (UTC)
 * "Point" has two meanings: the tip of the cape (a geographical feature) and the point where two railroads met (an otherwise unnamed location). The term "Summit" doesn't so clearly imply a meeting point. The objective of the railroad was to cross the continent, not to climb to the summit of a mountain. We shouldn't contradict the Library of Congress by calling them wrong: "They agreed to join the tracks at Promontory Summit (also known as Promontory Point), Utah." – wbm1058 (talk) 19:09, 14 September 2020 (UTC)
 * See point: 9. A specific location or place, seen as a spatial position. [from 14th c.] — We should meet at a pre-arranged point. – wbm1058 (talk) 19:13, 14 September 2020 (UTC)

Moved paragraph from article
IMO this paragraph is not relevent to an article about a mountain summit in Utah, and more appropriate for the article on the First Transcontinental Railroad, which already contains similar content.
 * However, although eastern and western railroads had met, the transcontinental railroad was not yet coast-to-coast. It was not until September 1869, that the Mossdale bridge across the San Joaquin River near Lathrop, California was completed. This vertical lift drawbridge was the final section in uninterrupted travel across continental America.

Dave (talk) 18:40, 15 September 2010 (UTC)
 * How can it not be relevant??? Promontory, Utah is famous being the site of the meeting of the first American transcontinental railways. However despite the ceremony, the actual coast-to-coast journey was actually not yet possible. How on earth can that not be important It's expanding the context fro which this place is historically important/famous.??  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.155.68.100 (talk) 22:22, 20 October 2010 (UTC)


 * It may be relevant on the Golden Spike article if sourced, but not to this article. Vsmith (talk) 00:11, 21 October 2010 (UTC)

Removed again. I see no reference provided in support and nothing about the bridge history in the First Transcontinental Railroad or Golden spike articles and nothing about the bridge in the San Joaquin River article. Seems the closest I find is a ref to a Mossdale Crossing (redlink) in the Interstate 205 (California) article. If the bridge were significant it would be found elsewhere on WP. Vsmith (talk) 14:25, 8 November 2010 (UTC)

Map
Any thought of adding a map to this article? As a non-American, not knowing where Utah is, a map of where Promontory is would be useful and of interest. It would fit well in the infobox with the picture Lanma726 (talk) 23:12, 19 November 2010 (UTC)
 * I have been bold and done this myself.Lanma726 (talk) 23:39, 19 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Well there should also be some closer up maps, and also show the point vs. summit locations. Jidanni (talk) 02:53, 9 March 2024 (UTC)