This picture was taken at Promontory Summit on Golden Spike Drive off Route 83 near Promontory, Utah. The shiny tie with the plaque attached is the exact point where the last Golden Spike was driven on May 10, 1869 to connect the Central Pacific Railroad from the West to the Union Pacific Railroad from the East thus completing the first Transcontinental Railroad. Technically the Transcontinental definition was not finished until later in 1869 when the Sacramento to San Francisco section was connected. A total of 1776 miles of track were laid, 690 miles by Central Pacific and 1086 miles by Union Pacific, connecting Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California. Did you know that the distance between rails is 4 feet 8 1/2 inches and is known as standard or international gauge? This standard gauge is used by 60% of the railways today.
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