"National Train Day" - May 10th Joining of the Rails Anniversary

"National Train Day", © The Baltimore Sun, published May 2, 2010. (News Article)

"National Train Day ... [event at] Union Station, 50 Massachussetts Ave. N.E., Washington [, D.C.] ... [on May 10, 2010] Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ... The third annual celebration of all things train, but train travel in particular. The event commemorates the anniversary of the 'golden spike' ... More details at nationaltrainday.com ... " [More]

[Courtesy Google Alerts.]

Fare for Passenger with a Horse

From: "Joseph Dorris" joe@pinnacle5minerals.com

... Shortly after the transcontinental railroad opened, what were the fares for travelers, specifically someone wanting to bring his horse and himself from Iowa to Utah in approximately 1870? How long would it take to make a 1,500 mile trip with an average number of stops? ...

—Joseph Dorris

UPRR's first 20 locomotives

From: "Don Strack" donstrack@comcast.net

Gordon McCulloh and I have been pooling our resources and concerning UPRR's first 20 locomotives, as part of an overall project of an all-time on-line UP steam roster. We have put together a preliminary listing that incorporates Richard Prince's research from the 1960s-1970s time period.

Here is our first attempt.

The major component is the "sale" in 1864 and 1866 of 18 locomotives to contract H. M. Hoxie, presumably as part of the notorious "Hoxie Contract" that lead to Credit Mobilier. UPRR "recovered" these locomotives in early 1867 when Hoxie lost the construction contract upon completion of the line to the 100th meridian (at today's Cozad, Nebraska).

The other major component is the conflicting research for the locomotive named "Black Hawk".

—Don Strack