CPRR Discussion Group

Saturday, June 18, 2011

From: "Tony Chinn" tonychinn@msn.com

How many railroads were built by the Chinese?

CPRR Discussion Group said...: From: "RANDALL HEES" hees@astound.net

There were Chinese workers laboring on many of the western railroads... but none were "built" by Chinese... building a railroad was a complicated process, with many involved... frequently the jobs available was limited by your ethnicity.

The building of a railroad starts with organizers, capitalists and investors ...

There are surveyors and engineers to locate the line, lay it out and design the track system and bridges ...

There are graders who carve a track bed, by hand, with animal power, and later with machinery ...

There are bridge and building crews building the bridges, water towers, stations ... and so forth.

The track crew or track layers lay the ties and rails ... then ballast and level the track (and later maintain it).

Most Chinese workers were graders and track layers, It appears on the 1862 Western Pacific they may have served on the bridge crew as well.

—Randy Hees; 6/19/2011 8:19 AM

Saturday, June 18, 2011