Historical question - rail and ballast

From: "B.F.G. Gabe" nommalednew@gmail.com

I have a language Arts assignment that I am supposed to ask a question about a historical event that isn’t asked very much. I live out here by Golden Spike National Historic Site. My dad worked one summer when I was a little kid as a fire tender/track repair/ and locomotive operator for the locomotives. So I thought about what he does and thought something I hadn’t heard about was how did they make and where did the railroad workers get ... the ballast for the transcontinental railroad to put under the rails and where did they get the stuff for the rails and how were the rails made.

I have been looking on the internet and haven’t found much on this could you please provide the information you have available to you on the matter? ...

—Ammon Wendel

Information Request - JB Silvis Locomotive

From: "William T. Shenton" shentonw@bellsouth.net

In the paper, J.B. Silvis Union Pacific's Nomadic Photographer, there is a picture of UP Locomotive #5, a 4-4-0T. Do you know of any drawings for this locomotive, who built the locomotive, or other information that I could use to build a model of this engine. I have built a model of the photographers car and now desire to build an engine model.

—Bill Shenton, Apex, North Carolina