10 Miles of Track Laid in One Day! The diorama on the dark side of the CP #1 "Governor Standford" exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum commemorates a friendly little bet waged between the rival Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads as they raced toward their historic merge at Promontory Summit in 1869. Officials of both railroads contended that their crews could lay more track in a day than their counterparts. The Union Pacific struck first, putting down 6 miles in one day. The Central Pacific battled back shortly thereafter with 7. Not to be outdone, the UP crews then knocked out 7 1/2 miles in just under 24 hrs. The CP's Charles Crocker then upped the ante by boasting that his men could lay ten miles in a day. Everyone laughed. It took a well-planned logistical effort, and lots of back-breaking work, but on April 28th of 1869, a CP crew consisting primarily of Chinese and Irish laborers, put down 10 miles in a little less than 12 hrs, bringing the CP's rails to within 3 1/2 miles of Promontory. It's a record that stunned everyone....and one that stands to this day. The sign you see on the right side of this photo is a replica of the one that was erected at the site to commemorate the event. Although the original rails are no longer there, a replica of that sign still stands on that spot. The original is now preserved at the Golden Spike National Historic Site at Promontory Summit in Utah.
