The Great Railway Race

The Great Railway Race was a friendly competition in 1888 between two major American railroads, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific, to see which could complete the first transcontinental railroad across the United States. The Union Pacific built westward from Omaha, Nebraska, while the Central Pacific built eastward from California. Their goal was to connect the ocean to the Great Plains, facilitating faster travel and commerce. The race highlighted engineering challenges, teamwork, and strategic planning, ultimately culminating in both railroads meeting at Promontory Point, Utah, on May 10, 1869, completing the first transcontinental rail line.