Iron Horses: America's Race to Bring the Railroads West

A "masterly" account of the origins of the transcontinental railroad (Douglas Brinkley) by the author of the bestselling The Admirals.
After the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, the rest of the United States was up for grabs, and the race was on. The prize: a better, shorter, less snowy route through the American Southwest, linking Los Angeles to Chicago.

In Iron Horses, Borneman recounts the rivalries, contested routes, political posturing, and business dealings ...