Railroad 1869 Along the Historic Union Pacific in Utah to Promontory

At the end of 1868 Union Pacific crews finished their phenomenal push across Wyoming. As they reached Evanston, winter set in. The Union Pacific's ultimate construction challenge lay ahead of them and they could ill afford to wait.

In Utah there were difficult rock cuts to be hacked out of steep canyon walls, ravines to be crossed with embankments and bridges, and most difficult of all, three tunnels to be driven. Mormon and other work crews alike were strung out down the Echo and Weber cany...