The majority of the Union Pacific track heading westward was built by Irish laborers, by Mormons who constructed much of the track in Utah, and after the war by veterans of the Union and Confederate armies. Chinese immigrants did most of the work on the Central Pacific track. Most White men received between one and three dollars per day, but workers from China received less and were supervised by Whites. Eventually, the Chinese went on strike and gained a small increase in salary.
I am looking for government funding to support an expedition.
If you have SCUBA or Deep water diving and salvage experience, I may be taking you along to locate the remains of this colossal endeavor. If you have any knowledge of where the ruins of this project are located please contact me. Best guess is that it ran from Harvard to Oxford University.