Thanks for posting. I had no idea that a repair building erected only five years after the completion of the transcontinental railroad was in Oakland. I figured all of that era’s buildings and equipment were gone for a half century or more. What a shame it couldn’t be turned into a museum.
“Empire Express” by David Bain is an outstanding book about the financing, politics, and construction of the first transcontinental railroad. It is an excellent book. You don’t realize what an incredible entrepreneurial achievement this was until you dig into the history. This was the first “mega-project” in the U.S. Raising the huge amounts of capital and transporting all locomotives and rolling stock to the West Coast was just incredible.
I think I have a copy of Empire Exress I bought at a book sale. I’ll have to read it now. Thanks.
It is a shame.
KIDS and adults would have LOVED to see our history come to life.
UNITING The States of America
First north to south. Then east to west.
Union Pacific is proud to celebrate the legacy of Abraham Lincoln – who set the transcontinental railroad in motion and brought our railroad to life.
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/history/lincoln/index.shtml