The Spike That United Them All

Once thing that always surprises me about the US when compared to say Europe is our lack of transit infrastructure.  Sure both continents have a rail system, but over here in the US it seems that we are still light years behind our European counterparts on rail transportation.  So that got me thinking about this week's post; it's more of a location than a city now, but Promontory, Utah is where both coasts of the US finally met for the first time under one rail line.

Promontory Summit is where the Transcontinental Rail Line finally became one on May 10, 1869; the area is now under the care of the National Park Services and the site is said to be in the middle of nowhere, a few dozen miles away from the nearest towns.  Unfortunately, as the years went on, the famed point of transit unity was left to fade away due to newer and more efficient ways to surpass the Great Lakes.  All that stands there now for the most part is a visitors center, an engine house and two replica locomotives that face each other just as they did the day the last spike was placed in the ground.


I know that this site for some may not be much, but it's an important part of American history.  I've always been a sap for climatic points in the evolution of countries and cities and this trip would be no different for me.  Only thing that I'd like to note though is unlike the rest of the spots I've chosen, Promontory Summit is really just a day trip; I'm breaking away with my week long minimum stay on this occasion.  Perhaps I could include this little excursion as a part of a greater trip to Utah.  Thoughts?

The one thing you won't see though is the infamous Golden Spike; this was the official spike that united the rails and made the transcontinental connection possible.  Hell you actually won't see anything from the original construction up there anymore.  The Golden Spike now resides at the Stanford Museum and all original rails were taken up for the war effort in 1942; so the two replicate trains actually lay on about 1.5 miles of recreated rails for tourists and posterity. 

I know that this post may not have sparked the interests of all adventure seekers, but this time around I decided to go with more historical significance.  How cool would it be to say that you once stood at the point where both halves of the United States were brought together by one golden token?