Is the "Golden Spike", used to complete the transcontinental railroad, still there?
by 
Santaanacanyon
ANSWERS: 1
-
No. In fact, neither is the track. When the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads met on May 10, 1869, at Promontory, Utah, the ceremony included the dropping of four specially forged spikes into the final rails. Yes, four: Two gold, one silver, and one a composite of iron, silver and gold. They were not driven, but merely dropped into four specially augered holes in the crosstie. After the ceremony, the spikes were removed, and today are in museums. If you visit Promontory today, you will find a monument on the site of ceremony. But the line has been abandonded and removed in favor a straighter, shorter line built in the 1950's.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC