Railroad: Transcontinental

Year Published: 1980

Creator: Calvin Films

Complete Record: (Re-enactments shot in 1980, stills from 1865-1880) Describes the building of the transcontinental railroad after the Civil War. Tells of the problems which hampered construction, including bad weather, Indian attacks, difficulty tunneling through solid rock, and competition between the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad for land rights. Describes expansion of the railroad system in the West during the last half of the nineteenth century. Shows how the transcontinental system affected commerce and daily life in America.