One of the key events in the history of the United States occurred 153 years ago today – the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad (which was also known as “The Pacific Railway” and the “Overland Route”). North of the Great Salt Lake, at Promontory Point, Utah Territory on May 10, 1869, the ceremonial last spikes were driven and the railroad was completed.
The ceremony and its significance
The tracks of the eastbound Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) joined those of the westward Union...
There are many people interested in former transportation companies, whether they were trucking companies, railroads, airlines or ocean lines. These companies are called “fallen flags,” and the term describes companies whose corporate names have been dissolved through merger, bankruptcy or liquidation.
Today’s FreightWaves Classics profiles another fallen flag in the railroad industry – the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (reporting mark MKT), nicknamed “The Katy.”
An assortment of Katy power...