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| Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | Truckee in Nevada County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal) |
Truckee
First Transcontinental Railroad
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By Syd Whittle, October 21, 2009 | |
| | | 1. Truckee - First Transcontinental Railroad Marker | | |
Inscription. While construction on Sierra tunnels delayed Central Pacific, advance forces at Truckee began building forty miles of track east and west of Truckee moving all supplies by wagon and sled. Summit Tunnel was opened in December, 1867. The line reached Truckee April 3, 1868, and the Sierra was conquered. Rails reached Reno June 19, and construction advanced eastward one mile daily toward the meeting with Union Pacific at Promontory May 10, 1869, to complete the first Transcontinental Railroad.
Erected 1969 by State Department of Parks and Recreation, the Conference of California Historical Societies and Nevada County and Truckee-Donner Historical Societies, May 9, 1969. (Marker Number 780-6.)
Marker series. This marker is included in the Transcontinental Railroad marker series.
Location. 39° 19.648′ N, 120° 11.123′ W. Marker is in Truckee, California, in Nevada County. Marker can be reached from Donner Pass Road. Click for map. The marker is located on the rear side of the Truckee Railroad Depot across from the railroad tracks. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10158 Donner Pass Road, Truckee CA 96161, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Theodore Dehone Judah (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Truckee (within shouting distance of this marker); World War I Memorial / Victory Highway Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); George Schaffer (about 400 feet away, in a direct line); Jax Truckee Diner (about 400 feet away); “The Tin Can” ----------- “Dot’s Place” (about 500 feet away); Truckee’s Old Stone Garage and Site of Town’s First Dwelling (about 600 feet away); First Log Cabin (about 700 feet away). Click for a list of all markers in Truckee.| | | | 
By Syd Whittle, October 21, 2009 | |
| | | 2. Truckee -Transcontinental RR and Theodore Dehone Judah Markers | | This marker is located on the right. The "Theodore Dehone Judah" nearby marker is located on the left. | | |
Regarding Truckee. This site was designated as California Registered Historical Landmark No.780-6 on November 20, 1962.
Also see . . .
1. Theodore Judah and the Local Landmarks of the Central Pacific Railroad. An article by the Truckee-Donner Historical Society (Submitted on October 23, 2009, by Syd Whittle of El Dorado Hills, California.)
2. Central Pacific Railroad. Information and vintage photographs of the construction of the railroad through California. (Submitted on October 23, 2009, by Syd Whittle of El Dorado Hills, California.)
3. History of Truckee Railroads. (Submitted on October 23, 2009, by Syd Whittle of El Dorado Hills, California.)
Additional comments.
1. Construction of the Rail Bed Over the Summit
The CPRR rail line had reached Dutch Flat on the fourth of July, 1866. By the fall of 1866 line was laid all the way to Cisco. The winters of 1866-7 and 1867-8 were treacherous in the Sierra. Working conditions near the Summit were extremely hazardous. The CPRR imported Chinese labor to do the work because of their endurance and willingness to work for a fraction of normal pay. Many lost their lives while setting charges to blast a road bed out of the rock solid cliffs. Other's froze to death. By the spring of 1868 the great railroad tunnel east of Cisco had opened. Only nine miles remained to be built to connect with the rails previously laid at Coburn's. Four thousand men worked continuously for twelve days on a five-mile stretch to complete it (Dutch Flat Enquirer, June 6, 1868). In June, 1868 the CPRR made its first run from Sacramento to Lake's Crossing at the eastern foot of the Sierra in Nevada Territory. (Dutch Flat Enquirer, Saturday, June 27, 1868.) Regular passenger service from Sacramento to what soon became Reno, began shortly thereafter. Coburn's burned down the following month and residents quickly rebuilt, calling the town, 'Truckee'. The final link in the transcontinental railroad was completed the following year, 1869, at Promontory, Utah.
Source: http://westerly-journeys.com/goldrush/goldcprr.html#summit| | | | 
By Syd Whittle, October 21, 2009 | |
| | | 3. Rear View (Track Side) of theTruckee Railroad Depot | | |
— Submitted October 23, 2009, by Syd Whittle of El Dorado Hills, California. |
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By Syd Whittle, October 21, 2009 | |
| | | 4. Truckee Railroad Depot | | This building now serves as the AMTRAK Station, a retail shop, and The California Welcome Visitor Information Center. | | |
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By Syd Whittle, October 21, 2009 | |
| | | 5. Summit Tunnels of the Union Pacific Railroad | | These tunnel entrances are located west of Donner Lake and the Town of Truckee on the Old Highway 40. | | |
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By Syd Whittle, October 21, 2009 | |
| | | 6. The Town of Truckee and Donner Lake | | In this photo the original cut of the railroad track bed is viewed on the right. Donner Lake is viewed in the center with the Town of Truckee seen above the lake and Old Highway 40 can be seen below the lake. | | |
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Credits. This page originally submitted on October 23, 2009, by Syd Whittle of El Dorado Hills, California. This page has been viewed 791 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on October 23, 2009, by Syd Whittle of El Dorado Hills, California. 2. submitted on October 21, 2009, by Syd Whittle of El Dorado Hills, California. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 23, 2009, by Syd Whittle of El Dorado Hills, California.
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