The Central Pacific Railroad, chartered in 1861 by California's "Big Four" merchants (Collis Huntington, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker), built the western portion of America's first transcontinental railroad. Construction began in Sacramento on January 8, 1863, and progressed eastward through the formidable Sierra Nevada mountains. The company recruited thousands of Chinese laborers from Canton Province who ultimately comprised 80 percent of the workforce by 1868—approximate

A great look at Rock Island commuter activity in Chicago, circa 1960s. From the excellent documentary "Midwest Electric Rails" a look at electrics around Chicago: https://rfd.video/MidwestElectric | Railfan Depot

After a solo CB&Q E-unit is filmed, Emery Gulash caught passenger train action on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in Chicago. From the Green Frog Productions show https://rfd.video/ChicagoOdyssey2 | Railfan Depot

Illinois railroad museum #locomotives #railroadhistory | Big Trains

Much of the former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad became property of the Iowa Interstate Railroad and the IAIS paid tribute with a Rock Island heritage scheme on two of its locomotives. From the BKVP show "Railroading Across the Heartland" https://rfd.video/HeartRail | Railfan Depot

The "Golden State" and other Rock Island relics, right into New Mexico. From the Green Frog Productions show "Rock Island Line, 1950s, 60s & 70s" https://rfd.video/ROCK | Railfan Depot