Rival Rails: The Race to Build America's Greatest Transcontinental Railroad Book

From wagon ruts to a railroad empire, an expansive account of the battle to control the heavily contested transportation corridors of the American Southwest and to build America's greatest transcontinental route.

The driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, which marked the completion of the country's first transcontinental railroad, was only the beginning of the race for railroad dominance. In the aftermath of this building feat, dozens of railroads, each with aggressive empire builders at their helms, raced one another for the ultimate prize of a southern transcontinental route that was generally free of snow, shorter in distance, and gentler in gradients.

More than just a means of transportation, the railroads were a powerful mold, and the presence of a rail line had the power to make—-or break—-the fledgling towns and cities across the newborn American West. While much has been written about the building of the first transcontinental railroad, the...

Library Journal

Borneman (The French and Indian War) goes beyond the driving of the golden spike at Promontory, UT, in 1869 to explore how during the subsequent two decades the western United States was crisscrossed with multiple rail lines. He explains how the railroad barons of storied lines like the Southern Pacific, the Denver & Rio Grande, and especially the Santa Fe battled over rights-of-way, passengers, and freight traffic. He also describes the advent of Fred Harvey's food service, how the railroads promoted settlement, and even several famous train robberies. Each chapter covers a particular development like the Sante Fe's entrance into California or the fight over the right-of-way through Colorado's Royal Gorge. VERDICT With modern railroads in a state of renewal, this well-written history of western railroad expansion will greatly interest rail fans and general readers alike. The book includes a 16-page photo section (not seen) and more than two dozen excellent maps essential to understanding the routes. Readers may also want to seek out Stephen Fried's Appetite for America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire That Civilized the Wild West.—Lawrence Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA