American Experience: Scouting the Route
Eastern Nevada desert
It took us three hot August days to get across Nevada -- drinking water by the gallon. It took the men building this railroad more than a year to cross Nevada, living outdoors, through blazing hot days and cold desert nights. And they had to haul all the water by train from the Truckee River, hundreds of miles behind them. The foremen talked about losing mules by the dozen to heat stroke. Even today, you'll find the bleached bones of dead cattle.
Go West Go East

In the Sierra Nevada, California Donner Lake, California Western Nevada desert Western Nevada desert Eastern Nevada desert Eastern Nevada desert near the Great Salt Lake, Utah Promontory Summit, Utah Ogden, Utah Echo, Utah Piedmont, Wyoming Piedmont, Wyoming near Green River, Wyoming near Green River, Wyoming Point of Rocks, Wyoming Sherman, Wyoming Dale Creek, Wyoming Dix, Nebraska Julesburg, Colorado Roscoe, Nebraska North Platte, Nebraska Brady, Nebraska Shelton, Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska