Today a visit by NewMexiKen and Dad to the Golden Spike National Historic Site north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. This is the spot where the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific came together on May 10, 1869. NewMexiKen has written about this place here and here and here. With all that I figured it was time to visit.
The place is real, everything else is a replica, including the steam engines, which were built in 1979. Nonetheless a fascinating visit on a beautiful morning.
Jupiter, replica of the actual Central Pacific engine at the ceremony in 1869.
Replica of Union Pacific Engine 119.
Duplicating the famous Kodak moment — without the crowds and without the golden spike, which is actually on display at Stanford University. The originals of both of the historic engines were sold for scrap early in the 20th century for the standard $1000 each.