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Opposition:
Wells Fargo - loss of stagecoach lines revenue
Panama Steamship - Passenger and products transportation from Panama to SFO revenue
Sitka Ice Company - used glacier ice - while railroads would be using close at hand Sierra Mts snow for refrigeration
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Central Pacific _ Financial problems
Tried for Govt Loan for $15M, but could only raise $300,000.
Union Pacific - Financial problems.
Tried for Govt loan for $2M, but could only raise $300,000.
Inflation problems for both railroads. The CP inits initial stage of construction
But even though the UP was already in ooperation, wanting an expansion, both ran into the problem of investors wanting fast profits in a boom during the Civil War, in munitions, metals, provisions, all for the war effort. They believed the Railroad concept as a risky business, even for the UP, and the CP was still in its inital stage, and would take years in its completion for operation.
If they would be available, an engine prior to the Civil War cost $1,000, now was increased to $13,666.
A ton of rails price rose from $55 to $115, and that was at the Boston Warf, and for the CP, they would have to suffer the cost to have it shippd to the West Coast.
There was also the problem with the railroads getting funding in "greenbacks". The Problem? Businesses on the West Coast believed "greenbacks" too unstable. Hence an exchange into Gold, at a loss of 57c on the dollar.
One of the many delays was, and if they could be obtained, was the duration of time to even get rails, spikes, shovels, wheelbarrows, hammers, etc, basically due to the War effort.
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Tunnel Trivia
One of 15 tunnels on the Central Pacific: Summit Tunnel
20 ft in height
1659 ft of solid granite
7032 ft above sea level, and 124 ft below the summit.
The tunnel required 500 kegs of dynamite a day for blasting
of which only 8 inches of progress was made in 24 hours.
Winter snow avalanches initiated
17 miles of snow sheds and
65 million boards feet of timbers
In 1867 it took 12 engines to ram the
Bucker snowplow through 30 ft snow drifts, 24 hours a day.
In 1890 a rotary plow could clear 30 ft drifts in 1 hour.
Just goes to show the progress mankind creats to surcome obstacales.
Again, these are some of the "reality" which today we take for granted, and the problems which help to build this country into the country in which we now live. Hope you Enjoy.
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