Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad

Experience the race of rails to link the country--and meet the men behind this incredible feat--in a riveting story about the building of the transcontinental railroad, brought to life with archival photos.

In the 1850s, gold fever swept the West, but people had to walk, sail, or ride horses for months on end to seek their fortune. The question of faster, safer transportation was posed by national leaders. But with 1,800 miles of seemingly impenetrable mountains, searing deserts, and endless plains between the Missouri River and San Francisco, could a transcontinental railroad be built? It seemed impossible. Eventually, two railroad companies, the Central Pacific, which laid the tracks eastward, and the Union Pacific, which moved west, began the job. In one great race between iron men with iron wills, tens of thousands of workers blasted the longest tunnels that had ever been constructed, built the highest bridges that had ever been created, and finally linked the nation by two bands of steel, changing America forever.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 09/08/2015
ISBN: 9780763665272
Pages: 224
Weight: 2.55lbs
Size: 9.40h x 11.00w x 0.90d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2015
School Library Journal 08/01/2015 pg. 129
Booklist 09/01/2015 pg. 92
Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2015 pg. 106
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2016 - Superior,Well Above Average

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 176183 / Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad
Reading Level: 8.5 / Interest Level: Middle Grade / Point Value: 7