The U.S. grew quickly during the middle of the 19th century. Much of this growth was east of the Mississippi River. Many politicians and businessmen from the U.S. wanted to push west and connect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. At the time, the steam locomotive was the best choice for this task. However, laying railroad tracks was a time-consuming effort. The process included preparing the track ballast, or trackbed. This was a layer of crushed stone where the railroad ties and rails sat. The crushed stone allowed for better water drainage. It also prevented vegetation from growing around the track. The ties were wooden planks that rested on the trackbed. The rails were made of metal and were connected to each tie with metal spikes. This process made the transcontinental railroad a difficult operation.
Construction began in 1863, during the Civil War. Two companies built the railroad. The Union Pacific Railroad Company began building west from Omaha, Nebraska, on relatively flat ground. This allowed Union Pacific to lay tracks at a faster rate. Union Pacific's competitor was the Central Pacific Railroad Company. Working east from Sacramento, California, Central Pacific had to construct a railway through the Sierra Nevada mountains. This became a great obstacle. Thousands of laborers worked each day at a slow pace through, around, and over the difficult mountainous landscape. As the years went by, more and more workers were hired to build the railroad as quickly as possible. In fact, many different immigrants contributed to building the railroad, including Chinese, Irish, and German workers.
The two companies intended to connect their rails about halfway between the starting points. However, the U.S. Government promised benefits to the company that laid the most railway. This prompted fierce competition between the two companies. This competition became dangerous when the companies drew closer to one another in the late 1860s. Each company began to sabotage the other's work. They did this using dynamite and other methods to prevent the rival company from laying more rails.
In the end, the two companies connected their rails. Meeting in 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah, the final "Golden Spike" was hammered into the linked railroad. The completed transcontinental railroad allowed people and goods to travel across the United States in only a matter of days.
2
Based on the context of the passage, the track ballast is the
A.
worker who fixes any loose spikes, rails, or ties.
B.
section of the locomotive that releases steam.
C.
place where the railroad rests on the ground.
D.
part of the train engine that increases speed.
1 answer
The track ballast is the
C. place where the railroad rests on the ground.
The passage describes the track ballast as a layer of crushed stone that supports the railroad ties and rails, which indicates that it is the foundation on which the railroad is built.
