Fernley, Nevada

Today we got an early start, stopped at Walmart to restock and ended up in Fernley Nevada. We are 46 miles from California and just east of Reno. We have decided to slow things down a bit and have paid a months rent which is cheaper than two weeks rent and will use the time to get caught up on laundry, mail and chores, etc. Unfinished business includes more picture from the Golden Spike National Monument.

A flag was placed on top of the telegraph pole.

The last tie was brought from California and is of laurel wood, symbolic of the laurel wreathes worn by Roman conquerors as they successfully returned to Rome and making the successful completion of the transcontinental railroad.

At 10 am the Jupiter arrived and passed the crowd.

  

It took its position as was shown in the original photograph. This was the Central Pacific railroads flagship.

  

This is an exact replica of the original.

A story about the flag. The flag shown is a twenty star flag even though the flag for the year of the ceremony should have been a 37 star flag. It seemed with all the careful planning for this event no one remembered to bring a flag. The flag used was a family heirloom in the possession of a military man in the crowd who lent it for the ceremony. 

And at 10:30 am here come the 119 of the Union Pacific.

The did a run by at the station

And then headed over to the meeting track.

  

Lots of bright work to maintain on the UP flagship.

Now they are positioned head to head like the way it was on May 10th 1869

Quite impressive to watch.

 On Saturdays they recreate the entire even with role players actually driving spikes and a telegrapher sending out the first live nationwide broadcast describing the happenings. Originally they even had the hammers wired to the telegraph wire and the heads of the two railroads were each to deliver the first blows to the spikes which would then be broadcast across the country. As might be expected, both executives missed their targets and it was left to surer hands to actually set the spikes.

Tomorrow I'll post the rocket pictures. The rest of the day will be spent enjoying the good life here in Fernley Nevada.