America by Rail: Golden Spike Nat'l Historic Site 7/17/10

On May 10, 1869, two locomotives - Central Pacific's Jupiter and Union Pacific's No. 119 - came together in a meeting of great historic import. At that moment, but only after the symbolic "tapping" of the now-legendary golden spike, two halves of the United States became one via the railroad track, changing trade, travel, and industry forever. Using anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 workers (a great deal of whom where Chinese immigrants), the project took a mere six years to complete, often at a rate of several miles per day. It was a glorious achievement, undiminished by the usual exploitation, greed, and labor unrest of the period. Here, at last, was the true beginning of America's global ambitions; its initial shot across the bow of a world that would, from time to time, hear the mighty roar of a new giant.

Now that we've dispensed with the obligatory chest-thumping and ra-ra patriotism, let's get down to the site itself. Located 32 miles west of Brigham City in remote northern Utah (not too far from the Great Salt Lake), Golden Spike National Historic Site is a powerful stop for the sheer magnitude of the event alone (so few historic sites are so immediately understandable), but the NPS has also gone to great lengths to add a dash of fun to the surroundings. Fine, there's no actual golden spike to be found (those bastards at Stanford University won't reliniquish the bloody thing - so what if Leland Stanford was a railroad titan), but they have trains! Working locomotives that will bring out the aw-shucks kid in even the grumpiest of grandpas. Bright, colorful, and puffing away like the engines of old, these expensive replicas add a great deal of authenticity to the proceedings, even if most visitors are older than the trains themselves. When that first burst of train whistle breaks the silence of a summer day, it's pretty damn cool, even if the park ranger keeps rambling on about who knows what.

Fortunately, we made it just in time to see this recreated "meet-up", and in the moments before they chugged down the tracks (like so much, though, not the original rails), we took in the beautiful desolation at the foot of the Promontory Mountains. While we didn't wait for the onlookers in period attire to testify to the glorious day, we did retreat to the visitor center for a screening of 1903's The Great Train Robbery, albeit behind a curtain and not in a proper theatrical setting. It was a charming treat, despite the rotten kids who kept peeking in to see if we were playing video games or something. Given the site's appeal (train enthusiasts have this place on their bucket lists) and genuine grandeur, I'd like to see, say, Stanford's estate or someone of similar deep pockets, make improvements that better showcase the history of the railroad. I'd even settle for a warts-free propaganda film about Leland himself if it took visitors away from cheap chairs and antiquated monitor. Also, the "museum" portion of the visitor center is adequate at best, and could be expanded to include many more artifacts from the period. And hell, while we're at it, why not bring the golden spike to the site from time to time? I guarantee a clicking turnstile, although the spot wasn't really wanting for tourists.

All told, every American should make a pilgrimage to Golden Spike, if only because it is likely to provide a springboard for further study. America is inconceivable without the railroad, and especially out west, the hundreds of little towns now in an advanced state of decay testify to the once great industry. We're airplane folks now, but for many decades, this country lived and died by the hustle and bustle of these mighty steel warriors.

FINAL RATING

7/10