Created by the signing of the Pacific Railroad Act by President Abraham Lincoln on July 1, 1862, the Union Pacific is the only major railroad in the United States still functioning under its original name. UP's first route was the eastern leg of America's first transcontinental railroad from Omaha, Nebraska to Promontory, Utah where it met the Central Pacific from California on May 10, 1869. Known as the Overland Route, this busy line is today UP's main east/west route, and includes the former Chicago & NorthWestern from Omaha & Council Bluffs east to Chicago. In this presentation we follow the UP west from Chicago to Utah via such historic railroad centers as Council Bluffs, Omaha, North Platte, Cheyenne and Green River. UP's unique motive power and colorful trains are the highlights of this journey.
