Theodore Judah and the Blazing of the First Transcontinental Railroad over the Sierra Nevada

Year: 2019

By Charles R. Spinks, M.S., P.E., M.ASCE; J. David Rogers, Ph.D., P.E., P.G., F.ASCE

This richly illustrated monograph recounts how civil engineer Theodore D. Judah conceived, surveyed, and tirelessly championed the Central Pacific Railroad’s daring route across Donner Pass—work that made America’s first transcontinental rail link possible. Rogers and Spinks weave together the technical challenges of Sierra Nevada surveying and tunneling, Judah’s political lobbying in Washington, and the economic forces that shaped California’s early rail ventures. The paper offers both engineering detail and engaging narrative, making it an accessible primer for researchers interested in 19-century railroad construction, Western expansion, and the pivotal role of Judah’s vision in U.S. transportation history.