PROMONTORY SUMMIT, Utah — For one day on Friday, lonely, windswept Promontory Summit filled with thousands of visitors eager to celebrate the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad 150 years ago today.
The morning began with positioning steam locomotive replicas Jupiter and No. 119, representing the Central Pacific and Union Pacific, respectively.
Soon afterward, a music troupe launched into two dress rehearsals of a half-hour musical dramatizing the events and personalities involved in the Transcontinental Railroad.
At 11 a.m., a parade of speakers began recounting or remembering the importance of the Transcontinental Railroad including keynote speaker Jon Mecham, a presidential historian.
The days ceremonies concluded with a traditional re-enactment of the Last Spike ceremony as it was in 1869 and a full rendition of the musical “As One” to be broadcast live over a television station in Salt Lake City.
Not to mention fireworks and a flyover as well!