Part 6-Transcontinental Railroad-Last Mountain, Last Battle: Legends of the Old West
- Matthew Kerns
- Jul 8, 2025
- 2 min read
Episode 6 of 6 in a series on The Transcontinental Railroad I wrote for Legends of the Old West.
The dream of uniting a nation by rail culminates in Episode 6: “The Golden Spike,” the thrilling finale of our Transcontinental Railroad series. In the spring of 1869, with just one spike left to drive, Union Pacific and Central Pacific crews converge on Promontory Summit, Utah—but not before sabotage, hostage-taking, and last-minute power plays nearly derail the ceremony. This isn’t just a story of triumph, but one of chaos, corruption, and clashing ambitions behind the most iconic moment in American railroad history.
The episode reveals the full drama behind the ceremonial completion of the railroad: the battle for control of Promontory’s critical infrastructure, the orchestrated kidnapping of Thomas Durant, and the hangover-fueled embarrassment that marred his moment in the spotlight. As the Golden Spike is driven and telegraphed across the nation, we pull back the curtain to expose the quiet erasure of the workers who truly built the railroad—Chinese laborers, Irish immigrants, freedmen, and former soldiers—whose faces are conspicuously absent from the official photographs.
But the story doesn’t end at Promontory. Episode 6 traces the fallout: the collapse of Crédit Mobilier, the political reckoning that ruined powerful careers, and the shifting fortunes of the railroad's architects. We explore how the railroad’s legacy gave rise to legends, outlaw heists, and a national mythology that still shapes America’s image of the West.
As the series concludes, listeners will see how the transcontinental railroad didn’t just unite the country—it rewrote its story. Join us to discover the untold truths and enduring myths of the iron road that built the Old West.
🎧 Listen now to "The Golden Spike" on your favorite podcast platform.
Available on Spotify:
And Apple Podcasts:
All of the Legends of the Old West podcasts are available at:
My book, Texas Jack: America's First Cowboy Star, is available at:
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