The idea of connecting the western and eastern regions of the United States by railroad was raised as early as the 1830’s and seemed a logical solution to bridge the vast emptiness separating the two coasts. The final spike was driven into the railbed on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah. The completion ceremony featured two steam locomotives; the Union Pacific’s No. 119 and the Central Pacific’s No. 60, also known as the Jupiter, facing each other. The Jupiter had been built at New York’s Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1868. Using the Whyte Notation System for classifying steam locomotives, the Jupiter had a 4-4-0 configuration. The numbers indicate the leading wheels, driving wheels, and trailing wheels; the Jupiter had four leading wheels, four driving wheels, and zero trailing wheels. The Union Pacific’s No. 119 also had a 4-4-0 configuration.
