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First transcontinental railroad was one of the Engineering and technology good articles, but it has been removed from the list. There are suggestions below for improving the article to meet the good article criteria. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.

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Date	Process	Result
April 1, 2007	Good article reassessment	Delisted

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— Assignment last updated by Charliewerth (talk) 13:08, 5 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Addition to the “In Popular Culture” Section

Another Notable use of this topic in Popular Culture would be the Newest Oregon Trail Game (2021) by Gameloft released on the Apple Arcade, where the construction of this railroad is a sidequest, and you can opt to either build for Central or Union Pacific. 2600:6C64:697F:962B:8506:C7A1:F44C:C320 (talk) 15:56, 23 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Cite your sources!

The article has so many "citation needed" things.

if you are one of the previous authors please cite the source where you got the information.

I will try to find the source that states the information that is in the article, but is also reliabe. That railroad man (talk) 02:12, 26 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Total Land Grants

Total land grants do not appear to be backed up by source 51. I believe the intended source was 50. However, that source is a map of all land grants to railroads, not just to the continental railroad. I would appreciate someone else looking into this! If no one does, I will change the text to reflect my understanding that the listed grants refer to all railroads. Warr40 (talk) 08:02, 2 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Horace Hamilton Minkler

Horace Hamilton Minkler was my second great grandfather I am John E Barkley James D Barkley's son I'm also in transportation but not the railroad side of it. I just want to thank Wikipedia for keeping America and our history alive I will continue to educate people about our history of America it's very important to me and the history of America that everything comes from transportation anything you buy in your home and or business is from transportation.. 2601:647:5E00:7940:E0A2:F927:2AEC:1472 (talk) 23:12, 28 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Discrepancies in railroad length

Hello,

This article provides two figures for the First Transcontinental Railroad's full length. In the opening paragraph of the article, the length is claimed to be 1,911 miles (3,075 KM). But in the right-hand box where the length is re-stated again beneath the image used for the article, the length is described to be 1,912 (3,077 KM). It's a small error but a noticeable one nonetheless - and also, I'm not sure which one is correct. 153.33.89.251 (talk) 20:21, 8 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

There's actually a 3rd figure. If you add the mileage figures given for each of the 3 contractors listed in the construction section, that adds up to 1909 miles. While none of these 3 figures is cited to a source, most of the text of this article came from a knowledgable volunteer from the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, who unfortunately appears to be inactive nowadays. As such, I have no reason to doubt these figures are as accurate as can be reasonably expected for such a long line built in the 1860s, and given the primitive tools for measuring distance of the day. However, the article mentions that even though the line was declared complete in May 1869, there were still missing bridges that meant the line wasn't truly complete until 1872. It is not clear if any of these figures include those missing bridges or not. That could also easily explain the discrepancy. All this to say, I don't know, but I'm not concerned about it either. Dave (talk) 05:33, 9 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Adding a bit more to the discussion. A quick Google search yielded 2 sources. However, these two sources only include the Union Pacific and Central Pacific portions of the line, they exclude the Western Pacific portion. Per the Wikipedia article the WP portion was 132 miles, so take that 132 mile difference into account if we want to do an apples to apples comparison. This one gives a figure of 1779 miles and matches the figures for CP and UP portions listed in the Wikipedia article. this one gives the figure of 1776 miles and has a different figure for the Union Pacific portion than the figure cited on the Wikipedia article, the Central Pacific portion matches. Dave (talk) 05:51, 9 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

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+==Wiki Education assignment: The History of Immigration in the United States==
-=="Emigrants" leave and "immigrants" arrive==
+{{dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment | course = Wikipedia:Wiki_Ed/Columbia_College/The_History_of_Immigration_in_the_United_States_(Fall_2022) | assignments = [[User:Charliewerth|Charliewerth]] | start_date = 2022-08-30 | end_date = 2022-12-09 }}
-== Which parallel? ==
+<span class="wikied-assignment" style="font-size:85%;">— Assignment last updated by [[User:Charliewerth|Charliewerth]] ([[User talk:Charliewerth|talk]]) 13:08, 5 October 2022 (UTC)</span>
-The first paragraph of the Authorization and Funding section reads:
+== Addition to the “In Popular Culture” Section ==
-:In February 1860, Iowa Representative Samuel Curtis introduced a bill to fund the railroad. It passed the House but died when it could not be reconciled with the Senate version due to opposition from southern states who wanted a southern route near the 42nd parallel.
+Another Notable use of this topic in Popular Culture would be the Newest Oregon Trail Game (2021) by Gameloft released on the Apple Arcade, where the construction of this railroad is a sidequest, and you can opt to either build for Central or Union Pacific. [[Special:Contributions/2600:6C64:697F:962B:8506:C7A1:F44C:C320|2600:6C64:697F:962B:8506:C7A1:F44C:C320]] ([[User talk:2600:6C64:697F:962B:8506:C7A1:F44C:C320|talk]]) 15:56, 23 December 2022 (UTC)
-This doesn't make sense, because the final route through Omaha, Nebraska and Promontory, Utah goes close to the 42nd parallel. Is the 32nd parallel intended? It comes close to Jackson, Mississippi; Shreveport, Louisiana; Dallas-Fort Worth; El Paso, Texas; and Tucson, Arizona.
+== Cite your sources! ==
-[[User:Msramming|Msramming]] ([[User talk:Msramming|talk]]) 21:30, 4 April 2018 (UTC)
+The article has so many "citation needed" things.
-You are correct that the southern states did not want the railroad near the 42nd parallel. It looks like some editing back in 2016 confused the language that southern Democrats opposed the 42nd parallel with them supporting a 42nd parallel route. This edit appears to be where the erroneous change occurs:
+if you are one of the previous authors please cite the source where you got the information.
-:"20:10, 12 October 2016‎ Btphelps talk contribs‎  132,147 bytes -281‎  →‎Authorization and funding: edit intro graf undo"
+I will try to find the source that states the information that is in the article, but is also reliabe. [[User:That railroad man|That railroad man]] ([[User talk:That railroad man|talk]]) 02:12, 26 January 2023 (UTC)
-The previous version said:
+== Total Land Grants ==
-:"The Acts were approved in part because the American Civil War removed southern Democratic opposition to a central route near the 42nd parallel."
+Total land grants do not appear to be backed up by source 51. I believe the intended source was 50. However, that source is a map of all land grants to railroads, not just to the continental railroad. I would appreciate someone else looking into this! If no one does, I will change the text to reflect my understanding that the listed grants refer to all railroads. [[User:Warr40|Warr40]] ([[User talk:Warr40|talk]]) 08:02, 2 February 2023 (UTC)
-Then the modified version changes to speak to the initial failure to pass:
+== Horace Hamilton Minkler ==
-:"It passed the House but died when it could not be reconciled with the Senate version due to opposition from southern states who wanted a southern route near the 42nd parallel.[25]"
+Horace Hamilton Minkler was my second great grandfather I am John E Barkley James D Barkley's son I'm also in transportation but not the railroad side of it. I just want to thank Wikipedia for keeping America and our history alive I will continue to educate people about our history of America it's very important to me and the history of America that everything comes from transportation anything you buy in your home and or business is from transportation.. [[Special:Contributions/2601:647:5E00:7940:E0A2:F927:2AEC:1472|2601:647:5E00:7940:E0A2:F927:2AEC:1472]] ([[User talk:2601:647:5E00:7940:E0A2:F927:2AEC:1472|talk]]) 23:12, 28 March 2024 (UTC)
-Reference 26 in the original became Reference 25 and was used to cite the opposition from southern states to the location of the route but did not originally mention a parallel.
+== Discrepancies in railroad length ==
-This needs to be corrected but I'll defer to someone more capable to correct the statement without messing up the structure of the section.
+Hello,
---[[User:Kchambers|Kchambers]] ([[User talk:Kchambers|talk]]) 17:39, 10 August 2020 (UTC)
+This article provides two figures for the First Transcontinental Railroad's full length. In the opening paragraph of the article, the length is claimed to be 1,911 miles (3,075 KM). But in the right-hand box where the length is re-stated again beneath the image used for the article, the length is described to be 1,912 (3,077 KM). It's a small error but a noticeable one nonetheless - and also, I'm not sure which one is correct. [[Special:Contributions/153.33.89.251|153.33.89.251]] ([[User talk:153.33.89.251|talk]]) 20:21, 8 May 2024 (UTC)
-== Requested move 10 February 2021 ==
-<div class="boilerplate" style="background-color: #efe; margin: 0; padding: 0 10px 0 10px; border: 1px dotted #aaa;"><!-- Template:RM top -->
-:''The following is a closed discussion of a [[Wikipedia:Requested moves|requested move]]. <span style="color:red">'''Please do not modify it.'''</span> Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a [[Wikipedia:move review|move review]] after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion. ''
+:There's actually a 3rd figure. If you add the mileage figures given for each of the 3 contractors listed in the construction section, that adds up to 1909 miles.  While none of these 3 figures is cited to a source, most of the text of this article came from a knowledgable volunteer from the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, who unfortunately appears to be inactive nowadays. As such, I have no reason to doubt these figures are as accurate as can be reasonably expected for such a long line built in the 1860s, and given the primitive tools for measuring distance of the day. However, the article mentions that even though the line was declared complete in May 1869, there were still missing bridges that meant the line wasn't truly complete until 1872. It is not clear if any of these figures include those missing bridges or not. That could also easily explain the discrepancy. All this to say, I don't know, but I'm not concerned about it either. [[User:Moabdave|Dave]] ([[User talk:Moabdave|talk]]) 05:33, 9 May 2024 (UTC)
-The result of the move request was: page '''moved'''. Strong and valid consensus.  [[User:Andrewa|Andrewa]] ([[User talk:Andrewa|talk]]) 06:41, 18 February 2021 (UTC)
-----
+::Adding a bit more to the discussion. A quick Google search yielded 2 sources. However, these two sources only include the Union Pacific and Central Pacific portions of the line, they exclude the Western Pacific portion. Per the Wikipedia article the WP portion was 132 miles, so take that 132 mile difference into account if we want to do an apples to apples comparison.  [https://www.american-rails.com/transcontinental.html This one] gives a figure of 1779 miles and matches the figures for CP and UP portions listed in the Wikipedia article. [http://cprr.org/Museum/FAQs.html this one] gives the figure of 1776 miles and has a different figure for the Union Pacific portion than the figure cited on the Wikipedia article, the Central Pacific portion matches. [[User:Moabdave|Dave]] ([[User talk:Moabdave|talk]]) 05:51, 9 May 2024 (UTC)
-[[:First Transcontinental Railroad]] → {{no redirect|First transcontinental railroad}} – It's the "first transcontinental railroad", not the "First Transcontinental Railroad", which would imply it was an official or at least a widely used name.
-The article should be retitled in lower case and corresponding changes made within it.
-(The [[Panama Railroad]] was decades earlier, and what this one ''really'' was is only the first railroad connecting the west coast of the US to the existing eastern rail network, but the description "first transcontinental railroad" is widely used, so never mind these points.) -- [[Special:Contributions/142.112.149.107|142.112.149.107]] ([[User talk:142.112.149.107|talk]]) 02:48, 10 February 2021 (UTC)
-*'''Support''' per [[WP:COMMONNAME]]. The Google Ngrams indicate that the uncapitalized version is the most common.[https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=First+Transcontinental+Railroad%2Cfirst+transcontinental+railroad&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26&smoothing=3&direct_url=t1%3B%2CFirst%20Transcontinental%20Railroad%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cfirst%20transcontinental%20railroad%3B%2Cc0#t1%3B%2CFirst%20Transcontinental%20Railroad%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cfirst%20transcontinental%20railroad%3B%2Cc0] [[User:Rreagan007|Rreagan007]] ([[User talk:Rreagan007|talk]]) 03:33, 16 February 2021 (UTC)
-----
-: ''The discussion above is closed.  <b style="color: #FF0000;">Please do not modify it.</b> Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.''<!-- from [[Template:Archive bottom]] -->
-</div><div style="clear:both;"></div>
-== Images ==
-Wow, of all the many images in this excellent article currently only one is unfree, and it's one of the last few... the movie poster. But it just shows you do need to check them all. [[User:Andrewa|Andrewa]] ([[User talk:Andrewa|talk]]) 06:56, 18 February 2021 (UTC)
-== A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion ==
-The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:
-* [[commons:File:Chinese railroad workers sierra nevada.jpg|Chinese railroad workers sierra nevada.jpg]]<!-- COMMONSBOT: discussion | 2021-10-07T00:53:21.330824 | Chinese railroad workers sierra nevada.jpg -->
-Participate in the deletion discussion at the [[commons:Commons:Deletion requests/File:Chinese railroad workers sierra nevada.jpg|nomination page]]. —[[User:Community Tech bot|Community Tech bot]] ([[User talk:Community Tech bot|talk]]) 00:53, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
-==Wiki Education assignment: The History of Immigration in the United States==
-{{dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment | course = Wikipedia:Wiki_Ed/Columbia_College/The_History_of_Immigration_in_the_United_States_(Fall_2022) | assignments = [[User:Charliewerth|Charliewerth]] | start_date = 2022-08-30 | end_date = 2022-12-09 }}
-<span class="wikied-assignment" style="font-size:85%;">— Assignment last updated by [[User:Charliewerth|Charliewerth]] ([[User talk:Charliewerth|talk]]) 13:08, 5 October 2022 (UTC)</span>