Train of Thought

As the waystation depot for All Things Trains (well, okay, not "all" things, or even most, but at least many), it was a treat to discover today that a couple weeks ago the U.S. Postal Service released some terrific commemorative stamps honoring the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad.

There are three stamps in the series (and six sets of them on a sheet), Two of the stamps each feature the locomotives for the trains -- the Jupiter and the 119 -- that brought officers and guests of the Union and Pacific train companies to the “Golden Spike Ceremony” joining the two lines at Promontory Point, Utah.  In between them the stamps is a third of the famous golden spike.

​As the USPS describes the background --

Building the transcontinental railroad during the 1860s was one of the great achievements of the era. The completion was marked by the “Golden Spike Ceremony,” held on May 10, 1869, when rail lines built by the Central Pacific from the west and the Union Pacific from the east were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah.A large immigrant labor force — including a majority of Chinese and Irish laborers — carried out most of the backbreaking and often dangerous work that made the achievement possible. The workforce, totaling more than 20,000 at its peak, also included immigrants from many nations — Germany, Italy, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and others — as well as African-Americans and former Civil War soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies. Many crews of Mormon workers helped make the final push across Utah. Reminiscent of traditional 19th century oil painting techniques, the three distinct designs of the Transcontinental Railroad Forever stamps evoke the spirit of the era.

​So, rush out to your local post office and get a sheet or two while supplies last.  I picked up three sheets and might pick up some more when I next pass by the post office on my morning constitutional...

All aboard..!