Golden Spike Driving Reenactment 2021 - Reopening the Golden Spike National Historic Park

As Covid restrictions were relaxed in May of 2021, we headed back to the Golden Spike National Historic Park to take part in the reenactment of the driving of the Golden Spike in 1869.
Free at last... After 14 months, Covid restrictions were coming down, and face masks were not required (but strongly advised) for those of us who were fully vaccinated. The site was mostly closed for a time and only now was they back to the normal annual events. Still, only about 200 people showed up, but this gave us the best access to the events!!.
We were last here in 2019 for the GREAT 150th anniversary of the finishing of America's transcontinental railroad and the driving the "Golden Spike". (Actually there were 5 ceremonial spikes)
• The Golden Spike - The...
We have created a "playlist" of Golden Spike and Spike 150 shows! Check it out...
• The Golden Spike - Sto...

[@johnd8892]

Thanks for being one of the first to correctly call this Promentory Summit and show what the Point was and how nothing was there.

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

I know the feeling! Even our teachers had it wrong! I was in grade school in 1969 when the May 10 celebration happened. We were told that it was Promontory Point! I wanted to see the place of where that golden spike was! I assumed it was still there! But looking at a map had me confused. Promontory POINT was IN the Great Salt Lake, just off a point of land. How did they lay railroad track through a lake? And what about that golden spike? Was it still there? Or was it covered in salty mud? The other part that was not explained was when the two trains met. Okay... We joined the East and West coast by rail. Well.... Now just how were these trains going to get around each other? Did they just keep blowing their whistles until they ran out of steam? Someone was going to have to back up to make this work! I hate to admit it... But I never heard the correct location of the Golden Spike until I met Dale, and watched his very first Toy Man Television show on this! Education is key!!

[@bernardc2553]

Totally spaced it & didnt get any notices, sure glad Dale & Karen pulled this off.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Morning!! And THANKS!

[@ToyManTelevision]

To check your notification bell. That little logo that looks like a bell. Even as a subscriber they won’t notify you unless your notifications are turned on. The default setting is to just notify you when it thinks it’s something you will be interested in so it may not notify you at all! You can set that to all and then you’ll be notified every time we upload

[@jeffbangkok]

A very pleasant end to my evening. Thank you 2 once again.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Late night? Or well east of us...

[@ThatBIGTRAINGuy]

Oh man, so cool! I'm soon going to upload my video of this from 1998. My Dad played the part of the Gov of Arizona. He did well, even with his English accent 😂😂😂

[@pathvalleyrailroad9277]

Wouldn't it be magnificent to have a couple of period coaches behind the locos and be able to ride the train out to the site of the ceremony?

[@ToyManTelevision]

And not that hard to do. It's the care and matainence thats hard..

[@larrybrennan1463]

One of the original Central Pacific cars from Promontory is still in existence.

[@coltonregal1797]

They might have legal trouble with that. Both locomotives have the period-correct link-and-pin couplers, which were outlawed in favor of Janey's knuckle couplers decades ago. I also don't believe either locomotive is equipped with air brakes, which could be a big sticking point for passenger service.

[@robertweldon7909]

One of the most amazing segments of train video I have ever seen is the portion you used of 4014. That entire video of 4014 with the beautiful background is worthy of a video award. Thanks for showing us everything you showed today. ;-)

[@ToyManTelevision]

THANKS!!!

[@beast1624]

Karen-Dale: Congratulations on being able to GET OUT! AND thank you SO MUCH for sharing this! It is always amazing to watch these re-enactments. Can't wait for what else you have coming!

[@robertemmons2260]

I've not seen any news or advertising on this or other events being scheduled. Glad to see that you two are out and about exploring again! Loved this episode. Thanks!

[@ToyManTelevision]

No news yet on ANYTHING!! No Big Boy schedule.... few train shows.. BUT they are being planned. As soon as we have info we will share.

[@robertemmons2260]

@@ToyManTelevision thanks! Looking forward to it.

[@EricSmith-ve7qi]

Great video Sir and Ma'am! Very informative and learned some interesting stuff!! Thank you! Big Fan from Johnstown Pa............

[@lynwoodreed9032]

Thanks for this video. Trains have been in my blood since childhood. After all my birthday is May 10th. By the way, every time I see video of 4014 that clanking side rod drives me crazy.

[@ToyManTelevision]

IS the clanking a good thing for you? Or a bad thing...

[@garyacker7388]

It did for me too but I guess it's just a part of the process. I asked one of the crew members. I thought that maybe it was bad bearings.

[@mrplane4205]

9:05 the former El Paso & Southwestern trestle in my hometown of El Paso, Texas!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Cool place.

[@roxannaliston9978]

I'm not sure if you knew this or not, but John Wayne the "Duke" actually came out to Promontory in 1969 to be there for the celebration! You can just imagine what a big event that was. The Box Elder High school band was asked to come out and play at the celebration. I find nothing more enjoyable than to hear those old steam whistle's blow! They are so beautiful, there is nothing like it! Thank you for the video!

[@vettebecker1]

Reproduction or not, these locomotives are amazing. Sure would love to have either in 7.5 for our home railroad!!!

[@ToyManTelevision]

They are sweet!!! For sure!!

[@roycepeck8807]

Another National Park that has Steam its Steamtown National Park in Scranton Pennsylvania. Loved the trip out in 2019.

[@meteorblades8044]

Great video. But it would be valuable for your readers to also learn that the railroad barons ripped off the taxpayers and financially screwed many existing towns along the route. Moreover, within just a few years, many poorly engineered and shoddily built sections had to be rebuilt from scratch. Then, of course, the barons promoted special train trips so men could kill tens of thousands of bison that generals like Sherman and Sheridan pushed as a key means to demolish Plains Indian culture and livelihood.

[@drgwnut]

I attended one of these a few years ago, and yes, it was surprisingly emotional. You realize that in that moment America started to become the truly great country it is now. Also the gift shop is very good for those who like a souvenir for their experience. I bought a real golden spike. No - they said it was real! :)

[@garyacker7388]

When I was about 13 or 14 we used to hunt rabbits out there and there was nothing more than a stone and cement pyramid to mark the spot. Wind and silence, and lots of rabbits. You could also drive along the old roadbed.

[@DarrelCarson]

About nine years ago, my wife and I took our then one year old grandson to one of the reinactments and I got drafted to put on some funny old clothes and was handed a 3x5 card with some words that I was to read at the appointed time. Fun!

[@goldenspike1505]

I just uploaded a video of the plastic David Hughes golden spike

[@hamiltonsullivan6563]

Now this is definitely a one of a kind golden spike year

[@lescobrandon3047]

We in NY State are still under lockdown.

[@ToyManTelevision]

SOON!!!! Very soon. Numbers comming down If people will just get the shot..... PLEASE!!

[@utahrailfan1946]

Looks like he had a crown of steam coming into Ogden.

[@krissfemmpaws1029]

That was a very enjoyable video thank you for sharing it with us. It's a reenactment of lost history to many. As I have gotten older things like this tend to pull at the heartstrings.

[@johnnyjames7139]

I went to Chad O'Conner's shop in Orange County to see the locomotives when they were nearly completed. Two friends and I had built a class A Shay in 5" scale, 15" gage so we had a good idea of what was involved in building replica engines. They are beautiful. Thank for this video, I haven't made the trip to Utah.

[@ToyManTelevision]

WOW!! 15" gauge shays... Love to see those.

[@jacobramsey7624]

It would be cool if someone brought some freaght or pasanger cars from that time period and had the locomotives there pull them to recreate a train from that time period.

[@ToyManTelevision]

They keep talking about re-creating the private cars that those locomotives polled. It was actually quite a train pulled by each locomotive. But the presidents private cars would just be so neat to see re-created. But some nice chair cars so people could go for a ride would be a really fun too. In addition that it’s so expensive to have those re-created, the real expense is building a structure to house them and the maintenance

[@AB-ye7bw]

Absolutely wonderful presentation!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Thanks

[@Brian_rock_railfan]

Awesome video 🚂👍

[@the101stdalmatian8]

5:51 “the only 2 operating in the national park system” I guess Baldwin Locomotive Works #26 at Steamtown, or the other Steamtown locomotives and equipment don't count? You really ought to check out Steamtown sometime. It's a fantastic museum and operating steam railroad, and you can make a whole day between it, the Coke Ovens, Trolley Museum, and Lackawanna Coal Mine.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Didn’t know Steamtown was a National Parks system site... really do want to check that out at some point. We had planned that last fall... crap...

[@ToyManTelevision]

Oh, and as I said “I think these are the only two..”.

[@trainmaster9323]

I went to promontory seven years ago. I'm from Barcelona Spain. An incredible place to see and to feel it. I don't know how to translate "piel de gallina", your skin turns like chiken may be 🤣🤣 I love your videos.

[@ToyManTelevision]

“Goose bumps” we say. Same thing... sort of silly. But those expressions do fit the feeling yes?

[@trainmaster9323]

@@ToyManTelevision "Goose Bumps" 🤣 Yes, aproximately the same. Thanks !

[@tomas5376]

Well that was joyous! An interesting piece of history!👍✌️😊🙏🏼🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

[@daviddryden8088]

Look at all those people without a mask. God Bless 'em!

[@darrellborland119]

@David Dryden...let the insanity stop!....thanks, David.

[@1TruNub]

Done

[@startrek91481]

There's a video floating around on KZbin documenting the construction of these locomotives in the 70's. It's worth a watch.

[@garyacker7388]

Where can I find it, any idea?

[@startrek91481]

@@garyacker7388 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pX6VcmWEesaFp8k

[@BCSchmerker]

+ToyMan *O'Connor Engineering Laboratories designed and built exact replicas of two eight-wheelers of the War-Between-the-States era,* contracting Dixon Boiler Works (Los Ángeles, CA, USA) for built-to-current-code wagon-top boilers for both. VIN 2050302 is patterned after 2'B-n4 Schenectady (NY, USA) Locomotive Works 4-4-0-56 SerNo 505 (Central Pacific Railroad Class Jupiter, originally four examples); VIN 2050303, after 2'B-n4 Rogers Locomotive & Machine Works (Paterson, NJ, USA) 4-4-0-56 SerNo 1558 (Union Pacific Railroad Class E-18, originally six examples). Each is equipped for the period fuels; O'Connor built a Yankee stack, standard ember containment for wood-burners at the time, in-house for VIN 2050302. Not sure of the reasoning at the time for the extended smokebox on VIN 2050303 - maybe as a cinder cleanout for spark arrestment internal to the smokebox. Each packs two crosshead pumps for underway boiler replenishment, plus one first-gen steam injector on the fireman side. O'Connor installed Westinghouse Safety Brakes, experimental as of 1869 and not present on SerNos 505 and 1558 as delivered, to meet current code.

[@darrellborland119]

Thanks for a great video. We were there in April, gave a couple of impromptu talks to folks concerning the history of the "wedding of the rails". The gathering at Evanston looks to be fun...any idea when it is happening? PS: "The Point"...LOL..."Over the Range" by Richard Francaviglia goes into minute details concerning the confusion over what to call the meeting place, along with an excellent analysis of that region's historic, geological significance. Thanks.

[@bobspackman6694]

Yes those engines are amazing. I believe the Westinghouse air brakes were required by the NTSB because it is considered a "Tourist Railroad". (???) Did you film the Auto Tours, (both West and East), and the walking tour to "Big Fill"? Those are well worth the time. Last time I was there I stopped at the missile display at ATK and took a photo that had the railroad grade in the background, a double history exposure!

[@5-7Farms]

I was out there on the 9th of May and it was great.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Isn’t that great?

[@tgmccoy1556]

Scratch me and I bleed UP yellow. Love this. Remember taking a young lady with my wife and I to see 4449 . As it was sitting on the track valving steam. "Is it alive? " she asked. I said:"yes".

[@trailerparksupervisor7046]

I always thought American technology very advanced but now looking at the trains I see it’s quiet primitive 🤔

[@jimkammerer8028]

AWESOME GOOD VIDEO VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE THANK YOU BOTH AGAIN FOR SHARING THIS WITH YOUR SUBSCRIBERS ALWAYS INFORMATIVE AND INTERESTING NEVER BORING THANK YOU AGAIN JIM KAMMERER OF PHILADELPHIA PA 😁😷👍👌🙏😇

[@jacobramsey7624]

I was listening to 119's whistle and I sware it sounds just like the whistle on WW&Fry No. 9. Both locomotives are from around the same time period.

[@brucec954]

Thanks for posting this. I drove through there last year in April and with Covid the visitor center was closed and nothing to see but now I can see what the ceremony was like.

[@jimbobjones5972]

I grew up about 600 miles, as the crow flies, to the NE of Promontory Summit in NE Montana, but it amazes me how similar the landscape is between there and this part of Utah.

[@Dallen9]

Well The "final" spike was actually a replacement spike for the ceremonial spike that was pulled up about 10 years later.

[@timothyboles6457]

I wanna drive!! Lol I hope at some point they actually build cars to ride on there. Both locomotives were pulling trains that day in 1869

[@Conn653]

Too bad there wasn't 'Replica Combines' being pulled by both engines.

[@FunAtDisney]

I hope to see that one day! I had the pleasure of meeting Ward Kimball years ago at an LA car show. I was thinking instead of someone repainting his murals they should take hi-res photos and from those print an overlay “wrap” that can be applied, that way they’ll always a true reproduction of his work.

[@robertrussellmd]

This was very enjoyable but please continue with the saga of Streble Springs.

[@allanegleston4931]

mom and i went there years ago whilst in salt lake doing geneology research. :):):):):)

[@Mike-tg7dj]

Oddly enough today's railroads all have those fiberoptic line parallel to the line.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@Toy Man Television >>> Are the different smokestack designs on each locomotive based on the fact one ran on coal and the other ran on wood?

[@jimkammerer8028]

I APPRECIATE YOU DALE AND KAREN. THANK YOU BOTH AGAIN. AWESOME GOOD VIDEO THANKS FOR SHARING THIS.

[@cambridgeh.lutece6658]

A SUNDAY SHOW!!!!!! I HAVENT SEEN ONE IN AWHILE!!!! YES NOW I CAN WATCH YALL SCREW AROUND SOMEWHERE ON A SUNDAY!

[@edwinsinclair9853]

As you probably know, these two replica 4-4-0s were built by Campbell Engineering in Costa Mesa, Ca.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

_"NATIONAL TRAIN DAY??"_ I did NOT even know that was a thing!

[@SaintCoemgen]

17:15 -- Is that not the sand dome rather than the steam dome..... ??? Those pipes normally went to the front wheels to supply sand.

[@charlesmcclure5994]

And if it wasn't for those skilled surveyors they would never have met and to think we have to use GPS for things like that nowadays

[@kenshores9900]

Glad the two of you got out and got fresh air and experienced a road trip. Hope you get to do something on the cab forward steam engine again. They are neat. Never boring always unique.

[@goblincamper2004]

My wife and I were able to see the Big Boy 4014 in Moapa, Nevada in 2019. It was cool to see.

[@TheMattcwynar]

You said these are the only steam engines in the national park service. What about steamtown national historic site?

[@paulditzen2708]

You may have mentioned this during the video and I missed it, but do we know if the colors on those two engines are period correct??

[@DillonTrinhProductions]

Are you going to film the Victorian Round-Up?

[@lynwoodreed9032]

Bad. It would seem that one or more of the bearings is not correctly sized.

[@mikeashely8198]

Why didn't they use some Rolling Stock with the engines

[@stephenhudson6543]

And I think they actually touched pilots in the original

[@vincentcalvelli6452]

A great video! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@farmert9679]

Superb video

[@ToyManTelevision]

THANKS!!

[@KJF-ny]

Gorgeous location and trains! Thanks for sharing with all of us.

[@stevenbeardsley218]

Thank you you two are just awesome great videos love them God bless

[@ToyManTelevision]

@@stevenbeardsley218 bless you too!!!

[@cadenchristiansen3553]

what happened to the original jupitar and 119

[@jnnmlchr91]

Cool nice work toy man nice work👍🏻😄

[@rrelectric5159]

Nice to see trains again. Thanks for getting out there!

[@billroach2393]

G'day from Australia... Could I ask a couple of questions please? 1). Is this trackwork still in revenue use...or is it just a short, separate section of trackage that doesn't go anywhere? 2). There seem to be 2 separate tracks running parallel about 50 meters/yards apart. Please explain what that is all about? I'm having trouble getting my head around what this place is all about...I realise the historical significance of it, just how it all fits in with the whole current scene.

[@darrellborland119]

@Bill Roach...Bill, thanks for your questions. You may want to do some easy research concerning the history of the Promontory Line. The Line was taken up on 1942, for the war effort. Thanks.

[@usstexasbb3555]

This puts a smile on my face :-)

[@caseyvillemodelrailroad3877]

Train shows did somebody say train shows?...

[@love4uand4me]

It was like being in Promontory again. Thanks for sharing this! One of my precious memories there is seeing you guys in person for the first time on May 10, 2019. That was not anticipated.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Hi. Yes it’s so great to be out again. Nothing like 2019, but still... thanks

[@littlepony6762]

Just came across this labor Monday 2022 really enjoyed it was along time ago when young never returned when older was there in Ogden 150 celebrations live in Salt Lake City ,Utah also have a y KZbin Channel very new Thank you Corrinda Dipo

[@ToyManTelevision]

Thanks again. 🙏

[@johnnyvscustomsgaragetassie.]

Really cool, Thank you for sharing. Question for Dale. Do the Loco's from Petticoat Junction and Casey Jones still exist? and or were they the same engine. " Cannonball " Cheer's Tassie John

[@ToyManTelevision]

Hi. Yes. Serra railroad #3. We did a show on that. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2SuZWeHn9J3brs

[@loamslice6410]

Great video thank you

[@iangerahty3422]

A marvellous commemoration of a most significant event in the history and development of the United States. It took Australia about a century later to finish the equivalent depending on how one defines a transcontinental link.

[@ToyManTelevision]

It hard to pull off right? And you have several gauges to deal with too..

[@cmcer1995]

Well, that was cool and a great history lesson as well. It is always nice when people get together a recreate important moments in US history. Thanks for the video, very well done.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Thanks

[@timothyverbist5795]

Thanks, i like steam locomotives!

[@jimbobjones5972]

Thanks for pointing out that the 119 burns coal. Given the shape of the stack, I thought that this might be case.

[@darrellborland119]

@JimBob Jones...indeed, the CPRR also had plenty of wood...from the Sierra's. Thanks.

[@TroublesomeSlateTruck]

Good Work With The Video.

[@maxlopez7457]

BIG BOY IS COMING BACK

[@ToyManTelevision]

SOON!!! Ed is just now finishing the schedule. SOON!!!!!!

[@maxlopez7457]

@@ToyManTelevision where is it going

[@nscalestation]

A visit to this place is on my bucket list.

[@Moltar_Railfan]

5:51 “the only 2 operating in the national park system” Baldwin 26 at steamtown: “am I a joke to you?

[@ToyManTelevision]

If your not nice....

[@garyjohnson4608]

So, who actually owns these two fabulous machines ?

[@darrellborland119]

@gary johnson...I would guess, the National Park Service? Thanks.

[@slam854]

Glad you got to attend the event. Several years back I made a spontaneous trip to Promontory Summit. On that trip I got some nice closeup photos of the amazing brass work on both engines. My computer lock screen is a photo of an area just to the front of the cross head pump and behind the drawbar. Lovely turnings. Desktop photo is of Saturn as Voyager flew by.

[@craft-o-matic2377]

Thanks so much! I will never forget going to Promontory Summit! I have the patch that matches your T-shirts from when I was there. I also remember a clandestine aerospace facility I saw en route to the summit. Gotta love the high desert landscape. It's so beautiful! xo Lisa

[@ToyManTelevision]

Saw a motor test at the rocket site. GEEEZZZ. It was a shuttle booster laid on its side. LOUD.

[@craft-o-matic2377]

@@ToyManTelevision I can only imagine! Very cool that you got to witness that though!

[@ronalddwyer6592]

Great video. It's nice to see things are getting some what better and back to some what normal. I am sure we will not take events like this and others for granite anymore. It's good to get out and about in the fresh air and country side. Be safe and thanks for taking use along.👍🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

[@NYCJDClark]

Great show, thank you. It is great to you two back out and about screwing around.

[@shedbythetracks]

Ain't it nice to feel human again!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Like the sun comming out... After 14 months of darkness.

[@stephenrick6672]

I have ho models of these two locomotives. Glad to see these live steam engines running.

[@KandRCustomModels]

Live your life and quit worrying about the idiot rules, masks, its all a joke! Enjoy your video’s! I am fortunate enough to have attended 150th and i purchased Lionels scale replicas of these two engines and 4014!

[@gmmeier321]

Yea right, its all a joke until some you love dies. Idiot.

[@darrellborland119]

@@gmmeier321 folks older, or with immuno-compromised systems, are at risk...healthy folks have much less to worry'. Please stop the name-calling. Thanks.

[@darrellborland119]

@Trains & Things & K & R custom models...A portion of your comment I agree with...Thanks, and glad you attended the big 2019 event...must have been packed. Thanks.