Utah's best and brightest songwriters, singers and musicians perform 20 memorable songs, traditional and new. Produced by Utah music icon Clive Romney, this CD is included in the book and available as an MP3 download.
1. The Iron Horse — the 1860s folksong introducing the book’s concept
2. This Stupendous Project — the story of Hartwell Carver and the
beginnings of the dream of the transcontinental railroad
3. Big Country — Jeff Davis and the Corps of Engineers survey
possible routes; what passengers would see along the way
4. Crazy Judah
— Thomas Judah’s intense dedication to the success of the TCR
5. Watercolors
— Anna Judah’s watercolor paintings helped “sell” the central route and the TCR project.
6. Money to Be Made (Might As Well Be Me)
— the heroes and villains created by the competition between the Union
Pacific and Central Pacific railroad companies.
7. Open Up the Throttle
— how the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 rang the starting bell for the feverish competition to lay
the most miles of rail per day.
8. Around the Horn — the high seas perspective as railroad locomotives, parts and equipment were carried from the
east by ship to the Central Pacific.
9. Drill Ye Tarriers/Through Gum Saan
— drillers and blasters give voice to their daily experiences making way for the road beds and rail lines.
10. The Honorable Road — the Chinese railroad workers’ extreme dedication despite discrimination and hardship.
11. The Dance
— the assembly-line-like choreography of laborers
12. Blowing Things Up
— explores the challenges, risks, and casualties of moving mountains in order to win the race to earn the most money per day.
13. Black Clouds
— anguished Native Americans lament over the TCR’s impact on their nations and way of life.
14. Echo Canyon — a lively look into the story of the Mormon graders’ work on the TCR.
15. The Last Spike
— the driving of the last four spikes and the national celebration.
16. Blood in My Veins, Breath in My Lungs — the symbiosis of businesses that sustain the TCR and those that spring up and grow because of the TCR.
17. The Pea Vine — the story of the Sanpete Creeper, an example of the spurs that brought freight and travel to cities both large and small.
18. A Journey Through Wonderland — Elia Peattie’s description of the experience of riding the train and meeting the rail industry workers along the way.
19. The Thistle’s Thorn — the stories of railroad failures, including ghost towns and a landslide that obliterated the entire town of Thistle and its rail line.
20. I Can’t Just Rein Her In — the train and truck accident that stands as a metaphor for the changes the railroad brought to the nation.
