Wyoming PBS's End of Track documentary is the story of the Transcontinental Railroad's construction march across southern Wyoming and the growing pains of a state in its infancy. It's a story of incredible engineering achievements and boisterous "Hell on Wheels" towns. A story of greed and corruption, murder and mayhem; of a clash of cultures and Native American retaliation. But it's also a story of hope and ambition, determination and unimagined success.
End of Track follows the progress of the surveyors and engineers, the graders and tracklayers from Cheyenne to Evanston in 1868. It delves into the lives of merchants and saloon keepers, gamblers and outlaws, new residents and famous visitors. Along the way the story moves up vertically in time at various locations to fully explore how the railroad changed the lives of people along its path.
Many of the events that surrounded the building of the Transcontinental Railroad nearly 150 years ago embody themes that reverberate throughout the world today: The promise of a technology connecting the nation in a new way; the collision between industrialized and traditional cultures; the greed and hubris of the captains of industry; the corruption, schemes and complicity of government officials; the huge amounts of taxpayer money going into the pockets of the few; a plan to jump-start economic growth after a long and divisive civil war; and a huge infrastructure project to create jobs and put people to work. These are themes that give perspective to events taking place today and perhaps serve as lessons on how to proceed into a turbulent future.
Featuring hundreds of historical photographs and lavish high definition video, dramatic readings and historic recreations, this compelling documentary paints a picture of frontier life in Wyoming during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. An incisive narrative plus interviews with historians and railroad experts, presents an accurate account of how the Transcontinental Railroad changed America. Ultimately, End of Track is a story about the beginning of Wyoming.
You can view a clip from the premier of Wyoming PBS’s End of Track here: