1876: Coast to Coast train in 83 hours

On this day in 1876, a train left New York and arrived in San Francisco 83 hours later.  This is the story:

The arrival of the Transcontinental Express train in San Francisco on this day in 1876 was widely celebrated in the newspapers and magazines of the day. With this new express service, a businessman could leave New York City on Monday morning, spend 83 hours in relaxing comfort, and arrive refreshed and ready for work in San Francisco by Thursday evening. The powerful agent of steam had effectively shrunk a vast nation to a manageable size.

It must have been a wonderful feeling to travel across North America in days.   It opened up the West to thousands of immigrants seeking a better life.   

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