As the two companies approached the Promontory Mountains, it was clear there was only one route through. Blasting began on both sides to lay track. The east slope was more difficult as the grade was steeper. On both sides fills and trestles were necessary for crossing deep ravines. Finally on April 9, the Union Pacific, and on April 11, the Central Pacific, stopped trying to lay tracks ahead. Congress established that they would meet at Promontory Summit. The race for mileage was over. Now it was just a race to the meeting point.
By April 16, the two crews were only 50 miles apart. The Union Pacific was delayed because it ran out of ties. It also had to build three more trestles to make the summit.
At one time the Union Pacific had built eight miles of track in one day. Crocker figured he could beat that, but he waited until the two railroads were too close together for his rival to try to beat him. So on April 28, 1869, when the crews were only 23 miles apart, Central Pacific work gangs broke a record and laid ten miles of track in one day. They used 25,800 ties, 3,520 rails, 55,000 spikes, and 7,040 fishplates. For once, Irish and Chinese crews worked together and completed over ten miles in 12 hours. They were now four miles from the top.
May 8 was the target date for union of the railroads. On May 7, the two lines were just 2,500 feet apart. Stanford arrived on a special train filled with California and Nevada officials. He brought two golden spikes with him. One gold spike was made by David Hewes, one of the largest supply contractors of the Central Pacific. The spike had the names of the Central Pacific directors engraved on it. The San Francisco "News Letter", ordered a second gold spike. A silver spike was sent from Virginia City, Nevada. Governor Safford of Arizona sent a spike made of iron, gold, and silver. West Evans, the contractor who supplied most of the Central Pacific ties, hand polished and waxed a special last tie out of laurelwood. The Pacific Union Express Company sent a silver plated sledge for the final blow.
The Union Pacific wasn't ready for May 8. The train carrying the eastern dignitaries got caught in the weather at Weber Canyon. The train carrying Durant was delayed at Piedmont, Wyoming, when workers demanded their back pay. They uncoupled Durant's car and chained it to the rails until he paid. He wired to Boston for the money, so was able to make it to
