Television Review : ‘The Iron Road’: A Tribute to Those Who’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad

“The Iron Road,” an “American Experience” segment airing at 9 tonight on Channels 28 and 15, is an engrossing, almost painful look at the building of the great transcontinental railroad--engrossing for its skilled mix of images and intelligent commentary; painful for its examination of the brutal conditions under which the rail line was constructed.

“Iron Road” is most of all a tribute to the workers who constructed this vital link between the East and West during the late 1860s. These 20,000 men--for the most part Chinese immigrants on the West Coast, and Irish, German, Dutch and Czech immigrants on the East--endured unimaginable hardship during the six years it took to finish this dream.

How hard was it? Try this: In addition to conquering imposing natural obstacles like the Sierra Nevadas, there were 12-hour, seven-day shifts in winter snow and desert heat, Indian attacks, unstable explosives, sadistic crew bosses, avalanches, runaway trains and more. Hundreds died and thousands were injured.

While producer-director-writer Neil Goodwin wisely concentrates on the workers--the real heroes of the story--he also does a fine job showing the great characters who spurred the work on. Congress may have had noble intentions when it passed the Railroad Acts--the joining of a nation--but it took five greedy businessmen and two visionary civil engineers to get the thing built and operating.

“Iron Road” is the ultimate anvil chorus, a dramatic paean to man’s spirit.