Thousands gather in Utah for 150th anniversary of railroad
By BRADY McCOMBS, Associated Press PROMONTORY, Utah (AP) — The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 united a nation fresh off the Civil War that had been separated by wide expanses of desert, mountains and forests and became a pivotal moment in United States history that dramatically changed how people traveled and did business. Some 15,000 people are expected to gather Friday at the