wjstix posted:As NH Joe points out, there were I believe three main routes mapped out in the 1850's - northern pacific, southern pacific, and central pacific. Much of the planning and preliminary groundwork was done by the military, so the fact that Pres. Buchanan's Secy. of War (today's Defense Dept.) favored the New Orleans to California southern route was big factor. However, since that Secy of War was Jefferson Davis, once the Civil War started, his opinion didn't matter so much, so the central route was chosen.
BTW I gave up on watching "Hell On Wheels" after the first season. The numerous inaccuracies about Thomas Durant alone are enough to drive someone away.
The sectional political troubles of the time played a big role in the fact that no route was chosen until the southern states tried to leave the Union. Placement of that first route would have given the North or the South an insurmountable economic advantage (not to mention much prestige), so the infighting prevented any selection while both sections were contending for it.
