Questionable business practices aside, the railroad pioneers make interesting character studies. Crocker, who weighed over 250 pounds, oversaw all construction. Described as "boastful, stubborn, tactless and vain,"1 Charles Crocker was considered a "man of action" and was not an easy man to like.2

In contrast to Crocker’s wide girth and unpleasant personality, Mark Hopkins was lean and likable. Known as "Uncle," he was the railroad’s bookkeeper. The most cautious and thrifty of the four partners, Hopkins obsessed over the runaway costs of building a railroad over a mountain pass. He fretted about how long it would be before the CP could "earn us a heap."3

Leland Stanford was more concerned with his public image than costs. Referred to by some as "the magnificent one," Stanford loved being the center of attention.4 He was elected California governor in 1861 and later served in the U.S. Senate. He owned a 9,000-acre horse farm in Palo Alto, California. He would later convert the farm into a university, named after his son, Leland Stanford, Jr., who died at age 15. Today, Stanford is one of the more respected universities in America.

Collins Huntington was considered "the brains of the group."5 He arranged bank financing and lobbied congress. "Ruthless as a crocodile," according to the San Francisco Examiner, Huntington had repeated run ins with his partners, especially Stanford, as well as Theodore Judah.6 The latter complained to his wife Anna, "I cannot make these men appreciate the 'Elephant' they have on their shoulders. . ."7 Huntington just wanted to control costs and finish the job. "When a cheap road will pass the commission (government inspector), make it cheap," he wrote.8