Although wagon roads and stage service were needed improvements, by the early 1880s much of the nation was already being served by railroads. However the Rocky Mountains, with their high passes and substantial grades, were a significant challenge for the railroad companies. Yet it was not a challenge they could not overcome. The lure of completing successful lines to the west across the mountain barrier caused competition for routes to become fierce. Underlying the competition was each railroad’s desire to be the first to reach newly emerging mining camps and other centers of trade to capture the transportation business found there.