Where did transcontinental railroad workers live?

Workers building the Transcontinental Railroad in places far from towns and cities lived in camps when they were not working. On average, these laborers (typically Irish and Chinese immigrants) worked 12 hours per day, 6 days per week. In the camps, workers ate, drank, gathered around the campfire, gambled, and smoked opium. It was a difficult life and a dangerous one. Winters were harsh, and a particularly bad snow storm could lead to the deaths of an entire camp full of laborers -- only to be found when the snow melted in the spring.