How did 19th-century government land grants to the railroads work?

How did 19th-century government land grants to the railroads work? Erica Moore Mesa, Arizona Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 to finance the transcontinental railroads. Twenty alternating sections (checkerboards) were granted to rail companies on each side of the tracks for each mile of track laid. They were also given full rights to minerals, including coal for the steam engines. The number of sections granted varied some over the years. The railroads sold the land to settler