I believe the abandoned right of way to which you refer is probably in the vicinity of Promontory Point Utah; this is where the railroad company, the Central Pacific, was building Eastward to meet with the present day Union Pacific. That line long about the start of the previous century was relocated to the South by means of a trestle (later a landfill) accross the Great Salt Lake.

The route was completed in 1869.

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Over 20,000 miles aboard Amtrak trains.

It was of course not completely connected, no bridge across the Missouri River, but none the less has been historically called by the name we use here.

The Central Pacific built East from
Sacramento and the Union Pacific built West from Omaha, meeting at Promontory Summit, not
at Promontory Point. This misnomer has been repeated many, many times sometimes in books by authors who should have done more homework. This original line was modified to
cross the Great Salt Lake in what was called the Lucin Cutoff, as has been documented above. The location at Promontory Summit is where the Golden Spike was driven on May 8, 1869 and is where the event is still celebrated. I think, but am not positive, that Promontory Point is the location where the relocated line ( Lucin Cutoff) briefly touches land in at a location about 1/4 of the way across the lake from Ogden.

The original constructed line left Omaha and proceeded westerly across Nebraska through Grand Island, North Platte, Julesburg, Co., and back into NE. through Sidney, Ne. and on to Cheyenne, Wy. thence on through Laramie, Green River, Evanston and on to Ogden, UT. thence northwesterly through Corinne to Promontory Summit where it met the Central Pacific. The CP built East from Sacramento over Donner Pass to Reno, NV thence on to Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Elko and on into Utah passing through a location named Kelton and on to the meeting describded above. There was some roadbed graded beyond the final meeting location for reasons describded above.

The abandoned portion of the original route ran westward from a point northwest of Ogden (near Corinne, UT) up and over Promontory Summit, to a junction with the Lucin cutoff very near the Utah-Nevada state line.

In April 2002, soon after reading the Ambrose book (which was interesting but not entirely accurate) I made a trip to 'get personal' with the First Transcontinental. Not having much time, I flew to Salt Lake City, caught the California Zephyr to Sacramento, spent a day at the California State Railroad Museum, and caught the Zephyr back to Salt Lake City.

With the CZ nearly on-time, I got a cab to the airport and, because I didn't fly out until 2pm, rented a car at 6:00am. From the airport I drove to the NPS Golden Spike site at Promontory. I pulled in just as the opened. I looked at the exhibits. I saw the films. I stood on the spot. I drove over and hiked the abandoned roadbeds that had been graded side-by-side. It was cold, windy, and so incredibly empty. My understanding of what a 'big deal' the First Transcontinental was has broadened many times over.

To fully appreciate the magnitude of what those 1860's railroad pioneers accomplished, I reccomend a pilgramage to Promontory.

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David Pressley

[This message has been edited by notelvis (edited 01-23-2005).]

quote:

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Originally posted by notelvis:
To fully appreciate the magnitude of what those 1860's railroad pioneers accomplished, I reccomend a pilgramage to Promontory.
[/B]

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Where the lines paralleled each other near the Golden Spike site, the original UP was abandoned less than a year after it was built, as the CP route was selected as the "final route". The abandoned UP cuts and fills can still be easily located, as most of that area is remote and undeveloped.

At that time, there was only the obelisk monument that I'm sure still remains. I have a photo of my then-auto, a 1968 VW, parked in front. These postings suggest that today there is a "Visitor Center" (gotta have one of those, dont you?) staffed by Rangers.

All we need now are replicas of Jupiter and (whatever the other one was named) and have "reenactments' every hour on the hour.

Q: "What was it the engines said,
touching pilots head to head?"

quote:

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Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman:
It appears that Promontory Point has become "a bit more touristy' than it was when I made my only visit there during 1968. (stationed @ Hill AFB)

At that time, there was only the obelisk monument that I'm sure still remains. I have a photo of my then-auto, a 1968 VW, parked in front. These postings suggest that today there is a "Visitor Center" (gotta have one of those, dont you?) staffed by Rangers.

All we need now are replicas of Jupiter and (whatever the other one was named) and have "reenactments' every hour on the hour.

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Hi Mr. Norman,

Actually the Visitors Center, which must have gone up shortly after your visit because it has a 1960's 'look' to it, is rather tasteful....much like those along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It houses a small bookstore, theatre, historic displays, and the only indoor facilities for MILES. You can also buy the obligatory 'Thomas the Tank Engine' stuff I'm certain.

The VC is where I learned about the 'Last Spike Lifting' and that the rails were donated to the WWII scrap metal drive. Had never read of such anywhere else.

I was there too early in the season for the replica locomotives to be out but must admit I would love to go back to see them and I would get a kick out of the reenactment as well.

Crass comercialism would be if they bought several passenger cars, relaid railroad track 7 or 8 miles eastward to the foot of the mountain, built a huge parking lot and train station made out of logs at the bottom of the aforementioned mountain, closed the access road to Visitors Center, and wouldn't let anyone in unless they paid $49.95 a head to ride the steam train to the Golden Spike site.

Sadly enough......I think I'd jump in line to buy one of the tickets for that ride.

As a historical note, the Lucin Cutoff was opened in 1908 as a long, wood-pile trestle with a small town on piles called "Midlake, UT", with three passing sidings and a water tank.

In 1958, in a display of typical 50s hubris, D.J. Russell of SP directed engineering contractor Bechtel to build a fill parallel to the trestle and relocate the railroad. This was a poor idea, since the bottom of the lake is composed of "slippery" clays, and the fill has been settling ever since. Most of it is under 10 MPH slow orders, and every day it's out of service so crews can work to resurface the track. At night, trains run.

First, the process established by the US government to "reward" land grants on the basis of miles constructed certainly was a
prime factor when there were two railroads involved. By the way, those land grants and others that followed were later deemed to be a much greater benefit to the US than to the railroads. But that is another long and detailed story that space here does not permit.

Back on point, all railroads constructed in the period following the UP/CP transcon were
built with limited funds. In fact many failed. But we must recognize that the need for lower grades, fewer curves with longer radii, heavier rail and stronger bridges was dictated by the evolution of the economy and is yet today motivating changes. This is what happens in all market driven production
whether we talk about a FORD Model T or the Explorer or the telegraph and the internet.

Now, I guess we are starting to review Ambrose here.

The biggest weakness in Ambrose was the scant attention he paid to Jim Beckwurth. Theodore Judah - the most 'straight up guy' in that band of brigand promoters - recognized this man's value. Beckwurth had knowledge of the pass used by the Western Pacific and bearing his name today, with its considerably more favorable gradients and that God had already done much of the excavation when He created the Feather River.

But with hubris and arrogance much alike that noted by Mr. Resor above, the Big Four (Crocker, Hopkins, Huntington, Stanford)knew everything and 'what does some Firewater doused Injun, who somehow is pals with the guy (Judah) we keep around to do the work, know?" (Beckwurth was Native American; no reports that he had any kind of alcohol problem) .

Jim Beckwurth does get his due at the Museum in Sacramento; also in one other book I read on the Transcon. I only wish that a widely read "popular historian" had chosen to give same.

1) AFAIK, the former SP Lucin Cutoff is very much in use. Early last year, got via email some great photos of all the work going on to stabilize the track in the face of rising lake levels and sinking fill.

2) The initial construction of both UP and Central Pacific was "light" (even shoddy) because of the need to get the road into service so it could start earning revenue. That was the main driver, rather than getting the land. Initial focus had been on getting the land grants, which it was thought could be used as collateral for bonds to finance construction. But without the railroad, the land had no value, so emphasis turned on getting the track into service ASAP and rebuilding it later.

There is a wonderful old photo of a wood trestle in the Sierras being converted into a fill -- after the RR was opened -- by many Chinese pulling two-wheel carts full of dirt.

quote:

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Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman:
First I must confess, I was completely unaware that there has been a continuing re-enactment pagent at Promontory for the past 35 years.]

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Just did a little surfing. Here's the address for those inclined to do a little more research into today's 'Golden Spike' site.

<www.nps.gov/gosp/>

Enjoy.