Nostalgia & History > Ghostly 1869 transcon RR in Utah

An historic portion of the 1869 transcontinental railroad joining east and west is a ghostly remnant. In 1960 a modern causeway across the Great Salt Lake bypassed 130 miles of the old railroad where the golden spike was driven. This is also where the Union Pacific grading west and the Central Pacific grading east passed each other for dozens of miles to gain more money and land. Remnants of the two beds remain, often less than 100 feet apart. Rails and ties are removed, but simulated track is placed in the desert where the golden spike ceremony occurs.

For rail fans, a dead end track from the war years remains on the 1869 bed at the junction where the causeway mainline connects to Ogden rail yards (W 12th Street hwy 39.) Looking north, the 2 square mile 1941 Utah General Depot of the army covers the old bed. Further north, the bed crosses a remnant SP UP wye at hwy 15 and W8700S St. It then follows 15 and dives into Willard Bay, surfacing again north by the 15. The bed curves west at hwy 13 Promontory Rd and N2600W St. The golden spike grounds are much further down the remote road. See old beds online at google map satellite.

Spikes Wrote:
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> An historic portion of the 1869 transcontinental
> railroad joining east and west is a ghostly
> remnant. In 1960 a modern causeway across the
> Great Salt Lake bypassed 130 miles of the old
> railroad where the golden spike was driven.

Thanks for describing what remains of the original route. I believe the Lucin cutoff causeway was opened in 1904, not 1960, however.

Spikes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> An historic portion of the 1869 transcontinental
> railroad joining east and west is a ghostly
> remnant. In 1960 a modern causeway across the
> Great Salt Lake bypassed 130 miles of the old
> railroad where the golden spike was driven. This
> is also where the Union Pacific grading west and
> the Central Pacific grading east passed each other
> for dozens of miles to gain more money and land.
> Remnants of the two beds remain, often less than
> 100 feet apart. Rails and ties are removed, but
> simulated track is placed in the desert where the
> golden spike ceremony occurs.
>
> For rail fans, a dead end track from the war years
> remains on the 1869 bed at the junction where the
> causeway mainline connects to Ogden rail yards (W
> 12th Street hwy 39.) Looking north, the 2 square
> mile 1941 Utah General Depot of the army covers
> the old bed. Further north, the bed crosses a
> remnant SP UP wye at hwy 15 and W8700S St. It then
> follows 15 and dives into Willard Bay, surfacing
> again north by the 15. The bed curves west at hwy
> 13 Promontory Rd and N2600W St. The golden spike
> grounds are much further down the remote road. See
> old beds online at google map satellite.

You can drive on the old right of way between Promontory Summit and Lucin, and visit much railroad memorabilia on the way. It is not a hard drive, but you need good tires. There is a BLM guide to the route.

Don Strack linked a map and added some interesting points to the Ogden side to the old CP/UP trackage, see the bottom of a previous thread:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3488436,3508412#msg-3508412

Western Railroad Discussion > An 1869 Transcon fossil near Ogden?
Date: 08/08/14 12:18
An 1869 Transcon fossil near Ogden?
Author: Spikes

Link to map only is here:

>This map shows the portion that was abandoned in 1903 when SP Promontory trains began using the UP-OSL line north from Ogden to Brigham City, then west on the UP-OSL Malad Branch to Corinne Junction.

https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msid=211206441729406972505.000501285e8a95c60e8de&msa=0&ll=41.421104,-112.047501&spn=0.428391,1.056747&z=11&t=m

Or if that address wraps funny, try this one:

http://goo.gl/VnukZZ