Driving the Transcontinental Railroad grade

[Old Henry]

This was, by far, the most unique, and probably memorable, road trip I've ever taken. In addition, I approached it with the most apprehension for several reasons: 1) I'd never driven this route before. 2) It was not really a "road", it was just an old railroad grade so I had no idea what it would be like. 3) The reports I received from the BLM and park personnel was a bit scary - they suggested taking several spares because the old spikes work their way out of the ground and pop your tires and, because we have had tons of rain, it was supposed to be "muddy", whatever that means from puddles to rutted quagmires. 4) We were going to be further from civilization, possibly without cell phone service, than ever before and it was doubtful that there would be anyone else on the road/grade.

Quote from BLM info: "This road is graded gravel or dirt. Approximately half of it is maintained as a county road. The remaining portion is not maintained. There are no vehicle restrictions on the railroad grade, but 4-wheel drive vehicles with chains, tow rope or winch are recommended, particularly during wet weather conditions. This is an isolated area with limited cell phone coverage and no services. Care must be taken to have adequate food, water, first aid supplies, gasoline and spare tires."

In spite of all of those doubts, we were excited to go and so we did. This is the story. (Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJUCacxwj5U)

We began by participating in the celebration of the 145th anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike to unite the nation by rail that was originally May 10, 1869. It was quite appropriate since my great grandfather was the Marshal of the Day in charge of the entire celebration at Promontory and Salt Lake City on that day.



And we went for the gusto with period clothing and all. It got us in the "Champagne Photo" duplicating the famous photo taken of the joining of the rails.



Morgan, of course, could not resist imitating the golden spike by doing a hand stand on the pilots (cow catchers) of the two locomotives. (Later, when personnel at the park office saw this picture, they condemned this action [post #34] so don't do this if you go there.)



Rather than use up a lot of my 20 photo limit on this event I'll refer you to the video that I took of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W8H7YaXDXo and this video of the building of the two replica locomotives in 1979 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM2A2NEaRqg We had to park Old Henry far from the event so didn't get him in any pictures or video except for the video of #119 backing under full steam taken out of the window as we arrived at the event.

Then we were on the railroad grade itself. In anticipation of this trip I did much research about this the final section of the original transcontinental railroad and the whole story leading up to it and all I could learn about the landmarks along this 90 mile stretch of the railroad before it was bypassed in 1904 by taking the railroad across Great Salt Lake on a causeway. My favorite source was this historical monograph called "Rails East to Promontory: The Utah Stations" compiled in 1981: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/o.../ut/8/sec1.htm It has a great deal of maps, old historical photos, and stories of that bygone era. Here is one map (in PDF so I couldn't post it) of the route we drove from Promontory Summit to Terrace (70 miles) http://www.nps.gov/history/history/o...ages/fig16.pdf

At first we were on a road that paralleled the grade.





But eventually was on the grade itself cruising along, just as the trains did, next to Great Salt Lake (great shots of this in the video).



At one point the grade going across the top edge of the lake was blocked.



Just before a drainage trestle.



A long way to back up.



So we had to back up, leave the grade to take a road for a while around the north end of the lake until we joined the grade again at Monument.



Twenty-five lived at Monument at one time operating the Desert Salt Works nearby.

The next larger settlement at one time was Kelton that was the connection of the stage line from Boise and Oregon to the railroad. It had a two-story hotel, post office, and several saloons, stores, and homes. The population reached a peak of 200 in 1879. More vintage photographs and stories of Kelton here: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/o...ut/8/sec2d.htm All that is left now is the cemetery.



The grade crossed hundreds of trestles and culverts of all kinds, most of which are no longer safe to cross. Watch the video to see how we deal with them.



One of the most visible wye's on the grade was at old Ombey. This is the Google Earth view.



Here it is from the ground looking at the beginning of the north leg.



The video has a very good drive by to really see it in its full glory.

Our final destination was old Terrace. (We would have gone clear to Lucin, another 20 miles, to complete the route but Morgan had a hot date he needed to get back to.)

Terrace was the maintenance and repair headquarters for the Salt Lake division of the Central Pacific Railway from Wells, Nevada to Ogden, Utah. It included a 16 stall round house, machine shop, coal sheds, water tanks, and an eight-track switchyard. It became a population center in northwestern Utah. It had "good business stores, a school, Wells Fargo Express, railroad and telegraph agents." It also had a barber, restaurant, hotels, meat market, justice of the peace. saloon, constable and library. Its population peaked at 350 in 1879.

In this Google Earth view you can see the turntable indentation surrounded by the 16 stall round house excavations and foundations. To the right is the pile of red bricks that was once the Central Pacific shop and office building. Here is the plat of the station showing the cemetery to the far right: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/o...ages/fig30.pdf More vintage photos and stories of Terrace here: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/o...ut/8/sec2b.htm



The turntable excavation ground view



The round house stalls with the turntable and Old Henry beyond



The red bricks of the shop and office building



And, finally, the old cemetery (Google Earth view)



It used to have numerous great old headstones that were stolen by vandals in 1986. Now the only one left standing is this one of none other than a man named Henry with Old Henry in the distance looking on.



Headed home after a long day off roading.



Total distance 437 miles in 12 hours of driving (14 hours away from home). No problems with mud (other than some giant mud puddles we flew through) nor tires popped with spikes. The only mechanical problem we had was the drivers side windshield wiper came off while driving home in the rain. But it didn't leave the car - just laid on the cowl 'till we got off the freeway to put it back on. Only saw three other vehicles, all Jeeps or other high clearance 4 wheel drive SUVs. Two of them were at Terrace. As we approached they were all outside of their vehicles with cameras "trained" on us and cheering as we arrived. I highly doubt many cars like Old Henry have made that trip.

More info about the route for any interested: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/salt_..._railroad.html

Previous trips:

City of Rocks, Idaho in April 2014:https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137684

Capitol Reef National Park in March 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133018

Grouse Creek and the AAA garage in February 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130966

Grand Canyon in January 2014: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128820

Moab, UT in December 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127222

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument November 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123694

Across Nevada on US 50, "The Loneliest Road in the Country", October 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120098

Mount Evans (the highest paved road in North America) August 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115013

Canada in June 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109872

Monument Valley in March 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99523

Bryce Canyon in February 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97822

Milford, Utah in December 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93137

Nevada and Idaho in November 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89080

Rocky Mountain National Park in September 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83966

Yellowstone National Park in May 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72864

Death Valley in February 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62705

Pike's Peak in July 2011: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19141

Route 66 in April 2010: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57511

[mfagan]

Another great adventure w/great narrative!

Thanks for continuing to share your travels with us.

[TomT/Williamsburg]

What a great trip/narrative - loved it!

[Duffy1]

thanks for sharing

[Bruce in southern OH]

Great, thanks

[Ross F-1]

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Another adventure, not at all what I expected! I'll have to look it up, but why is this run of line abandoned? Hard to believe so little remains of the roundhouse, was it moved?

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Ross F-1

Another adventure, not at all what I expected! I'll have to look it up, but why is this run of line abandoned? Hard to believe so little remains of the roundhouse, was it moved?

In 1904 the railroad was taken across Great Salt Lake on a causeway built across the lake to save 40 miles and some mountain climbing on the original route. Here's a map showing what is called the "Lucin Cutoff" going across the lake.




At that time the rail traffic went from 10 trains a day to 3 trains a week causing most of the facilities to be abandoned and eventually moved to other locations. At the beginning of WWII all of the tracks and metal were taken up to use for the war effort and the rail line ended its existence.

Here's the map as a PDF that you can enlarge to read it better: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/o...ages/fig16.pdf

[Ross F-1]

Thanks again! PS I admire your courage in taking off down the banks around those rotten trestles!

[rheltzel]

Ol Henry, you're the greatest!!

Ross, the reason the line was abandoned was the Southern Pacific Railroad (operating successor to the Central Pacific), in 1903, opened a causeway shortcut across the Great Salt Lake. Known as the "Lucin Cutoff", it cut approximately 40 miles off the line. The original line was used until 1941, primarily for telegraph line maintenance, at which time it was torn up and the rails salvaged for the war effort.

[tomkc1]

Thanks, Old Henry. I really enjoyed all the photos, narrative and videos. Hopefully I'll get out there in the next year or so.

[oldford2]

Professor, Just a great trip and video. Thanks for sharing.
John

[Ol' Ron]

Yes, I really enjoyed the trip. I've always loved the railroad, my gramd father worked on the railroad from the 1880's to 1026? He told me many stories of the old roads. I really wanted to take that trip but for health reasons I don't travel much any more.

[41ford1]

Professor, you did it again! Thanks for taking us along.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Ross F-1

Another adventure, not at all what I expected! I'll have to look it up, but why is this run of line abandoned? Hard to believe so little remains of the roundhouse, was it moved?

Take a look at this map I included the link for in my first post. It shows the Lucin cutoff across the lake. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/o...ages/fig16.pdf

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Ross F-1

Another adventure, not at all what I expected!

Just curious. How was our trip different than what you were expecting?

[rheltzel]

That map really shows how much shorter the new route was. A lot of curves and elevation changes were eliminated too.

[Old Henry]

The only town on that whole route where anyone lives anymore and has gasoline is Corinne at the beginning of the east end. That's where we got our last gas for the trip. Took an extra 5 gallons just in case but didn't need it.

[s55mercury66]

Thanks for sharing, Professor Henry. I almost came down here to Clearfield for the weekend and the trip after you mentioned this journey on another thread, but had too much to do at home first. I really enjoy railroading history, and exploring old sites and structures.

[Lawrie]

Henry, your the man,
Like you we get lots of folks ask to take pics of the 33 when we are away in it,( we should have a donation box on the mud guard)
You get me impatient to travel, we are off to a car club gathering about 800 klms from home in the first week of june,but after seeing this we are going early.
These old fords love to travel and are great time machines.
Lawrie

[trainguy]

Great photos,thanks for sharing them with us.Phil