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