Related links:
Report a broken link or suggest a new one.
Much of my information was drawn from Anan S. Raymond and Richard E. Fike’s Rails East to Promontory, published by the Utah Bureau of Land Management in 1981 (click on the cover to search for this book on Bookfinder.com).
When the Union Pacific was racing to meet the Central Pacific in Utah in the late 1860s, there was some argument about whether the best route lay north of Great Salt Lake or south. The Mormons were keen to run the route south to get Salt Lake City (their capital) on the main line, but UP surveys showed the northern route was better. CP had also decided to grade north of the lake, and the two lines finally connected at Promontory in 1869 (there is a page on this website on the Golden Spike NHS at Promontory).
Eventually, a line would run south of the lake to connect Salt Lake City directly with Oakland, CA, but this was not until the Western Pacific completed its route in 1909 (you can see part of this route on the Palisade page of this website). Until 1905, when the Los Angeles & Salt Lake line opened, the city had to make do with a branch line to Ogden to access the California coast.
I visited in September 2008 and October 2009. The photographs on this page are from both visits.
The western end of the old grade is accessed about 5 miles south off Highway 30 on Grouse Creek Road.
The small, oasis-
Water was piped here from the Pilot Range (rising in the background of these views) and was stored in ponds to water locomotives.
The original township of Lucin was on the old grade about half a mile north east of here. When the Lucin Cutoff created a shorter, less difficult route across Salt Lake from Ogden in 1904, the township (and name) was relocated to the current site.
The name Lucin came from a local fossil bivalve, lucina subanta. There is also an
apple-
Throughout its life at both locations, Lucin comprised mainly employees of the Central Pacific and, after it leased the CP in 1885, the Southern Pacific. The township was eventually abandoned in 1936 but was briefly resettled in the 1960s by a group of retired railroad workers. By 1972, however, they had left.
Today, nothing remains at the site except a bullet-
The current UP line heading north west. It curves round Gartney Mountain and Rhyolite Butte on the left.
On the left, the UP tracks head north west. On the right, the tracks head south east, running in an almost unbroken straight line 60 miles to the lake.
Looking east along the grade from the intersection with Grouse Creek Road.
The going may look easy here, but the grade is completely unpaved, there are some quite deep gullies along the way and, in summer, it is blisteringly hot!
About a mile from “new” Lucin, where the grade intersects Grouse Creek Road, there are two signs giving some historical background.
The grade can be driven almost its entire length from here to Promontory, but a 4-
Looking west along the grade from the intersection with Grouse Creek Road towards Umbria.
A station briefly existed at Umbria, about a mile from here, and possibly a small settlement. However, in about 1875, the station was moved to “historic” Lucin.
The original CP grade joined the line from the Lucin Cutoff about two miles west of here at what became known as Umbria Junction, although there have never been any facilities there.
“Historic” Lucin is about a mile east of Grouse Creek Road. It was established in 1875, having relocated from Umbria. In 1904, it was renamed Grouse when “new” Lucin was established.
There is little to see at the site now because of uncontrolled souvenir-
On the right, a view looking west from “historic” Lucin. The three key features visible on Pilot Range (from left to right) are the Nipple, Black Butte and Rhyolite Butte.
Like settlements along most of the old grade, Grouse was abandoned in 1907, soon after the Lucin Cutoff was completed.
Medea Siding is six miles east of “historic” Lucin. It was established in 1899 to service local sheep ranches.
There were never any facilities at the site.
Bovine was a section station established in 1869 as the Central Pacific laid track east. It was named after herds of wild cattle that roamed the area.
Looking west from the location of the old railroad facilities, which originally included a section house, train car body, Chinese bunk and cook house, and a water tank. Section gangs built a freight platform and replaced some of the Chinese bunkhouses in 1885.
Looking east from Bovine. On the left is the southern flank of the Bovine Mountains.
Bovine was probably abandoned with completion of the Lucin Cutoff, although the siding continued to be used by local ranchers until services on the line ceased entirely in 1942.
Walden Siding was constructed in 1898, probably as a location for locomotives to pass one another.
Looking east from Walden Siding.
There were never any facilities at the site
From Walden Siding, there are increasing numbers of decaying ties discarded along the sides of the grade, seen clearly in this photograph. Many still have spikes lodged in them (they were clearly not considered worth salvaging), which probably date from the early 20th century.
This view is looking east a few miles east of Walden Siding.
In many places along the grade, the road swings down into gullies or washes beside old bridge structures, now too weak to take the load of a vehicle
This open deck stone culvert is a few miles east of Walden.
Watercress was established in 1910 after nearby Terrace was abandoned.
The view above is looking west from the north side of the grade. In the 1920s, the site included a freight siding, a loading platform, barn, corrals and a water tank. It is difficult to make out which of these has left footprints in the ruins that remain.
Three views of what the NPS has identified as the ruins of a root cellar at the site.
Watercress was the main freight station for local ranchers and it remained in use until the site was finally abandoned in the early 1940s when the railroad line was taken up by the Southern Pacific.
Looking east from Watercress. Terrace is about 2 miles along the grade from here.
A community of c.750 existed at Terrace up to the 1900s (c.500 of whom were Chinese). It was the maintenance and repair depot for the entire Salt Lake Division.
Terrace Mountain can be seen in the view below, which gave its name to the township.
Businesses lined a wide avenue north of the old grade in the area shown below, including a barber, restaurant, general store, two hotels and a fruit and vegetable supplier. There was also a communal structure known as the Athenium, with bath houses and a reading room or library.
At its peak, the township had a population of c.1,000, including c.500 Chinese. The Central Pacific grade was laid mainly by Chinese labourers brought in from Canton, and many remained as workers, storekeepers, launderers and waiters after the line was built.
Faced with labour shortages early on in the construction, Charles Crocker, CP Board member, had pushed for their recruitment and they proved to be hard working, sober employees.
Approaching Terrace.
This depression is all that remains of the 16 stall roundhouse and turntable (looking east).
Remains of the Coal House looking east.
Switch yard entry looking east.
Switch yard entry looking west.
Remains of the old railroad offices and shops
Switch yard looking east.
Remains of the old machine shop east of the roundhouse.
Remains of the old water tower.
Another view of the Coal House.
Just to the east of the old township is the cemetery. Sadly, vandals have been at work and very few headstones survive intact.
A mile east of is Old Terrace. There was probably never a settlement here but heavy traffic in and out of Terrace may have required a back up siding here. It is possible a water storage tank was also located here.
The enclosure in the background is bare, but may have contained a grave or graves. It is similar to a graveyard enclosure at Kelton, 30 miles east of here.
Site of a derelict bridge (now gone) just east of Terrace. The road curves off to the left to avoid the bridge. The “flashed” posts are to alert drivers to the hazard.
Six miles east of Terrace is a siding at Red Dome, completed in 1895 to facilitate increased railroad activity and possibly meet the needs of local ranchers.
There appears never to have been a township here.
Looking east from Red Dome siding. The escarpment is a southern outcrop of Red Dome, the mountain from which the siding took its name.
This panorama looking east a few miles east of Red Dome gives some idea of the grade west bound trains had to climb.
The long, circuitous route with its heavy grades, which called for helper locomotives in a number of locations, made a convincing case for finding an alternative, more direct route across Great Salt Lake that became the Lucin Cutoff.
This view looks west showing the western arm of the wye installed in 1900.
A community of 15-
Looking east along the old grade from Matlin.
A view looking west shows the eastern arm of the wye.
Completion of the Lucin Cutoff in 1904 prompted abandonment of Matlin.
Looking west from the eastern junction of the wye. Ties curving away to the right show the line of the east arm of the wye.
Terrace was almost entirely dependent on the railroad and began to decline after the Lucin Cutoff was opened. Only three trains a week passed through Terrace from then, compared to ten a day previously. The maintenance shops were also moved to Carlin, NV, and there appears to have been a serious fire in the early 20th century, which hastened the decline. Nevertheless, the township clung on for a few more years, still boasting the services of a Justice of the Peace and a Constable in 1908.
Romola siding was built in 1899 in response to increased rail traffic and to meet the needs of local ranchers.
This view looks west along what remains of the bed of the siding.
This bridge just west of Romola Siding is an example of a single stringer trestle with large wooden wings. The photo is taken looking south.
This wooden trestle bridge is just east of Romola Siding. When first built, in the rush to get to Promontory, many of these bridges were laid on timber sills. The work of “piling” the
bridges was subsequently carried out by mainly Chinese section gangs.
Piling entailed digging deep holes to take wooden foundation poles. Without these, the bridges were prone to wash out when heavy rains fell. Piles were also supported by “riprap” (rocks, boulders, used boiler bricks and other trash) to reduce under cutting.
Southern Pacific track plans indicate that a loading platform and train car body were located at Romola, but there was no settlement. Nothing remains at the site now, except for the faint lay of the old siding.
This view is looking east.
The grade continues east from here towards Ombey. On the right is the low southern flank of the Matlin Mountains.
A few miles on, the grade passes over this small open deck stone culvert. The photo is taken looking north.
Above, the grade sweeps majestically north east. Ombey is roughly at the centre of this view.
On the right, the NPS marker is badly shot up. A small township was established at Ombey to provide freighting services to local ranchers.
The population appears to have been mainly Chinese.
A wye was installed in 1900, probably to turn the heavier helper locomotives introduced at around that time to assist trains over “Red Dome Hill”.
The north east leg of the wye curves away to the left in this panorama. The south east leg runs across the centre of the view. What was once the main line is on the right.
These three views show the site of the old settlement at Ombey. It comprised a section house, tool house, Chinese bunkhouse and cookhouse.
The upper left view is looking west. The upper right is looking south, and the view on the right is looking north.
Looking north from just past the wye at Ombey. The old settlement was on the left of this view.
From here, the grade enters a shallow cut and a two mile horseshoe curve. You can
see this feature on detailed maps of the area or on Google if you enter the coordinates:
41.647775,-
At the end of the horseshoe, the grade pulls away from the road (in the view above).
From here, it runs at a distance from Old Railroad Grade Road and, about five miles on, cuts through an outcrop of Peplin Mountain (visible mid horizon in the view on the right).
Above, the grade cuts through an outcrop of Peplin Mountain.
Below, a view of the eastern end of the cut and embankment.
Above, looking west near Zias Siding. The old Central Pacific grade parallels the road here.
Above, the grade emerges from the eastern end of the cut. Peplin was roughly centre left on the embankment in this view.
Peplin appears to have been created in 1888 (prior to that, there is no record of it on Central Pacific or Southern Pacific maps).
It consisted of a bumper spur, stationary car body and loading platform. There may have been a small settlement at one time.
Further on, a view from Old Railroad Grade Road as the grade curves north round Table Mountain. The road is about 100’ below the grade here.
Looking west to Table Mountain about two miles west of Zias Siding. The grade cuts from right to left.
Just to the right of the panorama above, the grade recrosses Old Railroad Grade Road.
Above, a view of the grade as it skirts Great Salt Lake.
Below, looking east from the crossing. The Promontory Mountains are on the horizon.
Below, looking south from the crossing. The flank of Hogup Mountains is on the right.
Below, looking west from the crossing, the old Central Pacific grade climbs the flank of Table Mountain.
Above, Great Salt Lake shimmers in the midday heat. Although undoubtedly beautiful, this is a harsh landscape.
Zias Siding was a single track siding that served local ranchers from about 1902. A dump was also located on the site.
The siding was abandoned soon after the Lucin Cutoff came into use.
Looking west from Zias Siding towards Table Mountain.
Here, the grade is too rough for vehicular traffic, and you turn onto Old Railroad Grade Road.
Looking east towards Kelton. The Raft River Mountains are on the left. The Wild Cat Hills are on the right.
Looking east approaching Kelton.
The bridges and culverts that carried the rails over washes are now too weak to take traffic so, here, the road swings off to the south. It rejoins the old grade once past the old bridge.
This wooden box culvert with wooden wings is at the western end of Kelton.
Box culverts and trestle bridges were creosoted to protect them from the elements. A very faint bloom of the old creosote can still be seen on the wings of this bridge.
Railroad buildings at Kelton included a depot, turntable, engine house, water tank, pumphouse and section house, as well as spurs and sidings. By 1900, a wye had been built in this location west of town to facilitate handling of heavier locomotives.
The view above is looking east from the south western end of the old settlement. The ruins in the foreground are all that remain of the various railroad buildings once standing at this location.
The barrier at the rise in the middle of the view appears to be the remains of a spur line running to the engine house.
Ironically, the cemetery at the north western edge of the old settlement has proved the most durable remnant of the settlement, although it appears to have been the target of souvenir hunters and vandals down the years.
The overgrown remains of two tombstones in the cemetery.
In the late 1870s, Kelton had a population of c.200 (plus an uncounted Chinese population
of some size) and boasted a two-
The local inhabitants clearly thought the settlement was worth being buried in!
Ruins looking west.
Ruins looking north.
Remains of a recent water well.
Ruins looking south.
The marker above reads:
Historic Wheeler Survey Marker In 1889 the United States Army sent First Lieutenant George M. Wheeler on a brief reconnaissance which later created the Country’s ‘Geographical Survey West of the One Hundredth Meridian.’ This survey gave our leaders the first accurate mapping of the Western half of the Country, collecting data of the natural history, geology, geography, climate, weather and ethnology.
Wheeler led a team through California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Idaho and New Mexico to map and gather information that would be useful for future military operations, road building and potential railway routes. They also catalogued natural resources and the location and population of Indian tribes.
Kelton’s prosperity declined with the opening of the Lucin Cutoff, and building of the Oregon Shortline Railroad and Utah Northern Railroad, which both came to monopolise freight trade to the northwest. The line became a backup in case of problems on the Lucin Cutoff and trains dropped to weekly services.
Although it still served as a shipping point for local trade and supported a post office, general store, telegraph office and hotel, by 1937, the township’s population had dwindled to just 47.
The marker stone is worn by wind and rain, as well as a few shotgun pellets!
A siding was built at Seco in 1872, followed by a small township in 1873. The work crews at this section station were mainly Chinese. Although no official figures are available, about 25 people lived here at any one time
The grade runs on the right of Old Railroad Grade Road here. The siding was just to the left of the old grade (i.e. close to the road) in this view taken looking east.
The fence in the panorama above appears to be an old stock corral. The stone structure may have been part of an adjoining building.
The settlement served as a section station for the Central Pacific but was also the southern terminus of the Utah, Idaho, and Oregon Stage Company and a station on the Overland Mail. Stagecoaches left town every day destined for Boise (a 2 day trip), Walla Walla (4 days) and Portland (5½ days). In a typical year during the 1870s, six million pounds of supplies were also loaded from trains onto wagons in exchange for wool and furs from the adjacent countryside.
When the first section hands arrived in 1869, the location was called Indian Creek. However, it was soon renamed Kelton in honour of a local stockman.
Fenced graves in the cemetery.
The panorama below takes in the site of the settlement at Kelton looking east from the north western edge of town. The cemetery is just to the right of this view.
Below is a view looking east along the old grade.
The structure on the left in the distance is the Historic Wheeler Survey Marker. On the right is the old engine house spur.
Another view of the recent water well.
Water was originally piped to the old settlement seven miles from the foot of the Raft River Mountains.
This single stringer wooden trestle bridge is a few miles west of Nella Siding.
Nella Siding was built in 1902 to service local ranchers. It was removed in 1906 but relaid in 1916. A car body and freight platform existed there.
Looking west along the trace of the old siding, which runs north of the old grade.
Looking east along the trace of the old siding.
The peak visible in the middle distance is Monument Mountain, which gave its name to the section station at Monument.
There was a siding at Elinor but, evidently, no settlement of any kind. Nothing remains there now.
The siding was just to the left of the old grade in this view looking east.
As far as I can tell by GPS from Monument, a section station was established here
in 1869 called Ten-
There was a section house, train car body and water tank here until 1873, when the facilities were moved to Seco.
This view is looking south west across the grade.
Old Railroad Grade Road crosses Locomotive Springs Road just east of Nella Siding. About a mile south on Locomotive Springs Road there are two fresh water lakes.
It’s not clear how Locomotive Springs earned it’s name. It would be tempting to say that water was drawn from the lakes to feed locomotives, but there is no record of this. An 1879 “Guide Book to the Pacific Railroad” refers to the lakes as puffing out steam at times, and says this gave them their name.
Looking west from the intersection of the two roads.
Looking south.
Looking east .
Looking east along the old grade nearing Monument. Driving the grade can be challenging here. Old Railroad Grade Road runs a few yards north, parallel to the grade, and is an easier drive.
Looking west from Monument. A rail spur ran off to the left of this view to the Desert Salt Works, which provided employment for some of the c.25 inhabitants of the settlement.
It’s not clear when the works closed but, in later years, local ranchers used a siding here. A wye was also in place from about 1880.
Looking south from the old grade to Monument Rock, which gave the section station its name.
In the 19th century, the rock was surrounded by water.
Looking east along the old grade from Monument.
The Promontory Mountains are on the horizon. Mount Tarpey is on the right.
Looking east as the old grade skirts Salt Wells Flat. The peak at the centre is Monument Peak.
The view above is looking south west across Salt Wells Flat towards Monument from Salt Wells Road.
Monument Rock is in the centre. Hogup Mountains are visible on the horizon.
Looking south east to the old grade from Cedar Springs Road. Two sidings, were constructed in this area, which was known as Kosmo. The first was built in 1901 for the railroad. The second, built in 1912, served the Salt Lake Potash Company, which had a railroad spur, pools, canals and a processing station at the site.
The section station at Kosmo comprised bunkhouses, a cookhouse, a garage, corral, general store, blacksmith shop, coal house and train car body to serve as the depot. In 1924, c.200 people lived in Kosmo.
Looking south from Salt Wells Road. The grade cuts across the shrub in the middle foreground of this view.
Looking south west from 28400W towards where the settlement of Lake was located.
Looking south west from 28400W. The old location of Lake is just out of view on the right.
Lake from the north west a few miles further along 28400W.
Above, the old grade joins 28400W. This view is looking north west.
Conditions were wet out on the flat because of proximity to the water table, which may have necessitated building two settlements a mile apart in West Lake and East Lake.
East Lake had the section buildings, and a siding was built at West Lake in 1877, and a wye in 1899. Both settlements were inhabited: in 1879, c.100 people were recorded living there, the majority of whom were probably Chinese labourers.
From Monument, the grade is not driveable until a few miles north of Metataurus.
North of Metataurus on the old grade. This view is looking south.
North of Metataurus. This view is looking north. Monument Peak is centre left.
The Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads surveyed and graded hundreds of miles in advance of each other in an effort to secure maximum commercial advantages for their road, which included alternating 20 acre land grants on either side of the line. In fact, the Central Pacific hoped to grade as far as what is now Evanston, WY, and the Union Pacific had graded as far west as Wells, NV, before the decision was made to join the two lines at Promontory.
In the panorama above, the Union Pacific grade cuts from the right as it parallels the old Central Pacific grade. From here, the grade is starting its long climb from the lake bed up the west flank of the Promontory Mountains to Promontory.
Looking north from the location of Metataurus. The remains of a siding are hidden in the grass on the right of this view. No settlement ever existed here.
Another view north of Metataurus looking south on the old grade.
South of Metataurus, this view is looking south.
Approaching Center through a small cut. This view is looking south.
Looking north from the other side of the cut. Center is behind in this view.
View along the bed of the old siding at Center. The view is looking south. There are few records of Center and no evidence of any settlement.
Another view looking south along the old grade.
The NPS sign at Center.
Looking north to Great Salt Lake a few miles north of Rozel.
Looking south towards Rozel.
This panorama takes in the site of Rozel. A siding was built in 1869 and, later, a wye. It was an important stop, as helper engines stationed here were attached to assist freight trains heading east up the Promontory Mountains.
About 25 people are recorded living here in 1870. Structures included a section house, train car body, bunkhouse, cookhouse and water tank. Like many sites along the grade, Rozel declined after the Lucin Cutoff was opened. By 1917, the only facilities that remained were a water tower, freight platform and bake oven.
Rozel was originally named “Victory” on 30th April 1869 when Central Pacific workers
rested for lunch after laying six miles of track during the famous "ten-
Just south of Rozel, the official backcountry byway begins.
Looking north towards Rozel.
Looking south from the byway marker sign. The gate is the western end of the NPS West Grade Auto Tour.
You can pick up the story of the Central Pacific grade from here on the Golden Spike NHS page of this website.
There are few remains at the site now, and it’s uncertain whether any of these are from the 19th century.
Unless otherwise stated, all images, layouts and photographs on this website are
copyright the author. Click here to request permission to re-