Lucin Cutoff
Encyclopedia
The Lucin Cutoff is a railroad line which included a railroad trestle
which crossed the Great Salt Lake
in Utah
. Built by the Southern Pacific Company between February 1902 and March 1904 across Promontory Point, it bypassed the original Central Pacific Railroad
route through Promontory Summit where the Golden Spike
was driven in 1869. By going west across the lake from Ogden, Utah
to Lucin, Utah
, it cut off 43 miles and avoided curvatures and grades. In 1944 it was the site of a train wreck in which 48 people were killed
. The trestle was eventually replaced in the late 1950s with a parallel causeway
built under contract by the Morrison Knudsen construction company.
Trestle
A trestle is a rigid frame used as a support, especially referring to a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by such frames. In the context of trestle bridges, each supporting frame is generally referred to as a bent...
which crossed the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Built by the Southern Pacific Company between February 1902 and March 1904 across Promontory Point, it bypassed the original Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
route through Promontory Summit where the Golden Spike
Golden spike
The "Golden Spike" is the ceremonial final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory...
was driven in 1869. By going west across the lake from Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
to Lucin, Utah
Lucin, Utah
Lucin is an abandoned railroad community in Box Elder County, Utah, United States, along the western side of the Great Salt Lake, northwest of Salt Lake City.- History :...
, it cut off 43 miles and avoided curvatures and grades. In 1944 it was the site of a train wreck in which 48 people were killed
Bagley train wreck
The Bagley train wreck occurred in Utah on the morning of Sunday December 31, 1944. The crash killed 48 including over 35 military personnel and injured 79 and involved Southern Pacific's Pacific Limited as it crossed The Great Salt Lake on the Lucin Cutoff. It had left Chicago at 10 a.m...
. The trestle was eventually replaced in the late 1950s with a parallel causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
built under contract by the Morrison Knudsen construction company.