Audio
Union Pacific's Last Cut
Transcript
Ironically, some of the most difficult work for the Union Pacific on their line from Nebraska to Utah was here in these mountains, only a few miles from the completion site. A tortuous ten miles of track, with an average climb of eighty feet per mile, was laid from the valley floor to the summit of the pass. Included in the construction were four long fills, four major trestles, five sizeable rock cuts, and numerous culverts.
Leave your vehicle again and walk the one hundred and sixty-five yard to the long, deep cut at the end of the path. This was Union Pacific's last major rock cut before reaching Promontory Summit. On the opposite side you can see how workers neatly stacked the rocks to keep debris out of the cut.
Descriptive Transcript
Gravel road through green, yellow and brown sagebrush landscapes. Low lying mountain range in distance.
Description
Ironically, some of the most difficult work for the Union Pacific on their line from Nebraska to Utah was here in these mountains, only a few miles from the completion site. A tortuous ten miles of track, with an average climb of eighty feet per mile, was laid from the valley floor to the summit of the pass. Included in the construction were four long fills, four major trestles, five sizeable rock cuts, and numerous culverts.
Date Created
04/12/2025
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