Former Central Pacific roadbed

[jward]

The state of Utah has a fascinating railroad history. There were far more railroads built there and in Nevada than you would think given the desolation of much of those states. Utah Rails documents much of the history of these lines, and in conjunction with the US Geological Survey topographic maps online provides a fascinating look into the places these lines went. They literally built anywhere and everywhere especially if there were precious metals involved. Many of these railroads had short lives due to the volatility of the metals market. In some cases they had no sooner completed construction when the bottom fell out of the market, causing  the loss of the very traffic these railroads were counting on for their survival. Among the most interesting was a planned extension of the Rio Grande into eastern Nevada. Grading was started in a few places but it was never completed.

Back to the CP/SP. I don't think it was mentioned here but the Promentory line was replaced by a causeway across the Great Salt Lake that is still in use to-day. DId the Promentory line last as long as it did in case something happened to put the causeway out of service?

[JDLX]

Just to clear up one point....various acts, most notably the Antiquities Act and the National Historic Preservation Act, protect anything 50 years old or older where they are found on public land, meaning it is illegal to disturb or remove them.  If you are doing math, 50 years today is anything on the ground since 1973.  The CPRR grade crosses a generous amount of private land, the protections don't necessarily extend to artifacts located on them, but it's against the law to remove and take home with you anything from the grade where it crosses public land.  Pretty safe to assume if its on the grade and metal it's over 50 years old. 

The original main line around the north side of the lake continued to be used after the new line across the lake opened.  From 1904-1906 SP ran a daily except Sunday mixed train from Ogden (Utah) to Montello (Nevada) over the original line.  There was no service west of Kelton from 1906-1916, when SP again ran trains west to Montello.  In 1923 service amounted to three day a week service between Ogden and Kelton and two day a week service between Kelton and Montello.  What kept the line intact was not as a possible alternative to the line across the lake, but because the line had been offered as collateral for the a mortgage dating to the reorganization of the Central Pacific in 1889.  SP tried abandoning the line west of Kelton in 1933 but the ICC denied the application in 1934.  SP finally got permission from the State of Utah to drop train service west of Kelton in 1937.  All regular train service ended in June 1940, but SP continued operating as needed service to Kelton until the ICC approved full abandonment in June 1942.  The U.S. Military had already started the process of requisitioning the rails for use in military facilities in the area, which led to the railroad's quick removal after the line had been abandoned.  Above information gleaned from SP's Salt Lake Division book by John Signor.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV     

[trainman203]

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=195442


This is one of the shortest lived boom towns out in the American desert. The railroad barely lasted a decade. The depot you see here was built for the ages, and miraculously survived destruction while the entire rest of the town crumbled.  Ironically, the town did not crumble from weather, but rather people, salvaging rare in the desert building materials over many years.

An interesting side bar is that this place never has a dark night sky. Although over 100 miles away, the unbelievable wattage of Las Vegas is highly present in the sky.

[Terry Toenges]

I don't know if it was a part of the public or private land it was on. I made sure we were beyond the National Historic Site boundary before I messed with anything. I know it's a no-no inside National Park and Historic sites.
If I find an old license plate from 1959 on the shoulder of a Federal Interstate or say an old beer can from the 60's, it's against the law for me to to pick it up?

[JDLX]

Short answer, the combination of three laws- Antiquities Act of 1906, National Historic Preservation Act, and Archaeological Resource Protection Act protect anything 50 years old or older on Federally owned or managed lands, not just national parks or monuments.  Private lands are fair game, anything over 50 years on public qualifies.  There is a lot of public land managed by BLM along much of the old CPRR grade, so you do have to be careful which land you are on.  The general principal is take only photographs and leave only footprints. 

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV