Transcontinental Railroad Grade

The Transcontinental Railroad Grade is a section of railway in northwest Utah, near Corinne, Utah, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.[1]

Transcontinental Railroad Grade
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Railway trestle in the section
Nearest city	Corinne, Utah
Coordinates	41°36′55″N 112°20′40″W
Area	655 acres (2.65 km^2)
Built	1869
NRHP reference No.	94001423[1]
Added to NRHP	December 8, 1994

It is an abandoned 13.5 miles (21.7 km) section of the original 1869 grade of the first transcontinental railroad. Its raised grade (trackway), 11 trestles, and 21 culverts were built in 1869 or in years soon after. This section was built poorly by the Union Pacific, consistent with financial incentives, and was acquired by the Central Pacific in 1869, which found it necessary to replace trestles and otherwise rebuild the route here.[2]

The trestles were built largely with redwood, and have vertical round beams supporting stringers supporting railway ties. Just three of them were in good condition in 1992.[2]

The section runs roughly from 6 miles (9.7 km) miles west of Corinne for about 13 miles (21 km) further west along what is now Utah State Route 83. It is near Promontory Summit where the ceremonial Golden spike was hammered in to complete the six-year project by three companies to build the transcontinental railway.[2]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. Gail Van Moorleghem (May 1994). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Transcontinental Railroad Grade". National Park Service. Retrieved August 18, 2019. With accompanying six photos from 1992