March 6, 1904 - Promontory Point and Lucin Cutoff

On May 10, 1869, it was at Promontory Summit (see Yellow Star) that the "Golden Spike" was driven into the special laurel railroad tie.  (Promontory Summit is 66 miles northwest of Salt Lake City and 32 miles west of Brigham City.)

Promontory Point (see Red Arrow), west of Ogden, Utah, is approximately 44 miles south of Promontory Summit.   It is not associated with the railroad until 1902-1904 when the Lucin Cutoff over the Great Salt Lake was constructed.

Not until the turn of the century were engineers able to build a causeway/trestle over the Great Salt Lake.

On March 6, 1904, freight trains began using the Lucin Cutoff (a 102-mile railroad line from Ogden to Lucin, Utah) and on September 18, 1904, passenger trains began using the cutoff.

This route was 43 miles shorter than the 1869 route over Promontory Summit and avoided the many curves and grades. Main line trains no longer pass over Promontory Summit.