The Last Cut
By April of 1869, the Union Pacific was working its Mormon and
Irish graders day and night in order to meet the scheduled
deadline for the completion of the railroad. Below you is the last
cut that they made along the transcontinental route. Cuts such
as these were necessary
to maintain a smooth and
steady greade and to keep
within the 2 percent
maximum rise (106 feet
per mile) mandated by
the Pacific Railroad Act of
1862. Atop the cut, notice
the excess rock left over from
excavation; neatly stacked with
the largest rocks on bottom to stabilize the rock pile
and to keep debris out of the cut. Rock like this could
be used as fill to build up the grade along the route.
Don't miss the rest of our virtual tour of Golden Spike National Historical Site in 660 images.