Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1902-11-08
New Central Pacific.

From Lucin to Reno line changes
are in course Of construction which
will mean everything to the operat-
ing department. At present it is
impossible to give the official figures,
rs they will not be known until the
tunnels are finished and all the work
planned is carried out However,
the line changes, without the tunnels
and those contracts yet to be let,
represent over 325 miles of new track
between Ogden and Reno, which will
save eighty-three miles in distance,
eliminate thousands of degrees of
curvature and remove many bad
grades, thus reducing the time as
well as cost of operating the trains.
Great fills and cuts are features,
and in completing this work steam
shovels are seen frequently. At four
points near Wells, Toano and Halleck
portions of the present lines will be
retained, as no improvements can be
maintained at two of these points for
short distances but in all other
cases the helpers will be needed no
longer, which will greatly increase
the available motive power as well as
reduce the cost of transportation
In Moeen canyon there are three
fills, on curves which are well built.
Along the Humboldt river can be
seen long stretches of new track.
The line through there will be almost
entirely new, and what an improve
ment it will be over the present track
which as is well known, runs up hill
and down dale, and twists around
points of mountains and in and out,
following the course of the river. The
new line is as straight as it can
possibly be made. The river is
crossed irrespective of expense, and
instructions in the shape of hills,
gullies and mountains are passed
through with that Indifference which
is only known to the modern engineer
who is working for the modern rail
road magnate. The reduction in
grades and curves is the most
marked, while the Improvement in
the line can De seen at a glance by
the most inexperienced eye.
Through the mountains in this
region there are four tunnels being
bored a total of II, 205 feet for the
four, but they will alone save many
miles and curves. For instance, the
Vivian tunnel is near Carlin, and
1905 feet in length. The train on the
present track passed by the east
portal at right angles and after
twisting and turning around horse
shoe it passes the west portal. The
horseshoe is two miles long, but the
tunnel is only 1905 feet long, SO it
can be readily understood what a
saving will be made.
All along the road the work is
going on. The whole makes the most
important series of line changes yet
undertaken by western road, and
summed up represents line across
the Great Salt lake, four tunnels
through the Pequop hills, high fills,
deep cuts, steel bridges set on solid
masonry abutments, concrete or steel
culverts and perfect track
When the talked-of tunnel through
the snow-clad Sierras is cut through
the line from Ogden to CofaX will be
second to none in the whole region
west of the river. On the whole it
means that the Central overland
route is to be made into one of the
most interesting of all lines, and it
will not be many days until the
traveller can save six or seven hours
between Ogden and San Francisco.
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