Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1913-11-13
SOLDIER SUMMIT GRADE
AN ENGINEERING TRIUMPH
Reduced Incline Costs Road $250O,OOO or
100000 a Mile, and Will Save S0OO,OOO
Yearly in the Operation and Maintenance
Cost.

the new line. In some places II was
necessary to haul overland large
steam shovels Up stecp inclines by
means Of steel cables while at other
places incline tracks we're laid up
the mountain side and steam shovel
moved upward inch by inch under
their own power 4 season OF I'M
usual moisture precipitation also
added to the difficulty Of expedi-
tious prosecution Of the work.
The grading Of the roadbed ne
cessitated the handling Of 100000
cubic yards Of material, about SS
per cent Of which was rock. Con-
crete masonry to the extent Of near
~ $4,000 cubic yards vas Installed
in the permanent way No bridge
openings Of any Kind occur any
whore along the line. all waterway
openings being constructed OF some
type Of concrete masonry. so that
the entire double track roadbed for
fifteen miles presents an unbroken
and permanent foundation for the
tracks. a fact quite remarkable in a
mountainous country.
Thirty-Fiyc-Foot Roadway.
The railroad, constructed as
double track line. nccessitates a
roadbcd Of thirty-five feet In width.
The steep slopes upon which the
roadbcd rests required the deposit
ing Of enormous quantities. Of ma
tcrlal In che individual embank-
ments. the largest Of which contains
nearly 100000 cubic yards and IL
ninety feet high from the original
surface OF the ground TO the top Of
tho rails. The heaviest individual
cutting contains about 255.O00 cubic
yards. whore the original surface OF
the ground was scycnty-flve feet
above the top Of the rails.
The line IL rather Of a pictur-
esque nature. which fast becomes
doubiy conspicuous whom compared
TO the old moderately straight line.
Two looks are necessary In the
kinking Of the line down the noun
tain and the idea OF mountain
climbing IL PROMINENT forced upon
the attention Of the travelling pub
lie In passing over this portion OF
the road. while the view from points
near the summit unfolds a panor-
anna of particular beauty.
4 Open hearth steel rails weighing
ninety pounds yard. with the most
modern type Of track faateninga.
such as switches. tie plates and rail
anchors. are used Both tracks are
ballasted with gravel from the Jor-
dan Narrows gravel pit
Remarkable Rapliity shown.
The rapldity with which the work
was accomplished IL unusual. and
for a part Of the time during the
progress OF construction the force
report showed that twenty steam
shoyels, 1894 men. 1856 teams and
forty contractor locomotives were
engaged on the line In addition Ia
the day shifts. for weeks at a time
several OF the steam shoyela with
full complement OF men and con
tractors locomotives were working
night shifts. Notwithstanding the
fact that the twenty steam shovels
were regularly engaged during the
day,
As might be surmisod. the detour
line will effect great improve
ment In service for both freight and
passenger trains one locomotive
will haul over the new line almost
twice the number Of ears that Il
could transport over the old. No
delays viii accrue by reason OF the
attachment Of helper and pusher en-
gines AZ Tucker. M has been the
custom for many years past Pas
senger trains can descend the new
line with perfect safety at much
greater speed than on the old line
Freight trains need not be reduced
10 a safe number OF ears at soldier
Summit In descending westward. as
was imperative IN the past method
OF operation
Soldier summit is the lowest pass
OF the Wasateh range In proximity
to the route Of the Rio Grande. II
Is 7454 feet above sea level and
5000 feet above the bed OF the pre-
historic Lake Bonneville, which at
one time covered a large portion OF
the Great Basin II was first oc-
cupied by the Rio Grande Western,
then a narrow gauge line. In 1881.
Subsequently the gauge was stan
dardized
Like other ranges OF the Rocky
Mountains the Wasateh presents on
the east slope OF about per cent
gradients and on the west one OF