Lucin Cutoff
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Southern Pacific Railroad: Ogden-Lucin Cut-Off Trestle
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Aerial view of the Lucin Cutoff trestle before removal. The 1950s causeway can be seen to the right of the trestle.
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| Nearest city | Ogden, Utah |
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| Coordinates | 41°13′0″N 112°41′40″W / 41.21667°N 112.69444°WCoordinates: 41°13′0″N 112°41′40″W / 41.21667°N 112.69444°W |
| Area | 143 acres (58 ha) |
| Built | 1902–1904 |
| Architect | William Hood |
| NRHP Reference # | |
| Added to NRHP | April 14, 1972 |
The Lucin Cutoff is a 102-mile (164 km) railroad line in Utah which runs from Ogden to its namesake in Lucin. The most prominent feature of the cutoff was a 12-mile (19 km) long railroad trestle crossing the Great Salt Lake, in use from 1904 until the late 1950s, and since replaced by a rock and dirt causeway.
Built by the Southern Pacific Company (SP) between February 1902 and March 1904, the cutoff bypassed the original Central Pacific Railroad route through Promontory Summit where the Golden spike was driven in 1869. By going west across the lake from Ogden to Lucin, it cut 44 miles (71 km) off the original route and also significantly decreased curvature and grades. Built under the direction of SP chief engineer William Hood, a team of 3,000 SP workers worked seven days a week to build the line.
When the line opened, it included short causeways extending from the western shore of the lake and the edge of Promontory Point, connected with a nearly 12-mile (19 km) long wooden trestle. The cutoff also included a causeway which spanned Bear River Bay from the eastern shore of the lake to Promontory Point. This section included a 600-foot-long trestle to allow Bear River water to flow into the lake.
By 1908, five passenger trains and seven freight trains were using the Lucin Cutoff in each direction daily. In 1942, the original line was removed between Lucin and Corinne, Utah — with the last Promontory spikes pulled up and the scrap metal donated to the war effort.
In 1944 the cutoff was the site of a train wreck in which 48 people were killed.
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