Lucin Cutoff Opens
Considered one of the most ambitious and successful engineering feats of the era, the Lucin Cutoff replaced the original Promontory Summit line. Under the direction of Chief Engineer William Hood, an estimated 3,000 SP workers labored seven days a week to create the bypass across the Great Salt Lake. The new line was 44 miles shorter and considerably less curved and steep, allowing for heavier freight movement and quicker passenger travel. 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.