Thursday, July 14, 2005

Question: Umbria Jct

From: "Abram Burnett" aburnett@nshr.com

I notice in some of the literature that “Umbria Jct” was a location 0.2 miles west of Lucin.

Was “Umbria Jct” the official name of the junction of the new Lucin Cut Off and the Old Line via Promontory?

Which, of course, raises additional questions (… there are ALWAYS more questions!)  What was Umbria Jct 2/10 miles west of?  Perhaps the station and train order office at Lucin?  And prior to the construction of the Lucin Cut Off, what, if any, railroad facilities were at Lucin?

—Abram Burnett

2 Comments:

Blogger CPRR Discussion Group said...

From: littlechoochoo81@netzero.net

Umbria Jct. was last shown in my station books in 1899. At that time in parentheses it shows "via Lucin cut-off". This is interesting to me as denoting plans for the cut off were already underway two years before Harriman got control of SP. When the new lines were constructed across Nevada and Utah one of them was at the state line and passed north of the original 1869 line, thus requiring a junction to move from the new line to the Promontory line. To accomplish this a wye track was constructed a quarter mile or so east of the theoretical crossing point of the 1869 and 1902+/- and a short new track connected to the Promontory line. There was undoubtedly an original simple connecting track at Umbia Jct for the new cut off line to allow construction trains to get to where the work was. Originally Lucin was just a passing track. After the cut off was opened to traffic in 1904-5 a section gang was located there. In SP practice all station points were designated to the nearest tenth of a mile on engineering records but the station books showed the stations to the nearest mile with a few exceptions.

—Lynn Farrar

7/15/2005 9:03 PM  
Blogger CPRR Discussion Group said...

From: Bob_Spude@nps.gov

I was just out there and can report it is very hot at Umbria Jct. right now.

Umbria Jct is the point at which the old transcontinental grade can be seen leaving the present mainline, at a point .2 miles west of Lucin, which is little more than a sign board and siding on the mainline. Some beautiful trees in a rather bleak landscape make it easy to find (also of help was a well graded road).

The original Lucin was on the original transcontinental, but was relocated to the Lucin cutoff. We couldn't locate the original Lucin. In 1869 it had a water tank and section house.

Bob


Bob Spude – Historian – Cultural Resources Management – National Park
Service – Intermountain Region – 505.988.6770 Voice – 505.988.6876 Fax

7/18/2005 10:29 AM  

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