Big Fill

In February 1869, the construction firm of Benson, Farr, & West began construction on a raised bed across the ravine. Over two months, 500 workers hauled more than {{convert|10,000|yd3}} of material to build the rail bed. At its completion on April 26,{{cite report |url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/gosp1/promontory_summit.pdf |title=Promontory Summit, May 10, 1869 |author=Spude, Robert L. |author2=Delyea, Todd |date=2005 |publisher=Cultural Resources Management, Intermountain Region, National Park Service}}{{rp|ix}} the fill extended for {{convert|500|ft|m}} and up to a depth of {{convert|70|ft|m}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/gosp/tour/biggfill.html |title=Big Fill |publisher=National Park Service |accessdate=2008-10-22 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606040745/http://www.nps.gov/archive/gosp/tour/biggfill.html |archivedate=2008-06-06 }} The cuts for the Big Fill required 1,500 kegs of black powder.{{rp|32}}

Image:Bigtrestle.jpg Big Trestle]]

{{convert|150|yd}} east of the Big Fill, the Union Pacific line was also attempting to cross the same ravine.{{cite report |url=http://npshistory.com/series/archeology/rmr/16/clr2f.htm |title=Cultural Landscape Report: Golden Spike National Historic Site {{!}} Box Elder County, Utah |author1=Homstad, Carla |author2=Caywood, Janene |author3=Nelson, Peggy |date=2000 |publisher=Intermountain Region, National Park Service |chapter=2: Site History, Completing Construction at Promontory Summit: April-May 1869 |accessdate=21 September 2020}} The Union Pacific was several months behind Central Pacific, and opted to build a wooden trestle instead of using an earthen fill, starting on March 28. The Big Trestle was built in 36 days and was completed on May 5,{{rp|ix–x}} only 5 days before the golden spike ceremony at Promontory Summit.{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/gosp/tour/trestle.html |title=Big Trestle |publisher=National Park Service |accessdate=2008-10-22 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523111009/http://www.nps.gov/archive/gosp/tour/trestle.html |archivedate=2009-05-23 }}{{cite news |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18690506.2.9 |title=The Railway Front |date=May 6, 1869 |newspaper=Daily Alta California |accessdate=22 September 2020}} The Big Trestle, intended to serve as a temporary measure until a permanent fill could be constructed,{{cite news |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18691111.2.12 |title=Pacific Railroads |date=November 11, 1869 |newspaper=Daily Alta California |accessdate=22 September 2020}} was {{convert|400|ft}} long and {{convert|80|to|85|ft}} high.{{rp|35}} 

{{quotebox |text=Nothing that I could write would convey an idea of the flimsy character of [the Big Trestle]. It is composed of round timbers standing upright. The cross pieces are jointed in the most clumsy manner. It looks rather like the "false work" which has to be put up during the construction of such works. The winds are sometimes very boisterous in these regions, and it would not surprise me if it was blown down the first severe storm. It is upwards of 80 feet high. I would not ride over it for all the money that James Fisk, Jr., expects to realize by his late raid on the Union Pacific. The Central Pacific have a fine, solid embankment alongside it, which ought to be used as the track. |width=25em |source=Daily Alta California (May 1, 1869){{cite news |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18690501.2.13 |title=The Pacific Railroad: From the End of the Track: The Great Ten-Mile Feat |date=May 1, 1869 |newspaper=Daily Alta California |accessdate=27 April 2020}}}}

Since Union Pacific were responsible for the transcontinental route east of Promontory, the track was laid across the Big Trestle. However, shortly after completion, the trestle was faulted as weak; in addition, there was a grade across the trestle and a curve at one end.{{cite news |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=MDA18690512.2.20 |title=Storm on the Union Pacific—Sufferings of Passengers—Dangerous Condition of the Road |date=May 12, 1869 |newspaper=Marysville Daily Appeal |accessdate=22 September 2020}}

Because Congress had fixed the point of junction as Ogden, not Promontory, controversy over the control of the segment between Promontory and Ogden ensued,{{cite news |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDI18690414.2.5 |title=The Point of Junction |date=April 14, 1869 |newspaper=Stockton Independent |accessdate=22 September 2020}} but the two companies eventually came to an agreement to move the junction to Ogden, with Central Pacific compensating Union Pacific for the cost of construction materials and labor. Six months after the completion ceremony, Central Pacific was awarded control of that segment. They opted to move the rail line from the poor-quality Big Trestle to the Big Fill,{{cite book |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102217042 |title=Golden Spike |author1=Utley, Robert M. |author2=Ketterson Jr., Francis A. |date=1969 |publisher=National Park Service |accessdate=22 September 2020}}{{rp|54}} where it remained in use until the rails were removed in 1942, although main line traffic was moved off the Promontory route in 1903 with the completion of the Lucin Cutoff.

Today both sites are part of the Golden Spike National Historic Site; a walking trail from the East Grade Auto Tour takes tourists to view the Big Fill and the remains of the Big Trestle.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/rail-journeys/utah-transcontinental-rail-us/ |title=The engineering marvel that tamed the Wild West |author=Bridge, Adrian |date=5 May 2019 |newspaper=The Telegraph |accessdate=22 September 2020}}

{{Reflist}}

{{coord|41|38|29|N|112|28|44|W |type:landmark_region:US-UT |display=title}}

• [https://www.nps.gov/gosp/index.htm National Park Service: Golden Spike National Historic Site]
• {{cite web |url=https://slorrm.com/spike150/Promontory-May-8-2019-Part-1-compressed.pdf |title=The Big Fill Trail |author=De Leonardis, Ed |date=June 22, 2019 |publisher=San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum}} [https://slorrm.com/spike150/Promontory-May-8-2019-Part-1-compressed.pdf Part 1] {{!}} [https://slorrm.com/spike150/Promontory-May-8-2019-Part-2-compressed.pdf Part 2] {{!}} [https://slorrm.com/spike150/Promontory-May-8-2019-Part-3-compressed.pdf Part 3]
• {{cite web |url=http://people.kzoo.edu/~rkoenig/ndi_public/ |author=Koenig, Richard |publisher=Kalamazoo College |title=Contemporary Views Along the First Transcontinental Railroad}}

Category:Rail infrastructure in Utah

Category:Southern Pacific Railroad

Category:Union Pacific Railroad