Show 258 ties were laid The gravel ballast made lay a perfectly level track approximately 18 Strange as feet floor was the water25 The above it may it much 16 easier to feet wide and the trestle part of the cutoff proved to be more solid than the fills Stormy weather affected the piles very little and salt water "pickled" the timbers They seem to be as substantial today as when they were seem first planted over forty years ago With additional cross bracing and a crew of carpenters constantly working on the trestle it is considered safer now than when originally constructed2® When completed the Luoin Cut-o- ff shortened the route between Ogden and Lucin 4377 miles and the time by seven hours 3919 degrees of curvature were eliminated and 1515 feet of grade avoided is at Promontory Point sharpest curve on the new line and is a curve of only 15 degrees as compared with curves of 10 degrees on the old line The (21 feet to the mile) lies west steepest grade on the cut-o- ff of the lake A climb of as much as 90 feet to the mile was encountered on the old route 2 In spite of "yellow press” reports concerning loss of 25 The Salt Lake Tribune November 27 1903 "Bridging Great Salt Lake" 24 27 Aiken "Crossing Great Salt Lake" 205 26 Mann |