THE WYOMING SITE OF THE UNION PACIFIC’S INFAMOUS DALE CREEK BRIDGE

: THIS IS A JACKSON PHOTOGRAPH OF DALE CREEK BRIDGE VIEWED FROM THE NORTH CIRCA,1868

: DALE CREEK LOOKING SOUTH FROM A POSITION CLOSE TO THE PLACE JACKSON STOOD TO OBTAIN HIS BRIDGE PHOTOGRAPH. THE EAST ABUTMENT IS LOCATED IN THE UPPER L.H. CORNER AND THE WEST IN THE UPPER R.H. CORNER.

: THIS IS A WESTERLY VIEW OF THE APPROACH TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE BRIDGE SITE. IN THIS VIEW IS SHOWN THE ROADBED OF THE RAILROAD ROUTE ABANDONED DURING THE E.H. HARRIMAN ERA IN FAVOR OF A BETTER ROUTE TO THE SOUTH, CIRCA 1905.

: MEMBERS OF A UNION PACIFIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY TOUR ARE SEEN WALKING THROUGH THE ROCK-CUT LEADING TO THE EAST END OF THE BRIDGE SITE.

: THIS VIEW IS AGAIN LOOKING EAST ALONG THE APPROACH ROADBED STANDING AT THE EAST END OF THE BRIDGE SITE. DO NOT BACKUP!!

: LOOKING WEST, YOU OBSERVE THE WEST END OF THE BRIDGE SITE AND THE ORIGINAL FOUNDATIONS WAY DOWN THERE, ABOUT 150 FEET DOWN. THIS IS THE CHASM AS IT WAS SEEN BY THE ROUTE SURVEYORS . THIS VIEW MUST HAVE BEEN DISHEARTENING.

: A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE WEST END OF THE BRIDGE SITE IN THE MAKING.

: THE TOP OF THE EAST ABUTMENT, LOCATED IN THE UPPER R.H. CORNER OF THE THE PHOTOGRAPH, VIEWED FROM THE SOUTH.

: THE STONEMASONS DID THIS WORK ABOUT 1885 WHEN ROCK ABUTMENTS REPLACED THE WOODEN TRESTLES OF THE ORIGINAL 1868 BRIDGE. THE FACE OF THE EAST ABUTMENT IS SHOWN.

: A CLOSEUP VIEW OF THE WEST ABUTMENT.

: THIS IS WHAT THE WEST END OF THE ORIGINAL BRIDGE LOOKED LIKE IN 1868. NOTICE THE WOODEN APPROACH TRESTLE.

: A VIEW OF THE BRIDGE SITE, LOOKING NORTH FROM A POINT SOUTH OF THE BRIDGE SITE.

: THIS VIEW SHOWS THE PRESENT LOCATION OF THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD, FAR TO THE SOUTH OF THE SITE OF THE OLD BRIDGE.

: THIS VIEW ILLUSTRATES THE DEPLORABLE LIVING CONDITIONS AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE.

THESE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN DURING A UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL CONVENTION HELD IN CHEYENNE, WYOMING. MY THANKS TO JIM EHRENBERGER FOR MAKING THIS RARE VISIT TO THE BRIDGE SITE POSSIBLE.

THESE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE BY THE OLD MACHINIST.

About THE OLD MACHINIST

I am 89 years old and was married for 66 years. My wife passed away in 2016. I am a retired engineer and spent 35 years developing INS gyroscopes. I was a High School mentor in physics, a mountaineer, a model builder, a machinist and I have a degree in Physics. My interests include railroad history and photography, science history, cosmology, interesting people, and old engineering drawings. I place a high value on my friendships. I enjoying my life and I try look forward with a sense of anticipation and curiosity about what my future has in store for me.

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9 Responses to THE WYOMING SITE OF THE UNION PACIFIC’S INFAMOUS DALE CREEK BRIDGE

Jeff Loseke says:

September 6, 2014 at 12:34 pm

I was on Hermosa Rd west of Ames monument. No trespassing signs near Dale Creek Bridge site. Who would I get permission from to hike in there?
Thank you.

- THE OLD MACHINIST says:
  
  September 6, 2014 at 1:59 pm
  
  Hello Jeff,
  I do not have information about permission to gain access to the site. I believe the site is on the National List Of Historical Places.
  This is where I would start looking. Let me know what you learn.
  Regards, Mel
  
Robert Teed says:

January 2, 2015 at 8:47 pm

Where can I find Dale Creek Crossing on Google Earth. I have been to Ames Monument in the 1980s and have chased Union Pacific Steam Trains in that area.

- THE OLD MACHINIST says:
  
  January 3, 2015 at 3:55 am
  
  Hello Robert,
  Do a search on “Ames Monument”. Zoom in and you will be in the vicinity of the former site of the town of Summit.
  You will know you are in the right place when you observe the imprints left by the depot, roundhouse, and turntable.
  Follow the old roadbed west about three miles and you will run into the canyon of Dale Creek (pun intended). You will see the
  two abutments and the trestle foundations.
  Regards, Mel
  
Jim Hanna says:

June 2, 2017 at 7:56 pm

I was quite pleased to happen on to your web site, and then even more pleasantly surprised to find a photo of my wife. She is the lady in the bright blue top in the shot of the UP Historical Society tour walking out of the east approach cut!

Darrell Borland says:

September 30, 2020 at 8:06 am

I am trying to get permission to go to Dale Creek Trestle site..any suggestions, please? Thanks.

- Jim Hanna says:
  
  September 30, 2020 at 6:29 pm
  
  Sorry, but I don’t know who owns the site now. Your best bet would be to find out which county it is in and to contact the county assessor to find out who the owner is. I think all states now have their property ownership records on a map based geographical information system which should let you find that information yourself. Last I knew the land had changed hands since the time when the photo was taken and the new owner does not permit visitors.
  
  - Darrell Borland says:
    
    October 1, 2020 at 9:28 pm
    
    Thanks, Jim, for the information. That site has so much history connected to it…Those A.J. Russell photos continue to amaze me with their link to those men, and their creation, of 150 years ago. Have a good day!
Paul Gockel says:

September 9, 2021 at 4:55 pm

I’m related to the Casements and EC Lockwood, all builders of the UP. For some reason I’ve always been fascinated by the Dale Creek bridge and site. I have many documents from the UP-building era as I scooped up tons of material just before the old Casement/Lockwood house was razed in 1971. I’d also love to meet the Old Machinist. Once we’ve worn out the UP, we could discuss machining techniques. I’m also a church organist, but not so much since Covid.