Salt Lake & Mercur Railroad
Salt
Lake & Mercur's small but powerful Shay geared locomotive c.1898 - THRP - Winegar Collection
Brief history
The Salt Lake & Mercur Railroad, a small branch
line of the Union Pacific, was designed and built to service the mines and town of Mercur. The turning and twisting path of
the railroad from Manning canyon over the pass and down into Mercur or Lewiston Canyon was an engineering marvel.
The path was such that only the shay type geared locomotives could negotiate it with relative
ease and safety. At a couple of places the rail turns back on itself (See below) as
it climbs the hillside to the pass.
Detail of a Mercur Claim map showing the approximate route of the
Salt lake & Mercur Railroad. c.1898
Getting there
It is still possible to travel the route of the Salt
Lake & Mercur Rail line from Manning Canyon up the turning and twisting path as far as the county line at the summit.
For now, until all the reclaimation work is complete, a large gate prevents you from going any further.
From the Main turnoff at the Five Mile Pass Recreation Area sign on State Road 73 follow
the main dirt road into Manning canyon past the old Manning mill site. The road above that point follows the grade of the
old rail line.
What remains
It has been a number of years since I have traveled the road all the way to the top, but it is still possible
to find the odd spike left from the days when the line was abandoned and the rails torn up. Other than that, Nothing remains
of the old line except the grade.
The
turning and twisting path of the line is shown quite well in this photo of the train near the pass c.1898
THRP - Winegar Collection
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