Is this a train depot? That is the question we asked ourselves as we pulled off the highway. The sign said Rest Area yet the building looked like a train depot with a sign that read Tie Fork. Train tracks could be seen along with a water tower. We parked and headed for the covered area and we hoped picnic tables.
It was a rest area on U.S. 6, Milepost 202, and offered a pavilion with tables and historical information on the walls. We could see a train engine on the other side as well as a replica roundhouse. After lunch we started our tour of the area and headed for the engine, a non- functional steam engine. An older gentleman, from Helper, UT, was there with his grandson and he gave us the history of the area.
To understand the rest area we had to understand Tucker, UT. Tucker started as a rail spur in the late 1800s and a station was built to house the “helper engines”. These engines were used to push freight trains over Soldier Summit, which had a 4% grade. In 1913 the railroad realigned the tracks to a 2% grade and the “helper engines” of Tucker were no longer needed. This was the demise of the town. In 1969, Utah used the town site as a rest area. In 2009 when the state realigned the highway, the ghost town of Tucker was buried. To honor Tucker, the state built a new rest area in the design of a 1900 era depot and roundhouse about two miles downstream from the original town.
This stop not only gave us a chance to eat, rest and walk around but it also gave us a history lesson of the area. This is one of the most unique rest areas we have visited. We thank the state of Utah for honoring the ghost town of Tucker and allowing us to walk in history.
Engine Front
Tie Fork Depot
Engine 435
Roundhouse
Water is ready
