The funeral train for President George H.W. Bush is a rare moment when railroads and railroading are in the general media spotlight. While the train figures to receive more attention as Thursday’s move approaches, here’s a look at some of the early coverage of the President’s final trip by rail:
— ABC 13 TV in Houston has footage of the locomotive painted to honor the former President, No. 4141, arriving in Houston, and spoke with one of the people at Union Pacific who helped create the specially painted engine.
— The Washington Post draws parallels between the plans for President Bush and other presidents who have had funeral trains.
— CNN focuses on the engine it says was built (rather than painted) specifically to honor Bush.
— The Eagle of Bryan, Texas, which serves College Station, has details on plans for the train’s arrival and the services at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
Trains News Wire will continue to follow preparations for the funeral train and offer special coverage on Thursday.
The grasp of basic railroad terminology in much of this coverage is cringe-worthy.
Train looked great. The only problem I saw with it was that the 1943 was not the second unit. That would have been away to honor his service in WW2 in addition to his being POTUS.
In future times, I wonder if a Presidential history train could be assembled, with the 4141 as power, to tour UP territory for the public, much as the Bicenntenial train was used. The industry could expand on the good will felt for President Bush and Union Pacific. I hope so!
CNN wrong? SHOCKING!
“One of only a handful of Union Pacific trains to bear a color scheme other than the company’s traditional blue and gold, it’s painted to resemble Air Force One with a white body, a presidential seal and and long vertical bars of blue.” Thank you, CNN, for correcting my apparently incorrectly held belief that standard UP locos were yellow and gray. And where exactly on the body of 4141 are the “vertical bars of blue?” Yeesh, who knew it was so hard to write a simple description of an object…