Nos. 4141 and 1943 on display at Proviso Yard near Chicago on Saturday.
Lou Gerard
OMAHA, Neb. – The locomotive that pulled the funeral train for former President George H.W. Bush will tour the Union Pacific system in the coming months. The SD70ACe, carrying a special paint scheme modeled after Air Force One and numbered 4141 for the nation’s 41st president, will tour the system pulling freight between locations. At major UP terminals the unit will be displayed for employees and their families.
“The George Bush 4141 locomotive is traveling to various Union Pacific facilities around our network to give employees an opportunity to see it firsthand,” railroad spokeswoman Kristen South confirms. “It was our honor and privilege to participate in President Bush’s final journey, and to provide an opportunity for Americans to participate in that experience. While there may be future public displays, none are planned at this time out of respect for the late president and his family.”
There is no set schedule for the tour. The presidential locomotive will be accompanied by UP SD70AH No. 1943, “The Spirit” which is painted to honor U.S. armed forces. The first stop was Proviso Yard near Chicago on Dec. 15. Other locations the locomotive will visit on the tour, as conveyed to railroad employees, include:
- Fort Worth, Texas
- Houston
- Kansas City, Mo.
- Los Angeles
- North Platte, Neb.
- Pine Bluff/North Little Rock, Ark.
- Ogden, Utah
- Portland, Ore.
- Roseville, Calif.
- St. Louis, Mo.
No. 4141 pulled the funeral train for George H. W. Bush on Dec. 6, running from Spring to College Station, Texas. Following the funeral, the unit was sent to Omaha where it was on display from Dec. 9 to 12.
Glad to see Union Pacific acknowledge the historical importance of Proviso Yard to the railroad’s heritage and continued success by staging the FIRST display of these units in our Yard.
Smart move by UP. You can’t buy this kind of publicity and good will with advertisement.
Kudos to the UP Public Affairs Department.
“Mom! 99 is blowing for 16th Street. Dad will be home soon.”