Railroad officials repainted SD70AH, or SD70AC, No. 9026 as No. 1943, commemorating the year that B-17F Flying Fortress bomber, The Spirit of the Union Pacific, rolled off an assembly room floor bound for the skies over Nazi-occupied Europe. Nazis shot down the aircraft while it and its crew were on a bombing mission over Munster, Germany.
Union Pacific painted the locomotive to honor veterans in all branches of military service and included design elements from each: Air Force silver, a blue stripe from Strategic Air Command, hand-drawn lettering in homage to the B-17’s nose art, a Coast Guard safety stripe, Navy battleship gray, and camouflage for the Army and Marine Corps. A prisoner of war-missing in action, or POW-MIA, emblem is painted on the unit’s B-end.
The locomotive appeared in San Antonio, Texas, today; and will appear in New Orleans, Oct. 21; North Little Rock, Ark., Oct. 24; Van Buren, Ark., Oct. 25; Fort Riley, Kan., Nov. 6; Omaha, Neb., Nov. 10; and Cheyenne, Wyo., Nov. 13.
I hope the model train manufacturers know about this. I would buy one in O gauge. So Lionel, MTH, Williams, listen up!
Union Pacific skipped Houston in its posted schedule between San Antonio and New Orleans with Number 1943. Unless you are able to trace the assigned train on shortwave radio, you can only hold vigil along the right-of-way hoping to see the locomotive on every eastbound freight train that passes from San Antonio.
I’m curious about the original B-17 mission over Munster, Germany. The article said the airplane was shot down. I wonder if any of the crew was able to bail out and survive? Also, will the locomotive run anywhere off line? I do see UP engines here in Nashville from time to time. Maybe it might show up here too?
We get a lot of UP AC-powered run-throughs on the NS here in the northeast; maybe this one will grace Rockville Bridge!
Great looking locomotive. Kudos to the UP and NS for their heritage units.
Very cool paint scheme and an even cooler nod to military history, and to all those that have served. Can’t wait to see it trackside. Well done UP