Saw the 'Presidential' Union Pacific 4141 at the weekend!
Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:00 pm
As we had a lot of out of town visitors for the Fort Worth Show, we followed Saturday's show with a now-traditional trip to the local workings. Across from the show's location at Fort Worth Convention Center is the ITC station (near the old Santa Fe depot). Here we watched the TRE go in and out, and a couple of Amtraks leave (to Oklahoma City and San Antonio).
Then dropped by a look out over to the UP's diesel sheds. All quite boring - nothing much happening, so further west to the UP Centennial Hump Yard. Yes a working hump yard
I've been before, but this time the grass had been cut (probably due to it being a fire risk - we're still officially in a drought), so we had a better view of the main yard. The usual lookout is right by the hump and the first set of retarders.
We only saw a few cars go over before shift change and everything stopped!
So we headed off to the restaurant. On the drive over, guess what we saw crossing a bridge whilst we waited at some lights? None other than "George H. Bush 4141"! And none of us had cameras, or they were packed away.
Here's the UP's press release:
http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/h ... 4141.shtml
The engine was named as a part of the big exhibition that the Bush Library has (and we'll be exhibiting at in May). '41' because he was the 41st President (his son is the 43rd).
The livery is very distinctive in "Air Force One" light blues. The name "George Bush" is in big letters (loco names are very unusual over here), and the engine was remarkably clean!
One wonders if they always keep someone watching it - it must be a prime target for political graffitti.
Richard
Then dropped by a look out over to the UP's diesel sheds. All quite boring - nothing much happening, so further west to the UP Centennial Hump Yard. Yes a working hump yard
I've been before, but this time the grass had been cut (probably due to it being a fire risk - we're still officially in a drought), so we had a better view of the main yard. The usual lookout is right by the hump and the first set of retarders.
We only saw a few cars go over before shift change and everything stopped!
So we headed off to the restaurant. On the drive over, guess what we saw crossing a bridge whilst we waited at some lights? None other than "George H. Bush 4141"! And none of us had cameras, or they were packed away.
Here's the UP's press release:
http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/h ... 4141.shtml
The engine was named as a part of the big exhibition that the Bush Library has (and we'll be exhibiting at in May). '41' because he was the 41st President (his son is the 43rd).
The livery is very distinctive in "Air Force One" light blues. The name "George Bush" is in big letters (loco names are very unusual over here), and the engine was remarkably clean!
One wonders if they always keep someone watching it - it must be a prime target for political graffitti.
Richard
