4141 left Omaha yesterday, reportedly headed to the Chicago area. Possibly for UP employee viewing. I don't know about public viewing.
UP said this past weekend that they haven't decided what is going to happen next with 4141. Right now, it's parked on a show track near downtown Omaha.
One of the news reports I heard/saw said that it appears UP will not use the engine again; that they plan to remove the useable interior parts (motors, prime mover etc.) and donate it to the GHW Bush museum to display. The museum is located right next to the UP tracks.
Now that UP 4141 has fulfilled its funereal mission, what is next? The worldwide exposure it has received, it is forever linked with President George H. W. Bush. Returning it to every day freight service would expose it to all of the elements and perils any mainline locomotive routinely faces. This locomotive has attained a notoriety in its special livery that make people immediately flash back to the first week of December 2018. For that locomotive to be in a power set covered in the mud, soot, dust, oil, and the same grime as any other UP engine will cause an outcry of disrespect for a deceased president. That precludes it being coupled into the next train to North Platte, unless it is a dignified passenger train.
UP has to either immediately repaint into standard Armour yellow and renumber it, which will bring howls of dismay and disrespect from John Q. Public, and and a PR black eye for UP.
UP could make it a ceremonial unit, to be used for special occasions. There are other members of the Bush family that may someday need it. Or, it could be part of the Bush library at College Station where those visitng the library would see the UP shield. This would generate an ongoing positive p.r. recognition and image of the UP. Unlike 1943, 4141 is forever linked to one man, a president of the United States and survivor and genuine hero of World War II.
s
UP has a 4300 h.p. dilemma to deal with!
From what I understand, storing the locomotive in 2008 was two fold; the economy was a part of it; yes. But it was also around that time the Bush family reached out to Union Pacific to begin planning the possibility of a funeral train; so keeping 4141 under a tarp with somewhat regular mechanical work despite not being used for regular freight service was to keep the engine ready for the day it was called for the funeral train. Could you imagine what would have happened had UP instead used 4141 in freight service, how dingy the engine would have looked when the call for the funeral happened? Keeping it stored, tarped and under the eyes of the mechanics at Jenks was all part of the plan to keep it ready for this day. Now the real question is... will 4141 return to freight service now that its presidential duty is over? Will UP use 4141 as a PR engine much like they have with 1943, possibly touring it to special events over the coming months? Or will the longstanding rumors of 4141 turn out to be true, with the engine finding a forever home on display at the Presidential library not far from the grave it helped bring the president's body to?
jrbernier 2008 along with hundreds of other locomotive due to a downturn in the economy.
Russell
The train used to carry the late President Bush has an intersting history. Trains fo Bush carry a special meaning: his family rode on them while on many family vacations. The loco used to carry his casket was meant to look like Air Force One.
Here's an interesting article about the loco, why used by Bush, and how trains carried other presidents to their respective final resting places:
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2018/12/06/special-train-4141will-take-george-bush-final-resting-place-college-station
I was surprised to see that 1943 wasn't in the consist, instead it was just a armour yellow SD70ace.
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
The engine was painted around 2005 for the dedication of the Bush Presidential Library. It was taken our of service around 2008 along with hundreds of other locomotive due to a downturn in the economy. It has been back in service as traffic levels ebb & flow at least once. It got a cosmetic face lift several years back and was stored under a tarp until this time. The train is standard UP business cars.
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
mbinsewiEd, I asked you this question in the diner,
Hi, Mike. I forgot exactly where I saw your question so I got distracted and forgot to answer Big Daddy has it covered
It is a Athearn Genesis. I think I came across it maybe three years ago at a "TrainWorld" closeout. I thought it looked pretty so I put one in the shopping cart
Sorry I took so long to reply.
Regards, Ed
I'd like to know the real scoop. Wiki says it was taken out of service because of excess power. I read that whole loco graveyard in AZ was returned to service, so who would sit on a perfectly good 70ACE and then give it away?
Yes there is PR value in this event, but railroads are regional monopolies. If you are going to ship by train, you have to use the railroads that serve your area.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Mike:
I saw a television report (CNN?) that 4141 was painted this way 10 years ago, and was kept inside until needed for this purpose. Also reported that US military starts planning their part in each presidents funeral on the day his elecion is confirmed.
Dave
OK, thanks. I tried repainting a Dash 8 to model the 1992 "Spirit of America" train, the kids thought it was cool, as I got a picture of them and the wife standing next to it, when he was in Wisconsin, escorted by the WC, but I ended up repainting my model again.
It was quite the coverage today on all the channels, I did watch part of VR coverage, and Fox had a camera mounted on the conductor's side, pointing back.
Mike.
My You Tube
Dunno about Ed's but Athearn did one.
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATHG68786
Ed, I asked you this question in the diner, but since you brought it up again here, I'll ask again, is your 4141 an Atlas? I think Atlas also did the Dash8-40c "Spirit of America" loco, that Mr Bush used during his 1992 campaign.
cedarwoodron trains serve the nation!
UP_4141b by Edmund, on Flickr
UP_4141_SD70sm by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers! Ed
It's been on TV for 4 hours
I would think today could only have helped the model train industry. That was an impressive train. I don't remember much about Bobby Kennedy's train. I wanted to see it but did not.
Just saw a news report that a train was used to transport the late President Bush to his burial site- continuing a grand tradition, trains serve the nation!
Cedarwoodron