UP's Pres. Bush diesel

[Mikeyp]

Anyone know why UP's Pres. Bush commorative paint scheme diesel is at the Jenks Shop in North Little Rock under a white tarp?

[n012944]

My guess is that the UP is worried about it being vandalized.  People that are far out on either side of the political spectrum tend to get a little crazy.  

[BastaTim]

Because certain people will vandalize it because it has the Bush name on it.

[Leo_Ames]

If it's stored, perhaps. 

But they're not running it around covered or putting it under a tarp every time it's parked. So if it's not laid up, it's likely to hide vandalism until it's shopped. 

[RiversideBNSF]

I think the paint scheme is one of the best looking. Who thought Airforce 1's paint job would look so good on a locomotive? Great job by UP for doing the whole heritage thing.

[Phoebe Vet]

I've often wondered why they chose to honor only one president, and why that one.  I'm very liberal, but I am not a Democrat.  I liked and voted for Bush 41, so I am not offended, just curious.

[WSOR 3801]

I think it was a tie-in to Bush 41 Presidential Library opening.  I seem to recall some ads for the library's opening that indicated that engine would be there. 

[Metro Red Line]

I believe I heard somewhere that UP4141 is being stored away until President Bush's death, which (I assume) the loco will be used to pull a funeral train (His planned grave will be at his presidential library, as many presidents choose to do). The tarp is there to not just protect it from vandalism, but the elements as well.

[Leo_Ames]

That sounds pretty far out there especially when they have other stored SD70ACe's from what I last saw.

There's no reason why this multi-million dollar asset couldn't be out there running. Even if they wanted to keep it close at hand if it was indeed used for such a purpose someday both to make it quickly available and to keep a regular eye on her appearance, they could easily do so.  

I've seen others claim that Union Pacific has actually tried to donate it to his presidential library. That one is really out there. Because she has a special paint scheme, railfans seem to want to develop a theory about why she's sitting. 

To the Union Pacific, she's just another locomotive.