tested under steam on March 20, 1869, then was assigned to passenger service between Truckee, Calif., and Win- nemucca, Nev. History has recorded that Jupiter


was at Promontory on May 10th purely by chance. The 4-4-0 Antelope, often used to pull the pay car, had been se- lected by Central Pacific president Le- land Stanford to haul his train of guests and dignitaries to the “wedding of the rails,” but was damaged while enroute to the ceremony. Jupiter, in charge of a passenger train, was com- mandeered at Wadsworth, Nev., to pull the Stanford Special onto Promontory Summit.


Following its brief moment in the spotlight, Jupiter continued in service for nearly 40 years. By 1891 it had lost its brass fittings, its name, and its dec- orative paint, and had been given a new number, 1195. A few years later the former Jupiter was sold to the Ari- zona short line Gila Valley, Globe & Northern, and despite some effort to save it, was cut up around 1906. Today’s Jupiter replica is faithful to the locomotive as it appeared in 1869. Because only black and white images of the original Jupiter exist,


its colors


were a mystery when the replicas were manufactured in 1979. The first paint scheme, developed by Disney animator Ward Kimball, was a colorful mix of red and crimson on both Jupiter and No. 119. Then, while researching informa- tion on a Central Pacific passenger coach, Stan Garner discovered a men- tion in the March 20, 1869, Sacramento


46 MAY 2013 • RAILFAN.COM


Bee that described Jupiter as “gleam- ing in blue and crimson with gold.” Fur- ther research by Jim Wilke, Kyle Wy- att, Kevin Bunker, Jon Davis, and other railroad


historians has deter-


mined that Jupiter was actually blue, not red. Schenectady’s management was of Scottish descent and frequently applied the blue and crimson colors of Scotland’s Caledonian Railway to its lo- comotives. Jupiter was repainted in 1994 to reflect this change.


Union Pacific’s No. 119


Union Pacific No. 119 was built for freight service, one of five identical 4-4-0s (Nos. 116-120) manufactured by the Rogers Locomotive & Machine Works of Patterson, New Jersey, that were delivered to the UP around No- vember 1868 and assigned to the Og- den roundhouse. A coal-burner, it was


visually different from Jupiter with 54″ drivers, a Hudson patent straight smokestack, and an extended smoke- box containing adjustable cinder screens.


Despite being a freight engine, No.


119 and her sisters were finished to a high degree, more extravagant, in fact, than many other Rogers locomotives, with decorative oil paintings gracing their tenders and steam domes. In 1868 Rogers was known to paint its “high finish” engines wine red with blue or green panels on their tenders, head- lights, and cabs, and the current paint scheme is based on that of a similar Rogers engine, the Seminole of 1867. Like Jupiter, the replica No. 119 was


repainted in 1994. New information suggests that the current crimson and green on No. 119’s tender is the reverse of Rogers’s actual placement, which will be corrected the next time it comes due for repainting. Like Jupiter, No. 119 was also at Promontory by chance. The locomotive hauling Union Pacific Vice President Thomas Durant and his guests was un- able to cross the Devil’s Gate Bridge near Ogden, Utah, which had been damaged by the flooding Weber River. The story goes that No. 119 was first out at the Ogden roundhouse and un- der steam, so it was tapped to pull the Durant special. After the ceremony, No. 119 ran for another three decades on the Union Pa- cific, being largely modified and rebuilt in its later years. It was scrapped in April 1903.


A Day at Golden Spike


Every morning from May through Mid-October the replicas are fired up at


ABOVE: Visitors are often surprised at how bright and decorated locomotives were in the 19th century. Locomotive builders took a great deal of pride in their creations, applying gold leaf scrollwork, original artwork, and bright colors to their products. Today, much work is required in the form of cleaning and polishing to keep the Promontory replicas appearing pristine. OPPOSITE TOP: The East Grade Auto Tour is one of several activities available at the GSNHS. This scene is east of Promon- tory Summit on the grade used by the SP until 1942. OPPOSITE BOTTOM: “What was it the engines said, pilots touching, head to head...”


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