UP locomotive to honor Abraham Lincoln

Union Pacific marked Presidents Day by announcing plans for a locomotive to honor the nation’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, who signed the legislation authorizing construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, leading to UP’s creation.

The paint scheme of locomotive No. 1616 will feature “the unique colors of Lincoln’s era,” UP (NYSE: UNP) said in a press release. It also honors steam locomotive No. 119, one of the two engines participating in the Golden Spike ceremony at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869. The locomotive will be unveiled this spring.

“President Lincoln wanted to unite the nation, and through his actions, railroads were a catalyst for national growth, representing major advances in innovation and technology,” Chief Executive Jim Vena said. “We’re proud to be part of an industry that is still a major part of the central nervous system of the North American economy and continues to provide innovative solutions that unleash economic innovation.”

Before entering politics, Lincoln worked as a lawyer, representing the Illinois Central.  He also represented the Alton & Sangamon Railroad, a forebear of the Chicago & Alton Railroad that ran in Illinois, according to the Abraham Lincoln Historical Society. The UP design echoes the Alton’s colors.

The Lincoln locomotive will be the second honoring a president, joining No. 4141, honoring President George H.W. Bush. That locomotive was part of the Bush funeral train in 2018 and is now on permanent display at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas.

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