Promontory Locomotives Tour

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This page was last updated on January 9, 2023.

Overview

As part of its own efforts to celebrate the Centennial, Union Pacific made arrangements to lease (from Paramount Pictures) the former V&T 4-4-0 No. 18 "Dayton" to use as a temporary stand-in for Union Pacific No. 119, and V&T 4-4-0 No. 22 "Inyo" as a temporary stand-in for Central Pacific No. 60 "Jupiter". Both locomotives were leased from Paramount Pictures for the purposes of display as part of Union Pacific's Golden Spike Centennial Expo display train. Union Pacific took the two locomotives into its East Los Angeles shop and did a full cosmetic restoration as well as making the needed changes to make them appear as UPRR No. 119 and CPRR Jupiter. The two locomotives were loaded onto flat cars for display purposes, and sent to Salt Lake City.

(Later arrangements were made that allowed the two locomotives to be placed on display at the Promontory site.)

As part of their multi-state tour during 1969 as part of Union Pacific's Golden Spike Centennial Expo train, the locomotives and vintage cars were to be on public display in 100 cities, including Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and points in Utah. (Ogden Standard Examiner, May 5, 1970)

The Union Pacific Centennial Expo train was presented to the press on March 4, 1969, at East Los Angeles. The train was "opened" by actor Joel McCrea who starred in the Cecil B. DeMille 1939 epic "Union Pacific," 30 years before. (UP Info employee newsletter, March 1969)

Based on newspaper reports, and schedules taken from the UP INFO employee newsletter, Union Pacific's Golden Spike Centennial Expo train was on public display in the following cities:

March 4 -- East Los Angeles (press preview)
March 5-9 -- East Los Angeles
March 10-12 -- Lakewood, California
March 13-15 -- Glendale, California
March 16-18 -- Anaheim, California
March 19-20 -- Pomona, California
March 21-23 -- Riverside, California
March 24-26 -- San Bernardino, California
March 28-30 -- Las Vegas, Nevada
April 2 -- Pocatello, Idaho
April 3 -- Baker, Oregon
April 4 -- LaGreande, Oregon
April 5 -- Pendleton, Oregon
April 6 -- Hinkle, Oregon
April 7-8 -- Yakima, Washington
April 9 -- Kennewick, Washington
April 10 -- Walla Walla, Washington
April 11-12 -- Spokane, Washington
April 16-19 -- Portland (Albina), Oregon
April 21 -- Kelso, Washington
April 22 -- Centralia, Washington
April 23 -- Aberdeen, Washington
April 24 -- Olympia, Washington
April 24-25 -- Tacoma, Washington
April 28-29 -- Seattle, Washington
May 1 to 6 -- Salt Lake City, Utah
May 7 -- Logan, Utah
May 8 -- Brigham City, Utah
May 9 to 13 -- Ogden, Utah (May 10th Centennial celebration)
May 14 to 16 -- Cedar City, Utah
May 17 -- Milford, Utah
May 18 -- Delta, Utah
May 20-21 -- Provo, Utah
May 22 -- Morgan, Utah
June 9 -- Topeka, Kansas (250,000th visitor for entire tour)
June 16 -- Marysville, Kansas
(June 17 -- Pocatello, Idaho -- planned; canceled on June 4, replaced by display of UP Centennial locomotive 6900)
June 17 -- Fairbury, Nebraska (Jefferson County Centennial celebration)
June 18 -- Hastings, Nebraska
June 20-21 -- North Platte, Nebraska
June 23 -- Cozad, Nebraska
June 25 -- Lexington, Nebraska
June 27 -- Kearney, Nebraska
June 29-30 -- Grand Island, Nebraska
July 2 -- Central City, Nebraska
July 4-6 -- Omaha, Nebraska
July 8 -- Fremont, Nebraska
July 10 -- Schuyler, Nebraska
July 11 -- Madison, Nebraska
July 12 -- Columbus, Nebraska
July 13 -- Osceola, Nebraska
July 14 -- Ogallala, Nebraska
July 16 -- Julesburg, Colorado
July 18 -- Sidney, Nebraska
July 19 -- Kimball, Nebraska
July 21-23 -- Ogden, Utah (July 24th Pioneer Day)
July 25-27 -- Cheyenne, Wyoming (Frontier Days)
July 29 -- Laramie, Wyoming
July 31 -- Rawlins, Wyoming
August 2 -- Rock Springs, Wyoming
August 4 -- Green River, Wyoming
August 6 -- Evanston, Wyoming
Aug 7-8 -- Casper, Wyoming (with cooperation of CB&Q) (400,000th visitor for entire tour)
August 8 -- Greeley, Colorado
August 10 -- Fort Collins, Colorado
August 12 -- Sterling, Colorado
August 14 -- Oshkosh, Nebraska
August 16-17 -- Gering, Nebraska
August 19 -- Osceola, Nebraska
August 21 -- David City, Nebraska
August 23 -- Beatrice, Nebraska
August 24 -- Sabetha, Kansas
August 25 -- Hiawatha, Kansas
August 26-27 -- St. Joseph, Missouri
August 29 - September 3 -- Lincoln, Nebraska (Nebraska State Fair)
September 10 -- Weiser, Idaho
September 11 -- Ontario, Oregon
September 12-13 -- Nampa, Idaho
September 14-15 -- Boise, Idaho (500,000th visitor for entire tour)
September 16 -- Mountain Home, Idaho
September 17-18 -- Twin Falls, Idaho
September 19 -- Burley, Idaho
September 22-23 -- Pocatello, Idaho
September 24 -- Montpelier, Idaho
October 10-12 -- Omaha, Nebraska (Western History Association meeting)

Source: UP INFO employee newsletters, and online newspapers available via Newspapers.com.

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