Friday With UP1943

[papio]

A couple of shots of The Spirit today as it made its way from the Heritage Shops in Council Bluffs to display at the Durham Museum (formerly Union Station) in Omaha under gray skies and unseasonably cold conditions.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Is the number 1943 of historical significance? Pearl Harbor was in 1942, D Day was in 1944. I can't think of anything significant happening in 1943 other than the US was in WWII.

 

[NM_RailNut]

There probably isn't any historical significance to that number. It may have been chosen simply since it was available and it fits in with UP's SD70ACe commemorative diesels (which are also in the 19xx range).

 

[njurgensen]

Is the number 1943 of historical significance? Pearl Harbor was in 1942, D Day was in 1944. I can't think of anything significant happening in 1943 other than the US was in WWII.

There probably isn't any historical significance to that number. It may have been chosen simply since it was available and it fits in with UP's SD70ACe commemorative diesels (which are also in the 19xx range).

https://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/commemorative/1943-spirit/index.htm

"A Boeing B-17 was christened the Spirit of the Union Pacific in 1943, recognizing employees who funded it through war bond contributions. The Spirit of the Union Pacific was assigned to the 571st Bomber Squadron and shot down on its fifth mission during a raid on enemy installations in Munster, Germany."

Great shots, Ed! Hoping I don't miss her in North Platte today.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Thanks, "Jurgy". The link was very informative.

 

[papio]

You're a year off Bill, the attack on Pearl Harbor was Dec 7 1941.

 

[Bill Anderson]

You're a year off Bill, the attack on Pearl Harbor was Dec 7 1941.

Oops!

 

[brad_in_omaha]

Nice to see they put some passenger cars on for you this time!

 

[NM_RailNut]

I should have known better than to think there wasn't any significance to that road number; UP isn't in the habit of just picking them out of a hat for these units, after all.

Quite a few combat aircraft were funded that way during the war, and I believe that some were even purchased for preservation by the same people who had helped fund them. Hadn't heard of this instance, though.