Looking pretty good at age 40! A Park Service Engineer backs the Central Pacific "Jupiter" replica on the east leg of the Promontory Wye, as he positions her for a photo shoot with a group of wild land firefighters and their equipment.
In 2019, the two Golden Spike replica locomotives are turning 40....yep, it's been 40 years since they rolled out of the shops at O'Connor Engineering in Costa Mesa, CA. Back in the day, with the rapid advance of technology, many locomotives never made it to age 40, including the original Golden Spike engines. Although many lament that the original Jupiter and 119 weren't saved, the truth is that even if they had been, it would have taken major restorations to get them looking like they did back in 1869.....that's how much both had changed in the ensuing years. Fortunately, the two replica engines are very well-cared for, and should definitely be around for the 200th anniversary of the Golden Spike, at which time, they will be 90 years old....as old or older than many original steam engines are today.
Come and visit the remote site of the iconic Last Spike Ceremony, and enjoy the beautiful replicas of the engines that represented the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads on May 10th, 1869.
