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Replica Jupiter and 119 Locomotives.

Photographs of Bruce Frenzinger, c. 1979.

Replica Jupiter & 119 Locomotives

Dan Webber, who inherited these photographic slide images taken by his father-in-law, Bruce Frenzinger, writes that these are from a set of 35 original slides ... of Chadwell O'Connor Engineering Laboratories of Costa Mesa, CA., making the replicas that are currently on display at ... Promontory  ... He provides the following explanation, including information that he obtained from various websites:

" ... This huge undertaking that O'Connor Engineering was hired for, following is some additional info about these beautiful trains:
On May 10, 1869, the Central Pacific Railroad's "Jupiter" touched cowcatchers with the Union Pacific R.R. at Promontory Point, Utah, completing the first trans-continental rail link across the United States.

Both the Jupiter and the 119 were reconstructed in 1980 for the National Park Service by Chadwell O'Connor Engineering Laboratories of Costa Mesa, CA. Built with $1.5 million in federal funds, these were the first steam engines constructed in the United States in twenty-five years. They were painted and lettered by Disney employees and are incredibly accurate replicas of the originals. They both were built as gas burners, where the wood in the tender served only to hide the natural gas tank. In 1991 both the CP Jupiter and UP 119 were converted to burn their original fuels, wood for the Jupiter and Coal for the 119. In 1975, O'Conner Engineering Laboratories of Costa Mesa, California accepted the challenge of reproducing "Jupiter" and "119" as they were at the Golden Spike Ceremony. With no plans or blueprints, engineers and technicians set out to build the historic American Standard 4-4-0 locomotives. Using a locomotive design engineer's handbook from 1870 and micrometer scalings of enlarged 1869 photographs of the two locomotives, work began.

A four year "labor of love" ensued, including two years just to make the over 700 drawings. When the locomotives were ready, every dimension was within 1/4 inch of original. It took four trucks to bring the gleaming replicas 800 miles to Promontory Summit, Utah. Here, christened with water from the Atlantic and Pacific, the new "Jupiter" and "119" were commissioned into service on May 10, 1979, the 110th Anniversary of the Golden Spike Ceremony. With the completion of the replica locomotives in 1979, the Jupiter and 119 burst upon the scene in living color. Ward Kimball, one of the six original Disney animators, was commissioned to head the painting operation. Absent any documentation on the actual colors of the original Jupiter and 119, Kimball chose bright reds and vermillions for eye-catching, popular appeal.

Between 1979 and 1993 thousands of visitors came to Golden Spike National Historic site and viewed the replicas of the Jupiter and 119. They watched and often participated in recreations of the last spike ceremony. The locomotives were captured on film and postcards, and featured in newspapers and magazines. Railroad buffs world-wide marveled at the Jupiter and 119. Thus the striking colors chosen by Kimball became the accepted identity for the locomotives."

 

Replica Jupiter & 119 Locomotives

Replica Jupiter & 119 Locomotives

Replica Jupiter & 119 Locomotives

Replica Jupiter & 119 Locomotives

Replica Jupiter & 119 Locomotives

Replica Jupiter & 119 Locomotives

Replica Jupiter & 119 Locomotives

Images and description Courtesy Dan Webber.


Also see (1) Roy Appleman's report; and, (2) the O'Connor Engineering Promontory Locomotive Project Engineering Drawings for the CPRR Jupiter and UPRR #119 replica locomotives.


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