The Locomotives of Golden Spike - No. 119

Union Pacific No. 119 was built in November 1868 by Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works of Patterson, New Jersey. Six months later, it pulled Union Pacific Vice-President Thomas Durant and his contingent to Promontory Summit. It then served the Union Pacific as a freight locomotive until it was dismantled in 1903 for a standard scrapper's fee of $1,000. The original Jupiter and No. 119 were scrapped at the turn of the century, but modern replicas were built by O'Connor Engineering Laboratories of Costa Mesa, California to be virtually identical to the originals down to the last decorative detail. For safe operation in a modern setting, the replicas differ from the originals in three ways: the original three-piece cylinder assemblies were redesigned as a single cylinder-saddle unit, the original wrought-iron riveted boilers were replaced with welded steel boilers whose welds are hidden and whose nonfunctional rivets preserve the historic appearance, and the simple hand brakes on the tenders were replaced with Westinghouse air brakes.

Thatcher, Utah · United States