Union Pacific No. 119

Infobox Locomotive
name="No. 119"
powertype=Steam
gauge=4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm)


caption="No. 119" replica at Golden Spike N.H.S.
whytetype=4-4-0
currentowner=
disposition=scrapped
builddate=November, 1868
builder=Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works
officialname=Union Pacific No. 119
serialnumber=
railroad=Union Pacific Railroad
roadnumber=119
firstrun=

The "No. 119" was a 4-4-0 steam locomotive which made history as one of the two locomotives (the other being the Jupiter) to meet at Promontory Summit during the Golden Spike ceremony commemorating the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad.

No. 119 was built by Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works of Patterson, New Jersey in 1868 along with numbers 116, 117, 118 and 120.

Promontory Summit

No. 119 was stationed in Ogden, Utah when a call came from Thomas C. Durant, traveling to Promontory, who needed an engine. Similar to Leland Stanford and the "Jupiter", previous misfortunes allowed No. 119 to take her place in history. Durant, the vice president of the Union Pacific Railroad was traveling on the so called "Durant Special" for the ceremony at Promontory. A swollen river had washed away some supports to the Devil's Gate Bridge. Durant's engineer refused to take the current engine across but did consent to nudge the lighter passenger cars across the bridge. The bridge held, the cars made it across but Durant and his entourage where left without an engine. Durant's plight was answered when No. 119 was sent from Ogden to take the Durant Special the short distance to Promontory where it came nose to nose with the Central Pacific's Jupiter.

In Andrew J. Russell's famous photograph of the Meeting of the Lines, "No. 119" is seen on the right with its engineer, Sam Bradford, leaning off the pilot holding a bottle of champagne up to Jupiter engineer George Booth. Bradford and Booth would later break a bottle of champagne over the other's locomotive in celebration.

Later career

No. 119 had a similar story to the Jupiter on its entrance into history. Both engines had a similar epilogue. The 119 continued as a freight train being renumbered the "343". In 1903 it was scrapped for $1,000.

References

[http://users.tns.net/~path/GS119.html]