Passenger Trains > Bush funeral train - who pays for it?

In all of the discussions about the Bush funeral train I have not seen any mention about who is paying for the expense of operating this train. Is the UP footing the entire bill, the government and/or the Bush family/friends?

Thanks for your responses.

My guess is UP paying for train operation, we citizens are paying for Secret Service and local police, sheriff, and state trooper time.

The U.S. Army actually has a budget line item for state funerals. The UP may "donate" some services. However I believe all of the detailed plans have been in place for years, including the train, and these expenses have been included in the current Army budget. News reports state that the former president, prior to his death, filed a 211 page document with the detailed requests of his funeral arrangments.

From wiki:Bush's remains are scheduled to arrive at Ellington Field at December 5, 4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time where they will be greeted by a military escort and transported to St. Martin's Episcopal Church. The remains are scheduled to lie in repose at St. Martin's Episcopal Church until 11:15 a.m. Central Standard Time on December 6 at which time they will be transported to the Union Pacific Railroad Westfield Auto Facility. From there, they are scheduled to be transported by special railway funeral car to the George Bush Presidential Library for interment.[67] The funeral train will be led by Union Pacific 4141, an EMD SD70ACe locomotive painted to honor Bush.[7https://www.jtf.usstatefuneral.mdw.army.mil/

https://www.jtf.usstatefuneral.mdw.army.mil/docs/default-source/new-releases/41w-nr02-official-schedule---state-funeral-for-george-hw-bush87eb5c2d949168ad97d8ff0000c3894b.pdf?sfvrsn=ea7a34cb_2

BB



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/18 11:23 by bmarti7.

So not exactly related to this topic, but why did President Bush want a funeral train?  I don't recall him having a big connection or special affection for the railroad industry.  It's not a standard procedure for presidential funerals.  By my recollection, last presidential funeral was President Eisenhower circa 1969.
Tony

tonymarchiando Wrote:
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> So not exactly related to this topic, but why did
> President Bush want a funeral train?  I don't
> recall him having a big connection or special
> affection for the railroad industry.  It's not a
> standard procedure for presidential funerals.  By
> my recollection, last presidential funeral was
> President Eisenhower circa 1969.
> Tony

Correct on the Eisenhower Funeral train being the last one. Bush 41 used trains in his last campaign. Had model trains as a kid and trains for his kids. There's some other stuff out there.

BB

tonymarchiando Wrote:
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> So not exactly related to this topic, but why did
> President Bush want a funeral train?  I don't
> recall him having a big connection or special
> affection for the railroad industry.  

His father was close to the Harriman family and thus, UP. W. Averell Harriman and Prescott Bush were partners at Wall Street investment banker Brown Brothers Harriman.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/18 16:35 by Alco251.

Alco251 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tonymarchiando Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > So not exactly related to this topic, but why
> did
> > President Bush want a funeral train?  I don't
> > recall him having a big connection or special
> > affection for the railroad industry.  
>
> His father was close to the Harriman family and
> thus, UP. W. Averell Harriman and Prescott Bush
> were partners at Wall Street investment banker
> Brown Brothers Harriman.
>  


"Harriman was one of the seven directors of the Union Banking Corporation (along with Prescott Sheldon Bush, father of future U.S. president George H.W. Bush), which financed the Nazi Party and whose assets were seized by the United States government during World War II under the Trading with the Enemy Act and Executive Order No. 9095."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Roland_Harriman#Union_Bank

Unsavory.

That mult-million-dollar loco was dedicated, painted for him and mothballed for some years from what I am told. That should tell you something.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

tonymarchiando Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So not exactly related to this topic, but why did
> President Bush want a funeral train?  I don't
> recall him having a big connection or special
> affection for the railroad industry.  It's not a
> standard procedure for presidential funerals.  By
> my recollection, last presidential funeral was
> President Eisenhower circa 1969.
> Tony

George H W Bush's paternal Grandfather, Samual Prescott Bush,  was President of Buckeye Steel Castings. An interesting connection to the railroad industry from the distant past.

http://graphics.wsj.com/jeb-bush-family-tree/

Bob

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That mult-million-dollar loco was dedicated,
> painted for him and mothballed for some years from
> what I am told. That should tell you something.
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com
>

A 21 car monster train.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/18 08:04 by Duna.

So, if I'm reading these posts correctly, Bush 1 "requested" his funeral arrangements knowing this is a line item in the US Army's budget? So, we the US taxpayers are paying for that along with secret service costs despite the Bush family being very very well off?  sheesh....

One of the side benefits of being elected to be POTUS.  Just think of how bad it will be when The Donald dies, and the family wants a gold plated coffin or such. 

TrainRidingGal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, if I'm reading these posts correctly, Bush 1
> "requested" his funeral arrangements knowing this
> is a line item in the US Army's budget? So, we the
> US taxpayers are paying for that along with secret
> service costs despite the Bush family being very
> very well off?  sheesh....

No, the fact that he had served as the President is what got him the state funeral. President Bush's contribution to the planning was specifying who was going to speak and stuff like that.

who cares...

Rhino011 Wrote:
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> who cares...

Are you a US taxpayer? If you are then you helped pay for it.

OK, all you nitpickers, lint-discovrerers, dirt-smudge highlighters...you guys always seem to blow into our yards, stick to our duds, wrap around our bushes, decorate our fences. 
Satisfied?

I sedond the "who cares?" I'm happy to have some of my tax dollars to pay for the funeral of this great man. He was our President. He's entitled to it. President Trump would be as well. 

Haters are going to hate.
 

I have no problem with that and I agree with you 100% (reference Bush). I have a lot of respect for Bush Sr. But UP's statements that make it sound like the loco saw x number of miles of regular service may be a bit overstated, considering that it spent more time in storage all these years.

Per Wikipeida:
The unit was removed from active service due to reduced traffic levels stemming from the financial crisis of 2007–2010 and was stored at UP's North Little Rock shop. The locomotive was briefly removed from storage in 2012 and made a round trip from North Little Rock to Chicago, and was then immediately returned to storage. As of September 2017, it was wrapped for long term storage.[3] During February 2018, 4141 received cosmetic touch ups to its paint and then returned to storage.[4]

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I sedond the "who cares?" I'm happy to have some
> of my tax dollars to pay for the funeral of this
> great man. He was our President. He's entitled to
> it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/18 16:09 by wabash2800.

Fine. I hope you will adopt an identical stance when it's time for the state funerals for the great Presidents Clinton and Obama. They are also deserving.