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George H.W. Bush, the nation’s 41st president, will be transported to his final resting place in a funeral train headed by the very locomotive he drove 13 years ago.

Union Pacific No. 4141, an SD70ACe known as the “George Bush 41” locomotive, heads a 13-car funeral train that will transport Bush’s body from Spring, TX, to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station for burial Thursday.

Bush will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol through Wednesday, then be flown to Houston to lie in repose at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church before burial at his family plot at the museum. A 13-car funeral train headed by No. 4141 leaves UP’s Westfield Auto Facility on Thursday at 1 p.m. and is expected to arrive College Station across from Texas A&M’s Kyle Field at 3:25 p.m. The Westfield Auto Facility is not open to the public.

No. 4141 rolled out in College Station in 2005 in honor of the man who served as president from 1989-93. At the unveiling, Bush took the controls for about two miles.

Incorporating the colors of the Air Force One used during Bush’s presidency, the locomotive symbolizes national pride and strength. It bears the number 4141 in honor of the 41st president. The locomotive’s rear panel features elements from Air Force One’s wings and tail, including the American flag and sweeping lines of forward motion representing progress.

After Bush’s death last week, UP began making preparations to hustle the locomotive out of storage in North Little Rock, AR, and ready it for the trip. Since its unveiling, No. 4141 has delivered shipments across 23 states served by UP’s rail network.

The funeral train will pass through several towns – Hufsmith, Pinehurst, Magnolia, Todd Mission, Stoneham, Navasota, Millican,Wellborn – along the 70-mile route from Spring to College Station. A UP spokesman said the train will slow down through a few towns like Old Town Spring, Magnolia and Navasota so observers can pay tribute to Bush.

“It’s an opportunity for a large swath of the population to pay their final respects to someone who has done so much for our country, and by having a train like this pulled by a locomotive specifically about this man is just really unprecedented,” said Scott Moore, Union Pacific senior vice president, corporate relations.

The train’s consist includes UP power cars No. 207, No. 208 and No. 2066, plus the “City of Portland” Dome Diner, “City of San Francisco” Dome Lounge Car, “The Council Bluffs” Baggage Recreation Car, “Harriman” Dome Lounge Car, “Overland” Diner, “Portola” Deluxe Sleeper, “City of Denver” Diner, “Walter Dean” Dome Lounge Car and “Kenefick” Business Car.

The funeral train is another in UP’s long tradition of transporting presidents after their deaths.

The first and most notable funeral train was for Abraham Lincoln in 1865. According to UP, the U.S. military began building a private rail car for Lincoln in 1864. The car was finished in February 1865 but Lincoln never had the opportunity to use it.

Lincoln was shot April 14, 1865, and his funeral train departed seven days later on a 180-city, seven-state journey to Springfield, IL. His body, along with the casket of his son Willie who had died three years earlier, was carried in his private rail car.

UP purchased the car in 1866 and used it for directors and other important travelers during construction of the transcontinental railroad. After removing the furnishings (including the art panels and silver), UP sold the car in 1903. It was eventually put on exhibit in Minneapolis where it was destroyed by fire in 1911.

The history of the car’s furnishings is less clear, but it is known that the couch, chair and desk were on the car in 1868.

Other notable funeral trains includes those for Ulysses Grant, James Garfield, William McKinley, Warren Harding, Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

“This particular train trip going from Houston to College Station for the final resting place is a great opportunity for Texans and people all across the country to say their final goodbyes to this great man,” Moore said. “Being led by the Bush 4141 locomotive is a great tribute to the man, and we’re glad to be a part of it.”

No. 4141 is the sixth that UP painted in colors other than the traditional UP Armour Yellow paint.

This story has been updated since its original publication date

A factory in China that manufactures model trains has closed, leaving some U.S. model railroad companies seeking a new supplier and facing delays.

InterMountain Railway Co., Atlas Model Railroad Co., Bowser and Fox Valley Models announced this week that some new locomotives and rolling stock will be delayed or canceled because of the unexpected closing of one of the industry’s top manufacturers.

None of the companies said what products will be delayed.

Other manufacturers, including Trainworx and ExactRail, also are affected.

At least one manufacturer confirmed that Hong Kong-based Affa Technologies, Ltd. closed. The company, founded in 1996, specializes in metal parts for toys, scale trains, scale cars and metal electronic products, according to the company’s website. The website made no mention of the closing.

In an open letter to modelers, InterMountain Railway Co. CFO Frank Angstead said his company was caught off guard and will not have new product “for an undetermined amount of time.”

“Our expectation is that we will begin shipping a selection of new products within four months,” he said in the letter.

Atlas posted on its website that it is working to transfer incomplete projects to other suppliers. Some previously ordered products will be delayed.

Bowser said on Facebook that it was looking for a new manufacturer and that N- and HO-scale ready-to-run cars, trolleys, Cal Scale and locomotives will be delayed.

Fox Valley Models owner Matt Gaudynski posted on Facebook that the company has used the factory for a large number of products and it’s not clear when production will resume. The company canceled or postponed all of its undelivered, previously announced products.

“If projects can be moved, it will take a number of months to do so, and then get a new factory up to speed on our projects will take even more time,” he said in the post.

Gaudynski said all previously recorded pre-orders will be kept on file in case a resolution is found.

“If this process takes an extended time, it may be best to re-announce each project.”

The closing caught Gaudynski by surprise; he recently received paint samples for new projects and believed everything was business as usual.

“We were looking forward to getting back to work after our extended summer trip with our son,” he wrote. “Sadly this is not the case. But we will keep moving forward.”

Fox Valley Models has “a good selection” of recent N-scale locomotives and cars in stock and a few projects working at another factory.

InterMountain Railway Co. said purchase orders with other vendors are already being arranged so production resumes soon. The company encouraged customers to continue placing reservations for new product. It has a “reasonable” supply of locomotive and rolling stock inventory on hand, including wheel sets for most items.

On Facebook, Caboose, Ltd., owner Kevin Ruble said as many as nine U.S. manufacturers are affected by the closure.

Colorado-based Trainworx, which specializes in freight cars and vehicles, works with the factory, owner Pat Sanders said in an email. He was not given a reason why the company shut down.

ExactRail’s Chris Brimley said his company is already moving forward with a new factory “and we are very excited about the future with them.” In addition, ExactRail is sorting through a couple of new releases that were under way.

Brimley said the N-scale AutoFlood II Hopper is on hold and will be moved to a new factory. The HO-scale GSI Bulkhead Flat car is finished but sitting in the closed factory. “We expect these to be on their way to us soon.”

Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc., and Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. have reached an agreement under which Atlas will purchase all N-scale locomotive and rolling stock tooling owned by Walthers, including the Walthers and Life-Like lines.

Atlas will incorporate the tooling into its Atlas Master, Atlas Classic, and Trainman N scale lines, the company said in a statement today. Walthers will continue to offer N-scale items in its Cornerstone, SceneMaster, and Walthers Controls brands, including new items as well as items currently in those lines.

“We feel that this tooling has found a great home with Atlas,” Wm. K. Walthers President Phil Walthers said. “They have a strong N-scale offering and these tools will help them bring some exceptional products back to the market.”

Tom Haedrich, Executive Chairman at Atlas said the tooling fits right in with the company’s existing N-scale lines. “We are committed to producing them with the latest technology, prototypical accuracy, and high quality you’ve come to expect from Atlas,” he said.

Established in 1932, Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. distributes model trains, accessories, and related items from more than 200 manufacturers, and also manufactures its own exclusive items for its WalthersProto, WalthersMainline, WalthersTrainline, Cornerstone, SceneMaster, Walthers Controls, and WalthersTrack lines.

Founded in 1924 and incorporated in 1949 as Atlas Tool Co. Inc., present day Atlas Model Railroad Co. produces locomotives, rolling stock, track, and accessories in N, HO and O scales for its Atlas Master, Atlas Classic, Trainman, and Atlas O lines.

CAROL STREAM, IL –  The Great Train Expo has a new home.

Train Show, Inc., announced today that it has acquired the assets of Great Train Expo (GTE), the traveling model railroad show that visits about a dozen U.S. cities each year annually.  Train Show Inc. is the corporate parent of Greenberg’s Train and Toy Show, Great Midwest Train Show and World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour.

GTE features operating layouts, vendor sales, exhibits, demonstrations and workshops, and has been a regular in the Midwest and Southwest. Train Show Inc. will be sponsoring shows in many of the venues formerly used by the organization.

Train Show, Inc., President Randy Bachmann said the acquisition solidifies the company’s position as the largest train show promoter in the country and one of the largest consumer show promotion companies.

“This is a natural expansion of our business,” he said in a statement. “This purchase allows us to sponsor shows from coast to coast and provides the opportunity to improve all our shows.”

As part of the deal, former GTE president Bill Grove will be joining the Train Show Inc. management team under Bachmann’s direction. Grove has been involved in all aspects of train show management for the past 25 years, Bachmann said. He held positions at the Great American Train Show and Great Midwest Train.

At the same time, the move reunites Bachmann and Grove.

“I am thrilled to bring such a skilled and experienced person to my leadership team,” Bachmann said. “Bill has many strengths particularly in the areas of contract negotiations and logistics. I have known Bill for over 30 years and recruited him to join the Great American Train Show staff when I was employed there. He along with Frank Hicks and Gale Cousins will continue our tradition of providing the highest quality consumer events.”

GTE will release more information about the acquisition of GTE in the coming weeks, Bachmann said. A new show schedule, improvements to the shows for both exhibitors and attendees and a new branding campaign for all of its train show promotions will be announced.

GTE currently has three shows on its 2014 schedule: July 26-27 in Belleville, IL; Aug. 2-3 in Orlando, FL; and Aug. 9-10 in Tampa, FL.