Preservation doesn't necessarily mean a piece of equipment will be saved or salvaged. In this case, the image of historic railroading (and the use the railroads period) in a high profile event does something to at least acknowledge the significance and/or comprehension of the railroad as an industry.

I get what you mean regarding a politician's use of bus or plane, but there are obviously specific reasons why a literal Whistle Stop endeavor was chosen over the aircraft or land rover.

We are, in part, selling a bit of "novelty" in our preservation efforts, are we not? You can't do that without presenting a coherent and attractive image to the public, nor can you do it without elevating the industry's presence in the public eye.

And haven't there been a few passenger cars specifically saved because of their use in Whistle Stop campaigns or by famous politicians?

KL

I would bet it had a positive financial impact on Georgia 300. I know it is often decried here, but I approve of "private" preservation and any event that puts money in the coffers of vintage trains is good with me, whether it is Obama, the Rolling Stones or some other noteworthy son of a gun renting the train.

Rob

I would in fact argue that the "Whistle Stop Campaign", while mostly a novelty, is in of itself a form of preservation. Preservation of a long-standing tradition is no less preservation than the act of restoring a caboose or small town depot.

This is one of the areas where I think the industry tends to shoot itself in the foot. Preservation of a certain activity or way of life may in fact make more of a connection to the general public than preservation of the tangible or concrete objects we seem to focus on.

I wouldn't be surprised if the people in attendance trackside for this tour remember the excitement of seeing a candidate on the back platform of this obs car long after the election is over. Will they remember that Septa PCC car or GE center cab pulling a DL&W coach with the same enthusiasm?

Keeping the Whistle Stop Campaign tradition alive IS preservation.

Dave Crosby

Bill Clinton campaigned from a train pulled by the Milwaukee Road 261 during his first election bid.

Sorry to tell you Mark, but Clinton's first election bid (and win) was in 1992, before the 261's restoration. In 92, he made a big deal of taking the bus, as an homage to the "freedom riders" of the 60s. As President (1996), he used the Amtrak train for his Convention special. Christopher Reeve, giving a convention speech, challenged Clinton's train to a race.

I won't say you are wrong that he used 261 at all, but it would have to be 96, or a non-election occasion.

Tim, you are absolutely correct. It happened during his run for a second tour of duty.
Mark D.

Wow, I didn't realize that Railroads have been used as recently in modern elections by candidates. I guess being only 10yrs old in 1996, I hardly think I would heard of Clinton riding the Milwaukee Road 261. I thought the tradition went away much earlier.

I am with Dave Crosby here, that preservation doesn't merely need to be limited to a handful of enthusiast groups trying to freeze a moment in time but also can be in a sense be the preservation of time honored traditions of politicians using the rails to get elected. I guess I just attributed this to in an era of rising gas costs public attitudes may be starting to change towards rails.

Adam

Didn't John Kerry do a campaign trip by rail? I recall talking to the PV owner about it.

John Kerry did indeed have a campaign train, a mixture of Amtrak cars, the green rental train then based at St. Louis Union Station, and a few other PVs. I watched it cruise past the Museum of Transportation headed west on the UP, alas with no-one visible on the platform at the rear.

Well, actually I have to confess that my information above was incorrect.
I was going by memory of things that were told me.
I am still going by memory, but after having had time to think about it, I remember that 261 was not involved at all. People from the 261 were, however. Clinton (and I am not a fan) did do a whistle stop trip of some sort. A PV car was leased for the task. I remember which car that was, but don't want to bring it up in public.
Not sure where it happened, or how many stops were made.
The post was only meant to convey that railroad cars, especially finely restored vintage parlor cars, are used yet for political platforms.
Former MN Governor Arne Carlson did use the steam engine for a whistle stop tour through Central Minnesota on the TC&W in (IIRC) 1996 or '97.

Mark,
On the Clinton train, two heavyweight office cars were used, the one on which the Clintons rode was the Georgia 300, the same car that Obama used this past weekend. The rest of the train was made up of Amtrak Superliners and some of them [i]still[/i] carry the the words of the campaign slogan on their roofs!

Don C.