This YouTube video features a film documenting the construction of the replica Jupiter and 119 locomotives for the National Historic Site at Promontory, Utah. Ward Kimball is featured at about the 19 minute mark...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM2A2NEaRqg

Thanks for the link. I remember seeing those two replica locomotives in one of my train books when I was a kid and I always wondered about their history. Very informative video.

BY the way, O'Connor Engineering rebuilt Michael Bonfante's two Crown locomotives that were originally to be used at Bonfante Gardens. (The park is now known as Gilroy Gardens.) Unfortunately, they were never used during normal park operating hours. I saw them on their last day in Gilroy at the park's auction before they were both sold to the highest bidder.

Two friends of mine were involved in testing the locomotives before the park fully opened. They had some interesting stories about layout and operating requirements.

Can you please share any of those stories? I'm a loyal fan of the park so I'm all ears!

It's been a while, I'll have to see if I can coax them out again, I wouldn't to spread any false info...

OK, post them when/if you want. I'm a patient guy.

Speaking of Gilroy Gardens, my wife and I just went there today. We wanted to use our season passes one last time before the 2011 season ends on 11-27-11. The park was packed today! I don't think that I've ever seen it that busy before and I've been going there repeatedly since the media day before it first opened to the public.

With most parks I hate it when they're that busy, but with Gilroy Gardens it's nice when it's busy like that because that means that business is good. We came too close to losing that nice park when attendance was poor not that long ago.