FRANK C. McCARTHY

The Coming of the Iron Horse - A Brief History

Uniting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by railroad had long been an American Dream. After gold was discovered in California in 1894, it became more than a dream - it was a necessity.  The central Pacific Railroad, heading East from Sacramento, and the Union Pacific Railroad, moving West from Omaha, raced to meet, and on May 10,  1869 they joined at Promontory, Utah. Far off, in San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia and New Yourk, there was celebration. At Promontory itself, four spikes, one of silver, one of mixed alloy and two of gold (one full size, the other half) were driven into the adjoining tracks. Two trains were present at the momentous event: the Union Pacific's 119 and the Central pacific's Jupiter #60. The Jupiter, seen in Frank C. McCarthy's exciting limited edition print the Coming of the Iron Horse, was the most advanced wood-burning locomotive of its time. Capable of speeds up to 50 miles per hour, it sported the latest technical features, such as a "bonnet" smokestack whose unique shape reduced the chances of sparks igniting range firess. The Jupiter also had an inclined wire frame in front of the engine wheich was designed to scoop obstacles off the track.. It was commonly called a "cow catcher," but as the train rushed across Utah and Nevada, it would more likely encounter buffalo. Into the early 1880's, bison were still plentiful west of the Missouri. Herds, numbering in the millions thundered across the plains, and when train and buffalo crossed paths, the train was forced to yield. Locomotives were halted in their tracks for hours, sometimes days, while passengers watched in awe.

The Jupiter #60

This outstanding re-creation of the historic Central Pacific train was researched, designed and sculpted by the award-winning artists of the Lance corporation. First formed in wax, the sculpture is broken into more than 120 separate components, and molds are meticulously prepared for each part. Next fine pewter is poured into the molds and allowed to cool. Each part is carefully hand-tooled after the casting process and reassembled by studio craftsmen. the completed scultpture is then oxidized and polished to achieve the light-and-dark tone of the satin fine pewter finish. Sterling silver and brass are added for finishing details. Finally the sculpture is mounted to a mahogany base and numbered with its own limited edition registration number.