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May 16, 2012 Parker, AZ- Fans of steam locomotives in La Paz County get a double dose this week as Santa Fe 3751 makes two stops in Parker as it pulls a special train on its way from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon and back. The locomotive and its train arrived in Parker Monday night, May 14. It left amid crowds lining the streets at 9a.m. Tuesday. On the return trip, the train will stay over- night in Parker, May 18 and leave May 19 at 8am. The Santa Fe locomotives www.DesertMessenger.com Santa Fe 3751 rolls through La Paz County The locomotive will be hauling a train of fully-restored 1950s railroad pas- senger cars. The trip was organized by the Central Coast Railway Club, under By Joanne Winer Operation Hero Comfort of Quartz- were built for rough terrain with steep grades. They were ide- ally suited for the railroad's main- line, which ran from Chicago to Los Angeles. There were also lines to San Francisco, Houston, Texas and Den- ver. They provided plenty of power in the mountainous regions of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California, while they could haul freight and pas- senger trains at high speeds in the fl at- lands of the Midwest. Like all steam locomotives, the Santa Fe's Northerns were phased out and retired starting in the 1940s as more and more diesel locomotives were purchased. Diesels proved to be more versatile and cheaper to operate than steam locomotives. Santa Fe 3751 was spared the scrap- per's torch and donated to the city of San Bernardino where it remained on display for many years before be- ing restored back to operation by the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society in the early 1990s. Today, the locomotive occasionally makes an ap- pearance from its home in Los Angeles to pull excursions or help to educate the general public about railroads. contract with Amtrak, the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe, and the Arizona & California Railroads. Fans and photographers can get close to the locomotive Saturday morn- ing, May 19th before the train leaves at 8am. The train will travel over the Colorado River heading back to Los Angeles. that this excursion operating on the very busy transcontinental route could very well be the last high speed main- line steam pulled trains allowed. Organizers were told by the railroads HANDYMAN Residential and RV Experienced Plumbing & Electrical Service & Repair. Minor Carpentry & Yard Work. All Work Guaranteed - FREE Estimates! • Qtz. Business Licensed Call Bud 928-583-3905 DESERT MESSENGER SUMMER SCHEDULE DATE E-mail Rain at: desertmessenger7 @yahoo.com Wed. May 30 Wed. June 13 Wed. July 18 Wed. Aug. 15 Desert Messenger DEADLINE -May 23 Special Summer Edi� ons: -June 6 -July 11 -Aug. 8 541-218-2560 site will be holding their annual Flag Retirement Ceremony on June 16 at 7 p.m. at the Town Park. The ceremony will include a special fl ag service by the Denim and Dust 4-H group this year. Everyone will meet at the pavilion at the park, where the ceremony will start with the 4-H group and will also include some patriotic music. The fl ags that have been collected will be taken by an honor guard to the burning bar- rel, where they will have the grommets removed and will be burned according to protocol. The grommets will then be sent to the 9 adopted troop units that get packages sent by Operation Hero Comfort. If you have an American fl ag (Stars and Stripes) that has seen better days and needs to be "retired" with digni- ty, please bring it to the ceremony or drop it off at the Senior Housing offi ce, Business Chamber, Quartzsite Com- munity Thrift Store, or Town Hall and it will be disposed of with the honor it Page 3 Flag retirement ceremony June 16 deserves. Hundreds of fl ags have also been given to the VFW to be disposed of, and these will also be taken care of at the ceremony. The ashes from the fl ags will be buried according to regu- lations after they have cooled down. Everyone is invited to come out to be part of this very special ceremony that honors not only the fl ag of our coun- try, but also pays tribute to those brave men and women who have fought or are still fi ghting for our freedoms. They deserve to be acknowledged for their contributions and sacrifi ces. If you have anything that you would like to send in the packages to the troops--non-perishable food items, toiletries, books, CDs, DVDs, etc., please bring them with you to the cer- emony--they are greatly appreciated. For further information, please call Anita Carlson at 927-4292--if she is not there just leave a message and she will return your call. Come on out to the park on June 16 and join us as we honor the fl ag and our troops. 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