Dear 9952-A,
May I call you Silver Pilot? I think numbers are a little impersonal when you have a name.
Congratulations on your acceptance to the Illinois Railway Museum. And to pull the Nebraska Zephyr no less! That’s a magnificent train. (Don’t tell my cars I said that though, haha!) I was very happy to hear that another of us has been returned to service.
And it is service, have no doubt. I think when we were thundering down the tracks at a hundred miles an hour, it was hard to see it that way. The idea that it was also work to stand still and be looked at by visitors sounded quite preposterous to the other engines when I was new.
Preservation is a responsibility is what I’m getting at. It’s not just standing there and being inspected. Back then, it was to get people excited about my train. Now, it is to remind them of why they were. We were both part of something important, something that mattered. It’s our job to see that it’s remembered.
I have no doubt that you will perform that duty admirably.
Your friend in service,
Pioneer Zephyr