A Sad Day ;Tourist Railroads & Museums

At 1:38 AM Mountain time September 2,2004 Robert
"Bob" Dowty passed away at his home at Ranchos Florida Subdivision,Colorado after a long hard ordeal with a form of Pancreatic Cancer he was 81.
Bob was most famous for his direction as Master Mechanic Steam Locomotives at Golden Spike National Historic Site.He also won several awards including The Rocky Mountain Region "Freeman Tildon Award for interpretation with his"Breath
Taking tales of the rails" in 1996.His talk was
a story of "Sam Bradford locomotive engineer of Union Pacifics engine 119.Bob put together much of the story from real facts during the building
of the transcontintal railroad.
He was also shop foreman at O'Connor Engineering
in Costa Mesa ,California responsible for construction of replica locomotives 119 and "Jupiter" He also stared in a video based on his talk and was author of the Book "Construction
of the Jupiter and 119 locomotives.The engine 119 was particularily his favorite.During his 20 year
tenure he along with his son Eric were responsible
for conversion from oil to wood and coal of the replica locomotives.
He began his steam tourist railroad saga with employment with the long departed White Mountain Scenic Railroad,Mc Nary ,Arizona in 1967. He retired from the National Park Service in 1999.
He was one of Jehovahs Witnesses.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday september 11,2004 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs
Witnesses in Ignacio,Colorado.