The steam locomotive didn’t make it as far as Austin, but there’s a great big powerful post-WWII E-9 Streamliner hauling the Union Pacific special train that arrived in Austin today, right on time. Visit this special train at the Amtrak station all day tomorrow, Wednesday, April 18; from 10 am to 5 pm, there’ll be an open house on the train. Watch it depart Thursday, 19 April, day after tomorrow, at 8 am, if all goes according to schedule. It will head south from the Amtrak station, cross the railroad bridge over the river, and then run along the Butler Park pitch-and-putt course.

Steam locomotive 844 was in Austin six years ago in May and was a majestic sight arriving and departing, but this newer locomotive is a handsome exemplar of industrial might, too.

A few more toy-camera images and some unedited videos of today’s arrival are available.

The current special train goes on to San Marcos, where the mayor will greet its arrival and a band will play. Thereafter, it will spend a few days in San Antonio for Fiesta, before moving on to Houston and, eventually, to New Orleans.