City Government
Historic Train Plays To Closed House
May 7, 2007 
We had several inquiries regarding the big 844 Union Pacific steam locomotive and vintage passenger train at the Boise Depot over the weekend. It made a stopover enroute from Cheyenne to Portland.
The locomotive has made several visits to Boise including one in 1976 as the bicentennial Freedom Train painted red white and blue.
As usual, the Depot was closed to the public and only the true train buffs were even aware of the visit. They follow the trains on the web.
The Boise Parks department is planning to move “Big Mike”–the old locomotive in Julia Davis Park–to the Depot in the autumn. It seems like a waste of tax money if the Depot is to remain closed to the general public…cheaper to leave it behind the zoo in Julia Davis Park with the other historic attractions.
For years the Boise Parks people have spun the use of the Depot into a catering hall for those with enough cash to rent it for about $1,000 a day. So far no one on the council or in the mayor’s office has deemed it worthwhile to open to the citizens who own it.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
May 7, 2007, 10:19 pm
Seems like a waste of tax payer money….costs better than $300,000 to move a local motive from a public park to a closed depot. Makes a lot sense doesn’t it???
May 8, 2007, 1:18 am
Even if it didn’t cost a cent, it would be ridiculous. And even if the Depot were open.
Big Mike has been a fixture in the park for a long time, and people love it. No matter if the Depot were open 24/7, it wouldn’t get as many visitors as the park, museum, etc.
Leave Big Mike alone!!!
May 8, 2007, 9:09 am
As long as we continue to put the the same Good Ol’ Boys and Gals in City Hall, we will continue to get the same predictably lousy results.
What shocks me is that anyone is surprised by this.
If elected, I will hold an open-to-the-public Inauguration at the Depot, marking not only the beginning of my administration; but the permanent opening of the Depot to the public.
May 8, 2007, 11:43 am
Perhaps spending that kind of money is a waste, but I think Big Mike should be at the depot. Perhaps if Big Mike were at the depot, more citizens would go see him and the depot, and they would voice their opinions to city hall, and the depot would be open to the public. The depot should be open, but right now, not enough people are complaining………
May 8, 2007, 12:30 pm
So much for tourism in Boise – who even knew that the old train was coming to town!?
Not only do we not have signs to get folks from the freeway to the zoo but we cheat the taxpayers from enjoying the depot that we all bought bricks to preserve.
May 8, 2007, 3:23 pm
Do you know what the dollar amount is to move Mike to the Depot? I am curious because as I recall, last time it was “moving” the cost was very high.
Also do you know specifically what line item it will come out of in which budget?
t
EDITOR NOTE–The move as I recall is about $300,000 and the money is part of a transportation grant from the feds of all things. The delay has been which bridge they use to cross the river and not overload the structure.
May 8, 2007, 5:41 pm
Could the transportation grant somehow be used to enhance the depot for public use? What’s the burning need to move Big Mike? Is he in jeopardy at his current locale? He’s been there since I was in kindergarten, and trust me, that was a long time ago.
May 9, 2007, 1:34 pm
In the days when Jr. High and High School were used for teaching rather than housing bodies to collect revenues, I learned that in order to be a good communicator, you first have to know your audience.
With this in mind, has anyone bothered proposing to our city government that they move the Boise Depot into Julia Davis Park? Surely a project of that magnitude and expense would quench their thirst for busy-work for years to come…