Railworks America

As I was working on Donner Pass the other day, something occurred to me...

Union Pacific has heritage units for Chicago & North Western, Missouri-Kansas-Texas, Missouri Pacific, Denver & Rio Grande Western, Southern Pacific, and Western Pacific, but there's one very important heritage railroad that's missing from the roster, and now that I think about it I'm not sure how it was missed. The missing heritage unit is Union Pacific's historic counterpart in the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad that first bound this country together. Theodore Judah envisioned this railroad and the greater vision of the Transcontinental Railroad. This railroad that originally conquered Donner Pass: Central Pacific.

Can anyone think of a reason why Central Pacific was not represented with the other heritage units? As important as Central Pacific was in the history of the nation's railroads, I'm not sure why it was skipped over. Sure it was leased to Southern Pacific back in 1885, but that can't be the reason to leave it out of the lineup because according to that logic D&RGW shouldn't be included in the lineup: it bought Southern Pacific but because the Espee was more recognizable and marketable the Denver & Rio Grande Western disappeared, swallowed by Southern Pacific.

Any thoughts you guys?

My guess is they chose heritage units based on the principal name used by the railroad at the time of it's merger into Union Pacific.... with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad unit being the odd exception.

Central Pacific was long gone before it was merged (via Southern Pacific) into UP. No one alive today was around to see Central Pacific in operation... so no one is likely to wax nostalgic and care about a heritage unit representing a railroad none of us ever saw in operation.... hence why one was never made.