Historic Moon Glow seems destined to rust away

OGDEN -- Union Station's hard core of railroad fans and volunteers is trying desperately to save the Moon Glow, but despite everyone's best efforts the priceless piece of railroad history seems condemned to rust away.

"I have actually lost sleep worrying about that car," said Lee Witten, chief archivist at the Union Station railroad museum. "It's like watching someone slowly die. That's how I feel about that little cuss."

Moon Glow, a luxury dome car, is the last surviving piece of what was supposed to be the future of passenger rail travel. General Motors wanted to show the public what the future held after four years of wartime hardships.

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Metal thieves have stripped it. Witten said Union Station plans to move it from BDO to Union Station where it can at least be better guarded.

It looks like a wreck, but he keeps trying. When Union Pacific's steam engine, the 844, visited Ogden in November, Witten gave the engineer a formal proposal asking the Union Pacific to consider helping restore it.

"Of course, they're in business to make money," he said, but the 844 steam engine doesn't make money either. The railroad keeps it running for publicity and goodwill.

Moon Glow could do the same thing, Witten said. "I'd think it would be good public relations for them."