On Halloween 1992, George H.W. Bush made a last-ditch effort for re-election in the 1992 Presidential campaign against Bill Clinton with a train trip through the Wisconsin countryside. The President barnstormed on three different trains during the campaign. On September 26, 1992 he began two days of campaigning in heavily Republican precincts of northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan on CSX Transportation and Conrail. Norfolk Southern hosted the next one on October 20–21, from Atlanta to Spartanburg, S.C., to Raleigh, N.C. The third leg of the POTUS or President of the United States special was hosted by Wisconsin Central on October 31st from Burlington, Wis., to Chippewa Falls. These three “whistle stop” campaign train trips were the most extensive since that of then President Dwight Eisenhower. The impressive 19-car train called “The Spirit of America” is making a trek up Wisconsin Central’s main line led by new CSX GE C40-8W No. 7812, temporarily decorated and renumbered 1992 for the occasion. Trailing No. 1992 is WC GP40 No. 3000, along with UP, C&NW and other equipment. The 41st president of the United States of America, George H.W. Bush, died on November 30, 2018 at the age of 94.
