On January 4, 1996, Utah celebrated 100 years of statehood. Both the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific ran passenger specials on January 3rd to commemorate the occasion. It was a big day for the nearby mining town of Eureka (population 600) and the Tintic High School marching band who performed a series of tunes mixed with speeches by the governor and other dignitaries. The train began its journey early at Cedar City and tied up at the Union Pacific passenger station in downtown Salt Lake City by nightfall. The population of the tiny burg of Tintic Junction ballooned enormously for this special event.
