Bellevue welder Mark Sheehan and his son Sean have periodically built a Challenger train complete with slide front of the Sun Valley Inn, or what used to be known as the Challenger Inn.
The snow train pays homage to United Pacific’s streamliner trains, which were equipped with stewardesses with nursing degrees, telephones and 25-cent breakfasts and brought guests to Sun Valley Resort in its infancy. Learn how the Sheehans build the sculpture in today’s Eye on Sun Valley video.
P.S. Bob Weiderrick has now taken over the train with Mark wanting to retire. But, Sean was able to use his earnings from this year’s Sun Valley Ice sculpture for a trip to Japan where, his mother said, he was over-the-moon-excited about the cherry blossoms kitty cafes, Mt. Fuji and traditional spas.