Riding the Boilermaker Special

The Boilermaker Special is the official mascot of Purdue University. It is also the biggest mascot of all other universities. The mascot resembles a Victorian-era railroad locomotive and is operated and maintained by members of the Purdue Reamer Club. For many years, Purdue actually didn’t have a mascot. It wasn’t until 1939 that Purdue student, Israel Selkowitz, suggested that the school adopt an official mascot to represent Purdue’s engineering heritage. After much discussion, in 1940, the school introduced the Boilermaker Special I. Since then, there have been many improvements made to existing Boilermaker Specials and also several new models have been created. Currently, the Boilermaker Special VII is in use. In 2011, the Boilermaker Special underwent its most recent overhaul. It received a new engine, transmission, and chassis. This is the Boilermaker Special that you see on the streets today. One of the many cool things that Purdue has to offer, are free rides on the Boilermaker Special. This can be a very fun experience that can be shared with friends and family. The historic locomotive will take you all throughout campus for everyone to see. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the awesome ride on the Boilermaker Special, America’s greatest mascot. Also, when you are outside and see the Boilermaker Special driving by, be sure to make a train horn motion to the conductor, and he or she will pull the horn for all of Purdue to hear. Make sure to sign up on the Free Rides List through the Purdue Reamer Club to get a chance to ride the Boilermaker Special. This is a great Purdue tradition and I recommend that all Purdue students experience this at least once in their college career.