David H. Kloke, master mechanic, is the owner of Kloke Construction and Kloke Locomotive Works, LLC, and has been in the construction business for 40 years. His passion to build the Leviathan locomotive came from watching a documentary about Abraham Lincoln. Now, building a replica of the Lincoln Funeral car, Dave’s goal is to present an accurate, operating 19th-century steam locomotive and train to help people experience what it was like to witness President Lincoln’s journey into history. Dave has spent hundreds of hours researching and securing detailed blueprints and molds for the Leviathan steam engine, as well as Lincoln’s funeral car. Through Dave’s generosity, he is bringing history back to life.
The Historic Railroad Equipment Association exists to educate the public concerning the life of Abraham Lincoln and his influence on American railroad development by constructing and operating historically accurate equipment representative of that era.
The Historic Railroad Equipment Association is a registered 501(c)(3), tax-exempt charitable organization. Any donations are tax deductible.
Special thanks to Scott D. Trostel for serving as the Executive Historical Consultant and Dr. Wayne Wesolowski, our Executive Technical Consultant on this project.