People gather in Navasota to pay respects as UP 4141 passes through

NAVASOTA, Texas (FOX 26) - If you didn't remember to bring a flag with you to the rail crossing in Navasota, that's no problem. The folks from the local paper were passing out free ones, 500 of them.

"It's to celebrate him. It's not the reason we want to be here, but it's an honor to be here and honor such a great man," said Matthew Ybarra.

It seemed like all 7,000 or so people who live in the town turned up to catch a glimpse of the train,  but it wasn't just the locals.

"Well we drove from Houston because there were too many people there," said one man peering out from under his hood.

As the train rolled closer, so did the rain clouds. But the rain wasn't keeping people away. In fact, the crowd grew and grew. Among them were a husband a wife -- both Air Force veterans who served under the president during Desert Storm.

"It's an honor to serve your country. And it was an honor to serve under him," said Claudia Valenzuela as she stood in the rain next to her husband Warren McCue.

Finally, after hours of waiting, 4141 carrying President Bush 41 and the full weight of history appeared. Some spectators actually gasped when th y saw the flag draped casket through the special window.

There is a difference between watching it on television and seeing it in person that's hard to describe and in fact, impossible for some.

"I'm just touched. That's all I can say. I'm at a loss for words. It's so emotional.  It's an honor to be here," said one woman, her voice cracking and here eyes filling with tears.