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No. 587 was operated by the Indiana Transportation Museum and was considered its crown jewel. It was used primarily to pull the museum's fair train from Fishers, IN to the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, IN and other special events.
In 1989, No. 587 teamed up with N&W 611 to pull the annual Independence Limited from Rocky River, Ohio to Roanoke, Virginia over a 4 day period from June 17th through 20th, with 587 being added at Bellevue, Ohio. On July 16th of 1989, 587 joined 611 and Norfolk and Western 1218 to led a tripleheader from Roanoke to Lynchburg, Virginia for the National Railway Historical Society(NRHS) Convention held in Asheville, North Carolina. The 587 led two excursions for the Convention, one of them with 1218. In October 1988-89 and 1993, The 587 made runs down to Bloomington, Indiana along with a side trip over Tulip Trestle, 20 miles west of Bloomington.
The locomotive was inside ITM's shop undergoing additional work. It was lifted several inches off its supporting trucks and running gear to allow access to the leaf springs and bushings without the need to drop all the drivers. The bushings will be removed and replaced as most have worn thin from years of use.
In 2008, the ownership of No. 587 was officially transferred from the Indianapolis Parks Department to the Indiana Transportation Museum.
In 1988, 587 was featured in a program by Berkshire Productions, that out lined its History, Restoration, Initial test runs along with it's 1988 Excursion season with Trips to Logansport, Indiana along with Trips down to Bloomington Indiana and a trip over Tulip Trestle. the 587 also was featured in the Popular series I Love Toy Trains that reused footage from the Berkshire Productions program.
In 2000, No. 587 was selected as the starring locomotive to appear in the children's movie "Old 587: The Great Train Robbery". In the film, a group of kids find the locomotive in a scrapyard. With the help of the locomotive's old engineer, they rescue the 587 from being cut up for scrap, and they donate her to a museum.
Most railroads called their 4-8-4s "Northerns", which is short for the railroad first using the 4-8-4 type, Northern Pacific Railroad. The workers of the C&O could not see naming these locomotives "Northerns" as the railroad was based in the southeast. The famous Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a major resort on the C&O mainline, was the inspiration for the name "Greenbrier" applied to these 4-8-4s.
After just one year of revenue freight service, No. 614 was retired again and it was placed in storage with a group of other C&O steam locomotives in the form of a ‘scrap line’ in front of the C&O diesel shops in Russell, Kentucky where it remained for almost two decades.
In 1975, No. 614, as well as 2-8-4 Kanawha No. 2705 and 2-6-6-2 No. 1309, were sent to the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland and were cosmetically restored for static display, although in 2014, No. 1309 was purchased by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in Cumberland, Maryland and restored to operating condition on December 31, 2020.
In 1992, Rowland's vision of the "21st Century Limited" was taking shape. To give the public an idea of the train, one side of 614 was decorated in a futuristic way with a blue streamlined shrouding and centered headlight. The 614 also came back to its former home at the B&O Railroad Museum for temporary display. In 1995, 614 was moved to the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad in New Hope, Pennsylvania for a complete overhaul. It was then used for a series of popular excursions between Hoboken, New Jersey and Port Jervis, New York in conjunction with New Jersey Transit (NJT) between 1996 and 1998.
The 614 was required to pull 26 cars at 79 mph on some sections, and maintain speed up several hills. During this time, the 614 was equipped with cab signals, 26L brakes, speed control and an MU stand. The 614 was moved to storage on the Reading and Northern Railroad in Port Clinton, Pennsylvania. In 2000. Rowland put the 614 up for auction at the NJT maintenance facility, but no buyers were interested. The locomotive is still maintained by Iron Horse Enterprises, the most recent servicing of the locomotive being in 2006.
Southern Pacific 1237 is an S-10 class 0-6-0 steam locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works. The locomotive was put in service August 31, 1918, and retired August 19, 1956, it was donated to the City of Salinas, California by the Southern Pacific Railroad, in the summer of 1957. 1237 is an oil fired yard switcher.
The locomotive is stationed east of Amtrak Depot in Salinas, California. The Monterey and Salinas Valley Railroad Club cares for the locomotive and has done a static restoration of it.
Southern Pacific Railroad 2467 is one of 15 4-6-2 heavy "Pacific" type steam locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1921 for the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), designated the P-8 class. No. 2467 was retired from service in 1956. On July 25, 1960, the locomotive was donated to Oakland, California, where it was placed on display at the Harrison Railroad Park. In July 1990 a restoration began by the Project 2467 Inc which later merged into the Pacific Locomotive Association. In June 1999 it was returned to operation and made an appearance at Railfair 1999. Although serviceable, SP 2467 is currently on static display while on loan from its operator, Pacific Locomotive Association, Inc., to the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California.
Southern Pacific 2467 has two surviving siblings. P-8 class Southern Pacific 2472 is owned by the Golden Gate Railroad Museum and once operated on occasional services at the Niles Canyon Railway until 2015. It is now at the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. P-10 class Southern Pacific 2479 is owned by the California Trolley and Railroad Corporation and is undergoing restoration to operating condition at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, California.
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad No. 999
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad No. 999 is a 4-4-0 “American” type steam locomotive built for the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad in 1893, which was intended to haul the road's Empire State Express train service. It is claimed that in 1893 No. 999 was the first in the world to travel over 100 mph, although some dispute the accuracy of this record.
New York Central's Chief Superintendent of Motive Power & Rolling Stock, William Buchanan, had designed a class of 4-4-0 locomotives known as the Class "I", which were already capable of reaching high speeds, so it was simply a matter of making some modifications to an existing design. In 1893, locomotive #999 rolled out of the New York Central's West Albany Shops.
The 999 was mounted on diameter driving wheels rather than the driving wheels mounted on other engines of the class, and was the first of its kind to have brakes mounted to the front truck. The bands, pipes, and trim were highly polished; the boiler, smokestack, domes, cab, and tender were given a black satin finish, and "Empire State Express" was applied to the sides of the tender in high gold leaf lettering.
One contemporary magazine stated: "The information as to this seemed at that writing to be authentic, but since then a good deal of doubt, in which we share, has been thrown on the stated performance. We were misinformed as to the use of the speed indicator on the engine for one thing, and a careful consideration of all the conditions make the speed given improbable."
Over 3,000 gauge scale replicas (most of which were made by the Cagney Brothers and thus were referred to as "Cagneys") were sold at $1,500 each and shipped to amusement parks as far away as South Africa and Thailand; one such unit, nicknamed the "Little Puffer" is in service today at the Fleischaker Zoo in San Francisco, California. Manufacturers of electric train sets began putting No. 999 on their locomotives.
After the fair the engine continued to pull the "Express" between Buffalo and Syracuse. When the engine was sent to other parts of the road it was found to be slippery and hard to handle when pulling more than five cars. It was rebuilt with the same 70 inch drivers as the other engines of the class. In the 1920s it was given a new boiler and tender, operating local and branch line trains until 1924, when it was restored for exhibition at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's "Fair of the Iron Horse" the following year.
Once there, while its preservation was assured, the engine was displayed outside where exposure to elements had taken its toll over the years. In 1993, the museum underwent a major renovation. This project included a cosmetic restoration of number 999, and it was placed inside the museum's main hall. As displayed, the locomotive features its later 70" drivers as opposed to the original 86" drivers.
Robert Dollar Co. No. 3 is an operating steam locomotive on the Niles Canyon Railway. It is notable for having been the last wood-burning locomotive built for an American company.
The No. 3 was built new by the American Locomotive Company for the Walter A. Woodard Lumber Company in November 1927. The Woodard Company assigned the 3 to its sawmill in Cottage Grove, Oregon.
In 1942, the sawmill, and the locomotive along with it, was sold to J. H. Chambers & Son. They kept it for just four years before selling to facility and locomotive to the Lorane Valley Lumber Company in 1946. In 1951, the locomotive was sold again, to the Robert Dollar Lumber Company. The Robert Dollar company converted the locomotive to burn oil, and finally donated it to the San Francisco Maritime Museum Association.
The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park ended up not having much use for a locomotive, and she was leased in 1973 to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association (it was eventually donated). The Western Railway Museum began restoration of the engine in 1979, but this project was not finished, and the disassembled No. 3 was donated to the Pacific Locomotive Association (Niles Canyon Railway).
Restoration on Robert Dollar Company No. 3 was completed in February 2007, and she has been operating in regular excursion service ever since. In a special event in 2009, she operated side by side with Southern Pacific 2472 and Union Pacific 844.
Robt. Dollar No. 3 - Niles Canyon Railway
Santa Fe 2913 is a 4-8-4 locomotive, part of the Santa Fe Class 2900. It was built in the 1940s and is on display in a park in Fort Madison, Iowa, having been donated to the town upon retirement. It is currently undergoing cosmetic restoration.
Florida East Coast Railway Locomotive No. 153
The Florida East Coast Railway Locomotive No. 153 is a historic Florida East Coast Railway 4-6-2 ALCO steam locomotive in Miami, Florida, USA.
Due to age and damage by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, she is currently out of service. On February 21, 1985, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is located at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum, 12400 Southwest 152nd Street, Miami, FL.
Pere Marquette 1225 is a class "N-1" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built in October 1941 for the Pere Marquette Railway (PM) by Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) in Lima, Ohio. No. 1225 is one of two surviving Pere Marquette 2-8-4 locomotives, the other being 1223, which is on display at the Tri-Cities Historical Society near the ex-Grand Trunk Western (GTW) coaling tower in Grand Haven, Michigan. It is perhaps most famous for serving as the basis for the locomotive in the 2004 film, "The Polar Express".
The Pere Marquette Railway used No. 1225 in regular service from the locomotive's construction in 1941 until the railroad merged into Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) in 1947; it remained in use on C&O's Michigan lines until 1951. Slated for scrapping, 1225 was acquired by Michigan State University in 1957 and placed on static display.
In 1971, work began to restore No. 1225 to operational status, an effort that culminated in its first excursion run in 1988. The locomotive, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is now used on excursion trains over the former Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway, now Great Lakes Central Railroad.
No. 1225 was built in 1941 by Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) for the Pere Marquette Railway (PM). PM ordered this type of locomotive in three batches from Lima: class N in 1937 (PM road numbers 1201–1215), class N-1 in 1941 (numbers 1216–1227) and class N-2 in 1944 (numbers 1228–1239). 1225 cost $200,000 to build in 1941 ($ in current dollars). The build was complete on December 6, 1941, and delivered to the Pere Marquette.
The locomotives remained on the roster through the PM's merger into Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) in 1947; class N locomotives were renumbered to 2685–2699, class N-1 to 2650–2661, and class N-2 to 2670–2681. Part of the merger agreement, however, included the stipulation that locomotives that were acquired and fully paid for by PM would remain painted for PM after the merger. Although all the Berkshires received new numbers, only class N engines were repainted into standard C&O livery and renumbered. The majority of the class N locomotives were scrapped between 1954 and 1957, but class N-1s 1223 and 1225 were both preserved.
For the first part of its service life, 1225 was used to shuttle steel and wartime freight between Detroit, Saginaw, Flint and northern Indiana steel mills.
Baker received the gift of the locomotive in 1957 when it was brought to campus. The locomotive remained on static display near Spartan Stadium on the Michigan State campus in East Lansing, Michigan for more than a decade. While on display, a child by the name of Chris Van Allsburg used to stop by the locomotive on football weekends, on his way to the game with his father. He later stated that the engine was the inspiration for the story, Polar Express.
The students fired up the boiler in 1975 and blew the 1225's whistle for the first time in two decades. The MSU Railroad Club had looked to engine 1223 at the State Fairgrounds for parts. The Michigan Railroad Club, then custodians of that engine, objected, so needed parts were fabricated. As of 2016, 1223 is preserved in a lakeside park in Grand Haven, Michigan.
In 1976, Chuck Julian talked to Dr. Baker about the locomotive. He asked Baker if he understood what members were asking in 1970, when they said that they wanted to restore the locomotive. Baker said that he fully understood. He thought that he would rather students be known for being involved in restoring a locomotive than known for protesting the war.
In 1977, Dr. Edgar Harden became the University Interim President. Chuck Julian, as President of the MSU Railroad Club, went to his reception and made an appointment to see him. Harden was asked about the engine's future. The Railroad Club had fired the engine and it was nearing operability. Harden said that the University was not interested in running a locomotive and if it was, it would be run by all university employees. He said that if the Railroad Club wanted to run the engine, it should form a 501(c)(3) corporation and then he would give the club the engine.
Dr. Harden said that if the Club could find another place on campus that was suitable, it could move the engine to it. He assigned Ted Simmons and the head of the Landscape Arts Department the task of working with Chuck Julian to find a place. They visited several places. Ted Simmons was not willing to give up a siding at Power Plant 65 for the engine. The Club would need to build one if it wanted one. The Club would not be able to build a cheap structure. If the Club or later the Trust wanted a structure, it would need to be built by contractors after the university approved the design.
This set Club members to looking for a new site. Several were looked at. The Ann Arbor Railroad had gone bankrupt at the time and the State of Michigan became the owner of its assets. Hank Londo spoke to his state Senator and arranged for the new Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation (MSTRP) to lease the Owosso engine shop. The engine and all of its equipment were then moved there. This was a great place to move because the engine shop had a lot of equipment that would be useful in restoring the engine.
The MSU Railroad Club and supporters of "Project 1225" formed the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation in 1978. Chuck Julian, then president of the MSU Railroad Club, became the Trust's first President. Soon after, the MSTRP was given ownership of 1225 by Michigan State University. The MSTRP moved 1225 to the former Ann Arbor Railroad steam backshop in Owosso in 1983.
1225 moved under its own power on November 30, 1985 for the first time since its retirement in 1951. The first excursion service occurred in 1988 on a 17-mile trip between Owosso and St. Charles, Michigan. In August 1991, 1225 along with NKP 765 pulled a 31-car passenger train during the National Railway Historical Society's annual convention in Huntington, West Virginia.
The Trust started using the name, Steam Railroading Institute because it was thought that this name better represented the goals of the organization. The official name is still Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation. The SRI name is registered as a DBA (Doing Business As), with the State of Michigan.
The flue failing was later repeated on December 5 of that year, so in January 2010, 1225 went down for its required 15-year inspection, and it was found that the firebox sheets had deteriorated to the point of needing replacement. That program was largely completed through small and large donations of funds and labor by the organization's supporters. Approximately $900,000 had spent on 1225's FRA overhaul and on October 20, 2013. 1225 will run again for another 15 years until 2028 when its next overhaul work is due.
As of 2014, 1225 operates excursion trains over the Great Lakes Central Railroad (formally Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway) several times per year, including operations that leave Owosso and going to locations such as Alma, Clare, Mt. Pleasant, and Cadillac, Michigan. Since 2004, 1225 has hauled winter weekend excursions to Ashley, Michigan between Thanksgiving and the middle of December, due to copyright issues, as the "North Pole Express."
No. 643 is the sole survivor of the H-1 class 2-10-4 of the BL&E, which were the world's most power steam locomotives with a rigid frame. It is also the closest and the last locomotive that resembles a CB&Q "Colorado" type. The size concerns that plagued its restoration ensured that No. 643 has held the dubious honor of being the only steam locomotive to be restored to operating condition without actually moving.
Upon arrival of the SC-1 class in 1916, the latter stole the B-4's title as the largest and most powerful consolidation ever built. No. 14 was possibly reassigned as a dock switcher in the docks in the Marquette division, and the locomotive operating in the mainline became less and less common, especially after being involved in a wash-out wreck roughly two months after the SC-1s arrived.
In 1963, the railroad sold twelve of their consolidations, as well as some of their passenger cars, to the Marquette and Huron Mountain Tourist Railroad. This was intended to give the old consolidations another chance on life for use in excursion service. However, there are no known records of the 29 pulling any trains for that railroad. Only some of its distant sister engines, Nos 19, 22, 23, and 24, were known to pull tourist trains there between Marquette and Big Bay. Instead, No. 29 sat with the rest of the 2-8-0s in the form of a 'scrapline', facing an uncertain future. The M&HM was shut down in 1984 when the line's owner passed away, and the remnants of their active roster were also retired.
In 1985, No. 29 was among a few of the 2-8-0s that were sold to the Ishpeming Steel Company for storage. Just a few months later, it was sold again along with No. 22 to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin for static display.
No. 29 received some minor to major modifications from as early as her revenue career for the LS&I in the early 1920s to as late as her excursion career for the GCRY in the mid 2010s.
No. 29 is the oldest LS&I locomotive that is preserved, as well as the only LS&I survivor to ever experience an accident. It is also the only surviving example of the LS&I’s SC-3 class.
No. 29 is the world’s only 2-8-0 to ever support a Worthington SA and the only 2-8-0 in the United States to support a Lempor ejector system.
Pennsylvania Railroad 520 is a 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built in 1916 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Pennsylvania Railroad for freight duties as a member of the L1s class. In 1942, the locomotive was involved in a devastating boiler explosion incident that required construction of a new, replacement boiler. After being retired in 1957, the locomotive was saved for preservation and placed on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The L1s is a class of 2-8-2 steam locomotives that was developed in 1914 to replace the H9s-class. The L1s used boilers identical to the ones eventually used for Pennsylvania Railroad's famed K4s-class steam locomotives. Most L1s locomotives were moved to other duties when the I1s was introduced in 1924.
520 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in December 1916. While pulling freight from Altoona, Pennsylvania, to Conway, Pennsylvania, on November 14, 1942, during World War 2 the boiler on 520 exploded near Cresson. The explosion killed both the engineer and the brakeman, injured the fireman and conductor, and shattered windows on a nearby house. Two occupants of the house were also injured by scalding water and flying embers, which also set a rug on fire. The force of the blast derailed the tender and six tank cars. 520 was eventually repaired and placed back into service.
On October 20, 1957, 520 pulled a "railfan special" out of Baltimore, Maryland, from Enola to Northumberland, Pennsylvania. After a round trip from Northumberland to Enola, it was retired to the Pennsylvania Railroad's collection of historical locomotives. 520 was donated to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in December 1979 by the Pennsylvania Railroad's successor Penn Central. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 17, 1979.
Denver and Rio Grande Western No. 169 is a "Ten Wheeler" type narrow gauge steam railway locomotive. It is one of twelve similar locomotives built for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1883. It was built as a passenger locomotive, with drivers, the second largest drivers used on any three foot gauge D&RGW locomotive. (The K-37s which were originally standard gauge have drivers.)
During its operational life it was used on all of the major D&RGW narrow gauge lines. It appears in two Otto Perry photographs on the branch to Santa Fe, New Mexico in April 1933. It was taken out of service in 1938 and then refurbished in 1939 to appear at the 1939 New York World's Fair. In 1941, the railroad donated it to the City of Alamosa and it has been in Cole Park there since. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Locomotive No.169 in 2001.
No. 15's last run was on August 12, 1973, when a boiler tube blew out, scalding Andy Barbera, who was operating as the locomotive engineer at the time. Since the services of the locomotive were not needed at the time, the repairs were not done and remained undone by the time the "Steamtown Special History" was written. While in Blount's possession, the locomotive appeared in the movie "The Cardinal" (1963). "The Steamtown Special History Study" recommended that the engine be cosmetically and operationally restored, as it had served in the northeastern quarter of the United States and had been serviced, at least once, at the Lackawanna's Scranton shop.
As of March 2012, the locomotive is still displayed inoperable at Steamtown National Historic Site.
New York Central 2933 is 4-8-2 "Mohawk", (Mountain), type steam locomotive built in 1929 by the American Locomotive Company for the New York Central Railroad. The wheel arrangement is known as the Mountain type on other railroads, but the New York Central dubbed them "Mohawks" after the Mohawk River which the railroad followed. It pulled freight trains until being retired in 1955. Today the locomotive is on display at the Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, Missouri. It is the second largest New York Central steam locomotive still in existence and is one of only two surviving New York Central "Mohawks", the other, No. 3001, is on display at the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart, Indiana.
It was originally built for the Big Four Railroad and was numbered 6233, it was renumbered 2933 in 1936 when the locomotive was transferred to the New York Central.
New York Central No. 2933 is a member of the class L-2d. It powered freight trains until retirement in 1955.
The locomotive was used as a stationary steam boiler for the shops before it was placed in storage. After a request penned by the museum director in 1962, it was donated to the Museum of Transportation, making it the only large New York Central steam locomotive to be donated directly by the railroad.
In May 2017, the museum completed a 10 year long full cosmetic restoration of the engine.
One story says that New York Central employees hid 2933 behind large boxes in a roundhouse in Selkirk, New York, but there is little evidence to support this.
New York Central 3001 - Another surviving "Mohawk" and the largest surviving New York Central steam locomotive.
Southern Railway 385 is a preserved steam locomotive built in November 1907 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for Southern Railway in the United States. It is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type of Southern's "H-4" class. It was also a sister locomotive to Southern No. 401.
In No. 385's last years on the Southern, it worked on the Richmond Division hauling branch line mixed trains. On November 17th, 1952, No. 385 was sold to the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway and was renumbered to 6. The shortline put the engine on standby service in 1956 and on April 1st, 1959, the engine was officially retired.
In 1963, the locomotive was sold to Earle H. Gil Sr. who restored it to run on the Morris County Central Railroad. The locomotive ran on the MCCRR hauling excursion trains until the MCCRR's defunction on October 14th, 1978. In 1982, the Delaware Otsego Corporation (the parent company of the NYS&W) acquired the assets of the Morris County Central, including No. 385. The DO / NYS&W had early plans to restore No. 385 to operation and run her over their lines in excursion service, but this did not come to pass. After many years of subsequent storage, and taking on the sad patina of neglect, the Delaware Otsego donated the locomotive to the Bergen County Vocational & Technical High School in Hackensack, New Jersey in June 1990.
In October 1990, Joseph Supor, Jr., the founder of J. Supor & Son Trucking & Rigging Co., Inc. donated the cost of trucking No. 385 nearly 2 miles from the rails of the NYS&W to Bergen Tech, where the locomotive was lifted into place on a panel of display track in an area adjacent to the school athletic field, alongside the Hackensack River. By 1999, the direction had changed drastically at Bergen Tech, when the “Stationary Steam Course” (which had been established in 1952) was totally eliminated and all facets of the program were disassembled and removed. Reportedly, preparations were being made to immediately dispose of No. 385 by scrapping her.
At this point, Joseph Supor Sr. became aware of the dire situation and bought the locomotive at the very last minute, as it was due to be cut up within hours of his acquisition. Mr. Supor's rigging crew carefully removed No. 385 from the schoolyard and trucked the locomotive to his facility in Harrison, New Jersey.
Mr. Supor stored No. 385 with intentions of cosmetically restoring the locomotive for display at his company headquarters. Unfortunately, this never occurred, although there were many discussions on what to do to preserve this unique relic from our Nation's Industrial past.
In 2007, Joseph Supor Jr., the son of Joseph Supor Sr., donated the No. 385 to the Whippany Railway Museum in Whippany, New Jersey, where it sits on static display.
Southern Railway 542 is a steam locomotive built in 1903 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for Southern Railway. It is a 2-8-0 Consolidation of Southern's J class.
542 first operated in North Carolina on the Southern Railway in Statesville and Winston-Salem in 1903. It was one of 25 similar locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1903 for the Southern to haul freight.
Between April 3rd - 6th, and August 23rd - 24th, 1937, the locomotive was leased to the Atlantic and Yadkin Railway. In June 1946, the A&Y requested #542 in replacement of its sibling locomotive #531 in lease agreement. Although #542 needed $6,000.00 in boiler work, the A&Y begged to use the engine for few weeks before work is done. The Southern agreed and #542 was delivered to A&Y on June 14th, 1946 and was transferred to lease in place of #531. After the A&Y ceased operations in 1950, #542 went back to the Southern.
By 1953, #542 was rostered in Spencer as a yard goat. #542 stayed on the job until July 1953 when it retired from a revenue life of 50 years. In 1954, the Southern donated the locomotive to the Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, North Carolina for static display until it was being trade for the ex-Illinois Central 0-8-0 #1894 in 1991. Today, #542 is on static display at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina.
Nickel Plate Road No. 763 is a class "S-2" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive. It was built in August 1944 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio, as the ninth engine of its class. It is a high powered fast freight locomotive that carried perishables between Chicago and Buffalo, New York.
763 was retired from service on the NKP and is currently awaiting restoration at the Age of Steam Roundhouse.
Nickel Plate 763's career consisted of pulling fast freights of perishables between Chicago and Buffalo. Pulling trains at up to 70 MPH, these engines quickly gained a reputation as high-speed brutes on the track. In 1958, due to lowering part supplies and the demand for more cheap and efficient motive power, the Nickel Plate removed all of its S-2's from service and sat dormant. The sister engine of 763, 765 was recommissioned to provide steam heat to a streamlined passenger train, and was the last Berkshire under steam for the Nickel Plate.
Number 763 was ultimately retired at the end of 1958, and sat for nearly 2 years with the label of "stored serviceable" until 1960, when most of the Berkshires on the Nickel Plate were sent to scrap yards. Six berks were preserved, including 763. The 763 was put in a museum until in 1966, when the Norfolk & Western, NKP's new owner moved her to outdoor display at Wasena Park in Roanoke, Virginia.
In 1976, 763 was moved to New Jersey for a possible overhaul as it was a contending locomotive to pull the American Freedom Train. Once the engine arrived it was to be checked over and restored to working condition and double head with No. 759. However, this plan fell through and 763 was sent back to Roanoke with Southern Pacific 4449 being chosen instead.
After the AFT fall through, NKP 763 was returned to Roanoke, where it was placed on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. The VMT ended up selling 763 to Jerry Jacobson, president of the Age of Steam Roundhouse and then CEO of Ohio Central Railroad for $125,000. In 2007, Jacobson returned 763 to her home state Ohio. The 763 is currently on static display awaiting restoration at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio. 763's restoration will cost more than $1,000,000.
Southern Pacific 2718 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" Class C-8 steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1904 for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SP). It is one of three surviving members of its class, and one of many preserved SP 2-8-0s.
2718 spent its entire life working on the Southern Pacific for 52 years until November 1956, when it was retired and donated to Modoc County, California, where it is preserved on static display outdoors in Rachael Dorris Park, near the Modoc County Historical Museum in Alturas. While in service for the SP, 2718 was used on the route previously established by the Nevada–California–Oregon Railway (N.C.O.) between Alturas and Reno, Nevada, primarily pulling livestock freight trains, but also including passenger service between 1927 and 1938.
The "Consolidation" class is named for the merger of the Beaver Meadow, Penn Haven & White Haven, and Lehigh & Mahanoy railroads, which became the Lehigh Valley Railroad.
The Great Northern P-2 was a class of 28 4-8-2 "Mountain" type steam locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1923 and operated by the Great Northern Railway until the late 1950s.
The locomotives were built as passenger locomotives and the class had the honor of pulling the first Empire Builder train.
Today, two P-2s survive, No. 2507 is on display in Wishram, WA and No. 2523 is on display in Willmar, MN.
The locomotives pulled passenger trains such as the "Empire Builder" and "Oriental Limited" and was the first to pull the former. While their performance in passenger service was excellent, they were replaced by the S-2 Class of Northerns in "Empire Builder" service, regulating them to other passenger trains and freight trains. As the Great Northern dieselized, retirement of the P-2s began in April 1955 and by April 1958, all have been retired. About half of the class received roller bearings.
New Hope Railroad 40 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in 1925 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Lancaster and Chester Railroad in Lancaster, South Carolina. Today, No. 40 is the only operating and most iconic steam locomotive on the New Hope Railroad.
In 1947, after L&C dieselized their entire roster, No. 40 was sold to the 3.7 mile long Cliffside Railroad, a short line in North Carolina. During its entire tenure on the Cliffside, the relatively diminutive 80-ton 2-8-0 was the largest locomotive the railroad owned. However, the locomotive was not used much as it was often overpowered for the small switching jobs and sharp track.
In 1962, the Cliffside Railroad sold the 40 to Steam Trains Inc., located in New Hope, Pennsylvania. No. 40 was the first piece of equipment purchased by the group, in hoping to find a branch line to run it on. No. 40 was initially moved Reading Company's yard in Wilmington, Delaware, before being moved to the Reading Company shops in St. Clair, PA with the rest of Steam Trains Inc.'s equipment. In 1966, Steam Trains Inc. was reorganized as the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad and moved all of its equipment, including 40, to the former Reading Company yard in New Hope, PA.
In 1990, the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad, now New Hope Railroad, came under new ownership and 40 was rebuilt to operational condition by shop forces from the Strasburg Rail Road, returning to operation in June 1991. No. 40 is dedicated to special excursions throughout the year such as The Buckingham Valley trains, Fall Foliage, and the Santa's Steam Train in December.