By Aaron Isaacs, HRA editor
At each HeritageRail Alliance Fall conference I put together a slide show of the completed projects from the last 12 months. There’s so much going on out there, much of it under the radar. Restoration projects usually take years, even decades, so when they’re done, it’s a cause for celebration.
Steam
Columbia River Belt Line 2-4-4-2 #7 Skookum by Chris Baldo and Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad. Now on lease to Niles Canyon Ry.
Big Boy #4014 by Union Pacific.
Sierra Railroad 2-8-0 #28 by Railtown 1897.
Climax #9 by Cass Scenic Railroad.
Jones & Laughlin 0-4-0T #58 by Youngstown Steel Heritage Museum
Alaska 4-6-0 152 by the Huckleberry Railroad.
J. Neils Lumber Shay 5 by Illinois Railway Museum
2-6-2 Rita by the Hesston Steam Railroad
Denver & Rio Grande 4-6-0 168 by Cumbres & Toltec.
There were cosmetic restorations.
Ontario Northland 4-6-2 701.
Nickel Plate 2-8-4 757 was transferred from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania to a new home at the Mad River & NKP museum, where it received a cosmetic makeover.
Also a cosmetic restoration, Santa Fe SD40 5008 at the Disney museum in Marceline, MO.
Frisco 2-8-2 4003 spruced up at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum.
And electric cars
British Columbia Electric interurban 1304 by Frasier Valley Heritage Rail Society.
About a dozen PCC cars by San Francisco Muni.
Also cable car 19, the biggest of them all, restored to service by Muni after over 70 years.
El Paso resurrected 7 1937-vintage PCCs for their new line.
Coaches, freight cars, line extensions and infrastructure in Part 2. Stay tuned.