Running a steam train has always been hard
work. Running a steam train in the 21st Century, some would argue, is even harder. Given
the complexities of keeping these old locomotives and rolling stock in shape, the rail
preservation industry knows of no bounds when it comes to adapting to its natural surroundings.
While the industry has faced challenge after challenge for decades, nowhere has this
been made more apparent than in the 2010s. It’s too easy to look at the decade in
general and think, “Everything was bad!” Or, “This was the best time of our lives!”
Is it that easy to generalize though? Memory has a way of blotching out the good or bad
moments, big or small, and can create a misguided sense of nostalgia or regret. Everyone looks at
the rail preservation scene differently, so it’s hard to come to a definitive conclusion about
how we feel with the outcome of certain things. The most effective way to tell is to go back
and look at the big picture with all of its tiny details. And that’s what we’re here to
showcase for you all today. This is what the rail preservation industry got up to in the 2010s.
For most casual observers, the steam locomotive is the first thing that comes to mind when railroads
and history are mentioned in the same sentence. Any seasoned rail enthusiast or volunteer will
tell you that the difference between an active locomotive versus a static one is clear as day,
yet it’s hard to put into words for some reason. Restoring these engines from the ground up takes a
ton of effort, no matter what size, the condition, or how well equipped the engine is. Various
calls to action were heard throughout the decade. Fire up 611! Fire up 1309! Fire up 2100!
Bring back 757! Names like the New England Steam Corporation, the Kentucky Steam Heritage
Corporation, the Nashville Steam Preservation Society, the Wanamie 9 Project, and even US Sugar
all rose to the challenge of pulling notable steam locomotives out of slumber, and putting them
into the spotlight like never before. To date, many of these engines are under the knife as they
get components, and their leases on life, renewed. Some returns to steam were welcomed surprises
under varying circumstances. Southern Railway 4501 and Norfolk and Western 611 got their
chances because of the promise of mainline running behind the new 21st Century Steam program.
Others, like Moore Keppel and Company Climax 9, and the Columbia River Belt Company’s, “Skookum,”
were left for dead at the end of the steam era, with doubts cast that their carcasses would
ever feel life again. Yet by the determination and willpower of volunteers, contractors and
donors, these engines have arisen from the ashes and have found new homes within the modern world,
being adored by a new generation of admirers. Also emerging from the backshops in 2019 was
the last locomotive anyone had expected; a Union Pacific Big Boy. Why was this unprecedented?
It was widely assumed that running one of the largest engines in the world would be more trouble
than it was worth, owing largely to the size of the railroad’s infrastructure limiting where
the engine could go. But UP set out to do the impossible with Big Boy No. 4014, to commemorate
a very important milestone in its history. But the power of steam’s revival isn’t just
limited to restoring the old. In July 2013, a brand new 4-4-0 American type, known simply
as York, was pressed into service for an all new start up. Steam into History, located in
New Freedom, PA, sets itself apart from the other numerous tourist pikes by the era it recreates,
the 1860s. In that decade, this route was of strategic important during the Civil War, and was
traveled on by President Abraham Lincoln more than once. When paired up with recreated wooden
passenger cars built by the Reader Railroad, Steam into History truly was recreating an
era left untapped by other tourist lines. Although not as numerous as overseas efforts,
some notable newbuild projects are well underway, like the Virginia & Truckee 2-6-0 “Lyon,” being
made first by Stan Gentry of Clear Lake, Iowa, before moving to the Nevada State
Railroad Museum for finishing, and the most ambitious one of all,
the Pennsylvania T1 Locomotive Trust, which aims to build an all new 4-4-4-4
T1 Duplex locomotive from the ground up. But there’s a reason why railroads moved away from
steam power back in the 20th Century. As modern as some steam engines are designed, they are still
labor intensive, dirty, and take cubic feets worth of dollars to keep operating. While steam can
draw the crowds, diesels have their fans too. This was most apparent in May 2014, at
the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Streamliners at Spencer commemorated
75 years since the birth of EMD’s FT; which many railfans point to as
the turning point of dieselization. Accompanying the FT’s were 27 different
locomotives, all hailing from four corners of the country, with equally diverse backgrounds. Over
the three day weekend, Streamliners at Spencer generated $1.6 Million Dollars in economic
impact, from the estimated 9,000 visitors who came from 41 states and five countries
to see this once in a lifetime gathering. Some of these vintage units would reappear
in places deniers would least expect. For November 2017, CSX brought an old friend
back to home rails, with Clinchfield F3Au 800 leading the cherished Santa Train on its 75th
running, from Pikeville, KY to Kingsport, TN. With the locomotive just acquired by Vintage
Locomotives Inc, the F Unit was shipped to CSX’s shops in Huntington, West Virginia, where the grey
and yellow colors of its Clinchfield heritage was revived. Along with Clinchfield painted SD45 3632,
actually former Atlantic Coast Line 2024, they retraced the familiar turf with an unprecedented
cavalcade of railfans following them all the way. Like their steam breathing predecessors, work is
in progress for diesels of all shapes, sizes and eras, ranging from the CB&Q Mark Twain Zephyr by
the Wisconsin Great Northern, and a Santa Fe PA at the Museum of American Railroading in Texas. One
remarkable completion in 2019 was Southern Pacific 9010, one of the few diesel hydraulic powered
locomotives to operate in the United States. Starting with a rusted out, sectioned
carcass, volunteers fabricated a new nose, restored fixtures, acquired an original Maybach
prime mover, and set up the unit’s electrics to allow it to operate as a cab car, with diesels
like Torpedo Boat 5623 providing power. Plans call for the last remaining
kinks in the Maybach to be worked out so that the 9010 can operate wholly on its
own, at the Niles Canyon Railway in Sunol, CA. In 2005, Union Pacific started a trend of painting
its modern diesels into special paint schemes of past railroads it had acquired over the years,
commonly referred to as fallen flags. The trend would be kept up by Amtrak in 2011 for its 40th
birthday, with locomotives and some passenger cars adorning past paint schemes, and a well
equipped exhibit train showcasing its evolution. The next year, for its 30th birthday, Norfolk
Southern would take the concept above and beyond with twenty heritage units; all painted
for individual fallen flags and posed together at a special gathering at the North
Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC. This gathering was what set the stage for
the Streamliners event two years later. The trend continues to this day, with Canadian National fielding a more modest fleet
of five units in fallen flag schemes to commemorate 25 years of transitioning from
being government operated to privatization. In May 2018, CSX lent its biggest
helping hand yet to preservation. With a ceremony staged in the old
East Kentucky mining town of Ravenna, the Class 1 donated to Kentucky Steam
its sprawling, abandoned yard complex, complete with modern shop buildings, offices,
and lots of space for redevelopment into the 2716’s new home, and then some. The property will
become known as the Kentucky Rail Heritage Center, where the C&O 2716 will be based among KSCHO’s
growing fleet of locomotives and rolling stock. Then on June 11th came the ultimate story
of salvation. On the outskirts of Detroit sits the old Michigan Central Station, a
once bustling hub of the New York Central. Since the end of passenger service in 1988,
the building has gradually fallen into ruins, with some efforts to stave off the deterioration
only amounting to so much. It would be on this date, though, when the entire property
would be purchased by a very unlikely buyer; the Ford Motor Company. Yes, the company
that started the automobile revolution that would in turn lure passengers away
from trains as far back as the 1900s. Why this old station? Apart from its status as
a cultural landmark, Ford plans to repurpose the structure as a testing and research center
for producing autonomous and electric vehicles. The station is the centerpiece of a wider
plan to build up a Ford campus within the city’s Corktown area, and breathe new life into
a historically depressed part of the country. What’s more, artifacts that had gone
missing since the station’s closure, like the clock, cast iron wall scones and
elevator buttons, came out of the woodwork and were returned to the station for Ford
to reinstall. While Ford’s vision calls for restoring the station to its original splendor,
it says to expect some modern refinements too. Although it takes years of planning,
thousands of dollars and a metric ton of paper work to organize, the events draw
in hundreds of thousands of spectators. For the first excursions with N&W 611
in 2015, it was estimated that Roanoke County in general took in up to $7 Million from
visitors coming to see and ride behind the J. What’s better than one operating
steam engine though? How about seven? Train Festival 2011, held for four days in
the Quad Cities between Illinois and Iowa, was one of the biggest social get togethers
for railfans and rail equipment, old and new. Highlights included mainline excursions over the
Iowa Interstate Railroad, with the Nickel Plate Road 765 and Iowa Interstate’s 6988 putting in
strong performances, along with an exceptionally rare appearance by the CB&Q Nebraska Zephyr,
owned and operated by the Illinois Railway Museum. A similar Train Expo event would be
held in Owosso, Michigan in June 2014, with 765 reuniting with fellow
berkshire Pere Marquette 1225 for a repeat performance of the
groundbreaking Train Festival 2009. It was plain to see how steam was holding its
place in the 21st Century, especially in places where it was previously assumed would never run
again. Between 2011 and 2015, Norfolk Southern would welcome a total of four steam locomotives
to lead fantrips all over its network. Although nowhere near the size and scope of the original
NS steam program, seeing Southern Railways 630 and 4501, along with the 611 and Nickel Plate Road 765
back on the mainline was truly a welcomed sight. After the program though, things
would settle into a new normal. Having spent hardly a year in active
service, 611 would be allowed two more years of excursions with NS, until the railroad
formally ceased supporting the operations. While 611 would have to settle for
modest events in North Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania, and 4501
with 630 with its home base at TVRM, the 765 would have its sights set
on a slightly different mission. For 2017 and 18, the engine would headline, “The
Joliet Rocket,” a series of fantrips dubbed by Trains Mag as, “A Non Excursion Excursion.”
Passengers boarded in Joliet, and rode at speeds near 60 MPH with live entertainment
up to La Salle St. Station in Chicago. They would disembark to their very own VIP party; complete with a dance floor, historically
flavored cocktails and inspired appetizers. Unlike railfan oriented adventures, these
trips offered casual observers a glimpse into a different time period, with the train acting
mostly as a mode of transportation to the venue. Compared to all day long slogs that the industry
is used to operating, the Joliet Rocket was a much needed breath of fresh air. Until then, there
was nothing else like it. This maybe a source of inspiration for organizations looking to
expand their foothold in their community. Then came the one milestone to blow all
of the other events out of the water. 2019 marked one hundred and fifty years
since completing the United States’ first ever transcontinental railroad.
On the exact date, an estimated 40,000 visitors gathered around the replicas of the
Jupiter and 119 standing on a single track, half a world behind each back. For Union Pacific,
there was no better time to roll out the Big Boy. In the weeks before and after the event, both the
4014 and 844 would doublehead from their homebase in Cheyenne, Wyoming all the way to Ogden,
Utah, where they staged their own faceoff with UP and state officials in attendance. Not
mincing words, it was a gathering for the ages. But the highlights were offset by tradeoffs.
In 2011, the East Broad Top of Orbisonia, PA, finished off its fiftieth season of carrying
visitors along the longest lasting narrow gauge railroad east of the Mississippi River. Only at
the end of this season, the railroad would not reopen. Going forward, this was the beginning of
a period of slumber for the little line that had held on since 1956, when it was purchased
ironically by a scrap salvaging company. Some hits would come harder than others, however. In March 2018, Amtrak announced that they
were curtailing their support for passenger excursion trains, meaning that mainline steam
excursions, as well as long supported traditions like the New River Train, would no longer
be supported with their insurance umbrella. Also reduced from being a frequent sight
were private passenger cars on the back of their trains, which Amtrak cited as the source of
delays and liability concerns. The preservation industry as a whole has been trying to leverage
its support to allow them back ever since. In July that year, the Indiana Transportation
Museum was evicted from the grounds it had long leased from the city of Noblesville. What
resulted was a mass exodus of its equipment, with the cherished Nickel Plate 587 being divided up
into three sections and moved by tractor trailer to a KSHCO’s new home in Ravenna, KY. More
locomotives and rolling stock would be scattered to the winds with new owners, while others would
be scrapped to reduce the baggage to carry. This was carried out with mixed results, as a Monon
SW1 had its cab decapitated by a highway overpass. Throughout that same summer, the Durango and
Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad suffered trail after tribulation. First, a wildfire
erupted alongside the right of way, and the railroad was blamed, although the
exact cause is still under investigation. Following close behind was a washout that
cut Durango off from the rest of its fleet, necessitating a bus substitution
to Rockwood, where passengers would meet the trains and ride to Silverton.
With another washout in 2020, tainted by litigation issues tracing back to the 416
fire, the railroad can’t seem to catch a break. In the meantime, the railroad resolved
to lower the stress even further, by both investing in both new diesels and
secondhand ones from the White Pass and Yukon, and converting some members of its
steam fleet from coal to oil firing. To that end, the railroad would briefly lease out
the newly restored Southern Pacific 18, to allow the operating crews to learn the ins and outs of
oil firing. In the face of adversity, the Durango and Silverton is the embodiment of old saying,
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Then in 2020 came the biggest existential
crisis of all; COVID-19. What this air borne disease brought on to the industry, and indeed
the entire world, was a complete shakedown of social interaction. Seemingly all at once, the
preservation industry put all public operations on pause, with some groups having no revenue coming
in throughout all of spring, then summer too. Groups that knew how to exercise their public
outreach moved fast, witht the Lake Superior Railroad Museum produced a daily blog series
on its Facebook page, highlighting important pieces of history in their collection, and
explaining their relevance to the modern world. As some states began to reopen in phases,
tourist railroads like TVRM, Strasburg, and the Cumbres and Toltec, mandated face masks
for all passengers, and social distancing within seating. The Cass Scenic Railroad staged
a parade of its five operating steamers, in front of the railroad’s vast parking lot that
allowed plenty of room for social distancing. Having the ability to safely conduct these events
with strict guidelines worked in the favor of some groups, allowing for some railfan activities
with 611 at NCTM, Strasburg marking sixty years of carrying tourists, and a photo freight with Soo
Line 1003 for Trains Magazine’s 80th Birthday. On the other hand, as the situation changed later
in the summer, places like the Osceola & St. Croix Valley and the Western Maryland Scenic opted
to sit out the remainders of their seasons. With restrictions that were lifted in
September having to be reinforced in November, it was hard for operators to determine a
balance between keeping its patrons safe, and providing itself revenue
in order to keep itself open. It remains to be seen what the full extent of
Covid-19’s impact will be in the long term. But being stuck in the present moment isn’t
stopping long term projects from moving ahead. Online, fundraisers are in progress for this
Chessie GP30 for the Cincinnati Scenic Railway, two diesels for the Monticello Railroad Museum,
an SP Chair Car for ORHF, and an N&W Office Car for a new startup firm. All it takes to make
these dreams come true is a solid business plan, a dependable team of supporters, volunteer
or otherwise, and the vision to give these otherwise outdated relics the place
in the modern world that they deserve. Case in point would be the East Broad
Top, which announced on February 14th that the railroad had been sold by the
Kovalchick's to an all new nonprofit foundation, who aims to bring the railroad back to life,
and better than ever. Throughout the year, volunteers would come together to
rehabilitate track, stabilize buildings, and thoroughly restore the locomotives
and rolling stock. At present, two of the line’s 2-8-2 Mikados are under restoration, with
plans to fully reopen in 2021 with diesel power. All things considered, it’s too easy to look
at the downfalls and get overwhelmed. Thanks to all kinds of factors, whether it’s Amtrak’s
policy change, rising insurance liabilities, the state of the economy, the pandemic
or changing interests within the fandom, no one seems to be sure what the future holds
for rail preservation in the coming years. On the other hand, there was once a time when
it seemed like 611 would remain forever silent, after the previous steam program ended in 1994. When Amtrak revised its private car guidelines,
it seemed that mainline engines like 261 or 4449 now had no place to go, nor was there a place for
longstanding traditions like the New River Train. For the longest time, no one believed that engines
like 576 nor 2716 would ever turn a wheel again, nor would CSX be supportive of such a revival.
There were similar doubts being cast about 470, Skookum, the Mark Twain Zephyr, or the Krauss
Maffei. Many locomotives that saw life for the first time in this millennium, whether it was
Rio Grande Southern 20 or Jersey Central 113, were laid to waste for several decades,
with some only cosmetically restored. Few believed that rusted out hulks like Climax
9 could ever be pieced back together again. No one seemed to be just as willing to spend
big on reviving entire railroads like the East Broad Top or the Santa Fe Southern, as they
were slowly being overcome by the elements. And who would’ve ever thought that a Big
Boy would move under its own power again? If the 2010s have shown anything, it’s that we
as an industry can, and will, overcome barriers. It’s a basic human instinct
to keep pushing on boundaries, and pushing ourselves with our talents
and skillsets. Nothing gives us greater satisfaction than taking something that we’re
often told can’t be done, and then doing it. With all of that said, this
decade was in many ways much better than we could’ve possibly imagined. Whatever the future holds for 2021 and beyond, one
thing is certain. As long as there are people who are driven by passion to help these old trains,
the rail preservation industry knows of no bounds.
