Archives > Frisco Enterprise > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Smithsonian awards Frisco Museum rare Santa Fe train
Photo Courtesy of Museum of the American Railroad
The Smithsonian Institution has donated a rare model PA-1 locomotive to the Museum of the American Railroad. The train, coming to Frisco this fall, will be the only one of its kind with the original Santa Fe paint scheme after the museum works to renovate it.
By Jessica Rush, jrush@acnpapers.com
In the next couple months, a rare diesel locomotive from the Smithsonian Institute will become a permanent piece in the Museum of the American Railroad collection. The acquisition of this prized model PA-1 locomotive will help with the museum’s plans to expand and relocate to Frisco.
Museum of the American Railroad CEO, Bob LaPrelle, said there was a lot of competition from museums around the country to house some of the surplus pieces from the Smithsonian’s collection.
“This was considered the prize piece in their railroad collection,” LaPrelle said. “It’s really a vote of confidence by the Smithsonian Institution in what we do, that they’re willing to place such a historic piece in our care.”
“When Santa Fe was running passenger trains, they were trying to entice visitors to the Southwest, so they sort of branded their passenger operations with a lot of Native American colors and artistry,” LaPrelle said.
The Smithsonian train is one of only four locomotives that were used by the Santa Fe Railway until 1967 before they were sold to the Mexican National Railways. Two of those trains are housed at the National Museum of Mexican Railroads in Puebla. President of the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation, Doyle McCormack, was instrumental in getting the other two retired trains back to the United States. McCormack has privately restored one unit, and the train coming to Frisco will be the only one that will have the original Santa Fe paint scheme.
BNSF Railway is providing free transportation of the historic locomotive, which will be loaded in Oregon and shipped on railroad flatcars to Frisco. Joe Faust, a spokesperson for BNSF, said the Frisco museum will offer a unique insight into the history of not-only the town of Frisco, but how the railroads helped build and shape the community.
“This is just one way that we can assist in adding to that historical overview in presenting some pieces that will add to certainly a great era in American history and the development of the freight transportation industry,” Faust said.
Once in the hands of the museum, the locomotive will be stabilized and restored in several stages because of damage it sustained in a 1981 derailment. The repair work timeline will depend on the amount of assistance that comes in from nation-wide fundraising. LaPrelle said the process is like redoing an automobile body.
“I think there are a lot of people who have an interest in helping us restore this train,” he said. “It’ll be a combination of volunteers and contractors. We have the wherewithal and the talent to completely rebuild it.”
The contractors will be assigned to more specialized work, such as welding and painting, and before the project is complete, the train will benefit from new framework (truss work), stainless steel side panels and roof repairs.
The museum plans to eventually put an engine back into the train, and once on display, visitors will be able to tour the interior cab and engine room.
In addition to the PA-1 locomotive, the museum is also the recent recipient of some 12,000 feet of rail recycled from the San Angelo “Orient Line.” The 340 pieces, which weigh 90 pounds per yard and are around 39 feet in length, will be arranged in a fashion around the 12.5 acre museum site in Frisco that allows for exhibiting around 36 cars and locomotives in the collection. For the most part the display will be static, but from time to time the museum plans to show visitors how the rolling stock runs and moves.
For information about the Museum of the American Railroad and updates on the PA-1 project, visit www.dallasrailwaymuseum.com.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
