It was recently discovered that the former Santa Fe 4-6-2 steam locomotive has one year left before it’s 1472 service day inspection. It was previously thought that 2022 would be the locomotive’s last year under steam before the inspection, but the paperwork being prepared for the process indicated that it still had one year of operating time left. With this news, the Abilene & Smokey Valley will use the locomotive for rail excursions in 2023 starting on Memorial Day weekend.
A restoration fund had previously been launched to raise money for the roughly two-year long inspection and the fund will continue to raise money while #3415 is in service. The railroad has confirmed that the locomotive will be taken out of service in October 2023 for the inspection.
Santa Fe #3415 was built by Baldwin in 1919 and was designed to pull fast passenger trains such as the Chief. It was retired in 1954 and placed on static display in a park in Abilene, Kansas. #3415 was donated to the Abilene & Smokey Valley Railroad in 1996 and started restoration in 2005. Today it operates on former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific track.
Photo from http://www.asvrr.org/steamlocomotive.html
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