The Museum is housed in what was once the Cotton Belt's locomotive fabrication building. Today, in 2023, the mighty 819 is maintained and being restored again at the Arkansas Railway Museum in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, by the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society. Louis in 1990 for the National Rail Historical Society's annual convention. LouisSan Francisco Railway (SLSF or 'Frisco'). It appeared in Little Rock in June 1986 for the Arkansas Sesquicentennial, and in St. LouisSan Francisco Railway (Reporting Mark: SLSF), commonly known as the Frisco, was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central. LouisSan Francisco 4018 is a class USRA Light 2-8-2 'Mikado' steam locomotive which operated for three decades hauling freight between Bessemer and Birmingham, Alabama (United States), on the St. Įngine 819 made another trip to Tyler, arriving on Octofor the Texas Rose Festival, pulling a tender and 14 passenger cars. ![]() Nearly 1,500 passengers rode the train at some point during the trip. Thousands of spectators lined the route, including scores of children who were given the opportunity to see part of railroad history roll down the tracks. The arrival of this special nine-car train in Tyler coincided with ceremonies donating the Cotton Belt passenger depot to the City of Tyler.įor the first time in more than 33 years, the 4-8-4 Northern-style oil burner made the trip from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Tyler, the two traditional capitals of the St. More than 1,000 Tyler residents greeted the historic steam engine. The restored Cotton Belt Engine #819 visited Tyler, Texas in 1988 (see photo below). The mighty engine was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 2003. For the next 15 years, the locomotive traveled on numerous excursions. On April 6, 1986, Engine 819 moved out of the Cotton Belt Route's yard at Pine Bluff marking the first time it had moved under its own power since 1953. Bill Bailey, a civil engineer from Little Rock, presided over the restoration project. Volunteers spent three years and 37,000 hours of time, and used $140,000 in donated materials, in restoring the engine. The engine was moved from its former display back to the site of its construction 40 years earlier. In December of 1983 a group of Cotton Belt employees, volunteers, rail fans and rail historical groups placed Engine 819 back on Cotton Belt rails for the first time in nearly three decades. The engine remained on static display for nearly 30 years, but bore the brunt of neglect, rust, graffiti, and vandals who stole brass parts. ![]() Louis Southwestern (SSW) 4-8-8 Steam Engine #819
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