ABILENE, Kan. — Santa Fe No. 3415 returned to service on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad during the Labor Day weekend. The 4-6-2 received a month-long break and extensive work in August that included check-valve maintenance and a routine firebox cleanout, according to Ross Boelling, the president and general manager of the A&SV.
“No. 3415 performed well with no exceptions reported by the steam crews,” he said. The locomotive served as the motive power for the railroad’s regular excursion trains on Sept. 2 and 3, in addition to Saturday’s dinner train. “We had a very good weekend with 325 riders.”
The 2023 season saw an extended schedule for No. 3415 with consecutive weekend trips in June and July as it traverses the railroad’s former Rock Island branch between Abilene and Enterprise, Kan. The trend will continue all the way until October 7 when the locomotive is taken out of service afterward for its federally mandated 1,472-day inspection.
According to Boelling, Abilene & Smoky Valley and Heritage Rail Management – a subsidiary of American Heritage Railways – look to define the task list and calendar for the rebuild and recertification. In the meantime, the two parties are securing the financial resources needed to cover the high cost, including a pending grant that was recently submitted. “It is our goal to get the rejuvenated No. 3415 back in operation as soon as realistically possible because it is such a significant ridership draw, revenue generator, and historic local and statewide icon.”
For more information on tickets and donation opportunities, visit the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad website.
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