WICHITA, Kan. — The Great Plains Transportation Museum is nearing its goal of raising $50,000 for additional restoration work on Santa Fe FP45 No. 93, thanks to a series of large direct donations to the museum that followed the announcement of a GoFundMe program.
The direct donations from the museum included large donations ranging from $5,000 to $11,000, as well as many smaller donations. Combined with the ongoing GoFundMe program, the museum said it is now only “a few thousand dollars” from the $50,000 target.
“We are delighted with the support GPTM has received from so many donors in Wichita, throughout Kansas and from other regions of the U.S.,” Heather Gatton, GPTM president, said in a press release. “It is especially heartening to have people who believe in what we are doing step up during the holiday season, and it is truly appreciated. We are looking forward to work on No. 93 continuing until it is finished in 2026 and we can proudly display it in its fresh paint.”
The current fundraising drive, announced in November, is to address hidden rust and other damage discovered when the locomotive was grit blasted at Mid-America Car in Kansas City, Mo., in preparation for its repainting [see “GoFundMe effort seeks to complete …,” Trains.com, Nov. 24, 2025]. The initial fundraising to restore the locomotive began in September 2023 and led to donations to meet the initial work quote of $134,500. The locomotive, built by EMD in 1967, was donated by BNSF to the museum in 1999.
Donations can be made via GoFundMe. More information on the museum is available at its website.
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