Atlantic Coast Line No. 1504 selected for restoration to operation in Florida

This came up in my google feed yesterday.  The Pacific class has always been one of my favorite classes of locomotives.  Good to read that this smaller example of the class will potentially see new life.  I look forward to hearing about updates.

Very nice, as it will be going to a good home. Back when I used to cover the Seaboard Coast Line for EMD (Sept. 1967 thru Nov. 1972), and lived in Jacksonville, I remember seeing her on display in the parking lot of theHeadquarters Building, down on the water front of the St. Johns River. Visitor parking was usually available right at the 1504. The "old ACL guys" in the Mechanical Dept. told me that the 1504 was a "zero mile" locomotive, in that it had been completely overhauled, but never run, prior to her being put on display.

Even though the boiler will require the full FRA 15 year re-certification, her running gear shouldn't require much.

WOW!!,

This is good news for us ACL buffs. Never thought I would see this come to pass.

Leon

Was hoping to see it as part of some sort of historic / tourist service out of Tampa's Union Station but this is great too.

Wow! Another steamer being brought back to life,great news!

Not an ACL fan.  But nice looking!

USRA light 4-6-2 ?

@mark s posted:

USRA light 4-6-2 ?

Yep.  ACL was one of the few railroads that had them.  B&O and L&N were the others.  The 1504 is the only surviving "original" light 4-6-2.

GTW and Mobile & Ohio had what are referred to as "copies," meaning built after the USRA was dissolved.

Rusty

I hate to see Ol' ACL #1504 leave town, but will gladly go see her run.

My boys loved to see the iron monster

We usually think of a 4-6-2 as a passenger locomotive, but I think it was the ACL that I remember reading that they used the Pacific class a whole lot in freight servcie?

Ed

#1504 appears to be an almost pure USRA, that is, "as delivered", locomotive.

I Google Earthed US Sugar to looked at the rail lines.  They have a large area to run the engine so this is really good news. 

I would say the situation is pretty sweet.  Could not resist.

Nearly 300 miles.

Interesting to read that No. 148 runs on vegetable oil, more environmentally-friendly. Presumably No. 1504 will be set up to do the same.

Not a big deal, but one easily noticable difference between the two is the position of the headlight, with No. 148 having its mounted at the top of the boiler, while No. 154's is in the center.

Mr. Lynch...I think that locomotive would look better in Spencerville, Indiana...whatcha think about that idea? <snicker>