ABILENE, Kan. — Kansas now has an official state heritage railroad and a state steam locomotive.
House Bill 2481, which bestows the railroad honor on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad and the locomotive distinction on the railroad’s Santa Fe Pacific No. 3415, was one of seven bills signed into law on Thursday, April 18, by Gov. Laura Kelly.
“This is indeed an honor,” Abilene & Smoky Valley President and General Manager Ross Boelling said in a press release after the bill was passed by the state House and Senate on April 3. “Our organization was founded three decades ago on the idea of preserving the legacy of railroads as builders of our state. It’s great to make our mission an official Kansas tradition. More importantly, this designation is a great recognition of our volunteers and the tens of thousands of hours they have dedicated to the A&SV.” While the official status will be used as a focus in grant writing, Boelling said the A&SV will immediately begin branding itself as “the Kansas heritage railroad.” A logo has been designed that incorporates an image of the 4-6-2 built by Baldwin in 1919 with the railroad’s new slogan.
The designations grew out of separate bills introduced by Rep. Scott Hill (R-Abilene) in January; they were eventually combined into a single bill and bundled with other transportation-related legislation. The final bill also designates several memorial highways and bridges within the state.
Congratulations to the people of Kansas. Preserving our heritage is desperately needed. Is there a web address to learn more of your history?