ACL 4-6-2 No. 1504 restoration complete NEWSWIRE

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Restoration work is complete on a historic Florida steam locomotive that also has national significance. Earlier this month, volunteers wrapped up the cosmetic restoration of city-owned Atlantic Coast Line 4-6-2 No. 1504, on display at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center in downtown Jacksonville. The restoration was coordinated by the National Railway Historical Society North Florida Chapter.

The estimated out of pocket expenses were about $21,000, according to Chapter President John S. Holmgren. He estimates the majority of the work took about 1,200 man-hours over a four-month period to complete.

The locomotive was the recipient of Trains Magazine’s 2013 Preservation Award of $10,000, which CSX Corp. then matched for the cosmetic restoration. This marked the first time a Class I railroad has partnered with the magazine to match the award.

“It is the additional contribution from CSX that allowed us the ability to hire a painting contractor with the appropriate equipment to spray the black paint and apply the aluminum paint,” Holmgren says. “But for CSX’s contribution, all of the paint would have been applied with rollers and brushes, and would have considerably extended the time to complete the painting.”

That contractor wrapped up its work by July 3.

The National Railway Historical Society previously named No. 1504 to a list of the nation’s most endangered railroad landmarks. It is a USRA “light” Pacific-type engine built in 1919, the sole survivor of 81 locomotives built for four railroads.

The locomotive was first placed on display outdoors in 1960 in conjunction with the opening of the the then-new Atlantic Coast Line office building in downtown Jacksonville. That building is now the CSX headquarters.

The last work on the locomotive was conducted in 1989, when the asbestos boiler lagging was removed, a new boiler jacket installed, and it was repainted.