TOPEKA, Kan. — A non-profit group seeks some $1 million to move and cosmetically restore a Santa Fe 4-6-4 long on display in Topeka but that has experienced significant neglect and deterioration since the 1990s, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports.
Hudson No. 3463, built by Baldwin in 1937, is the only surviving member of a class of six locomotives. It was donated to the city of Topeka in 1956 and placed near the entrance of what was then the Kansas Free Fair Grounds. The locomotive’s ownership changed hands several times, from a non-profit to the city; then to the group that manages Great Overland Station, the city’s former Union Pacific depot; and ultimately to its current owner, the non-profit Kaw Valley Rail Heritage Conservancy. The engine was also moved from its original location to one in a remote corner of the same property; the conservancy wants to relocate it to a more prominent location — potential sites range from an eighth of a mile to the 8 miles away — build a roof for it, and cosmetically restore it.
A member of the organization’s board of directors, Gary Knudsen, told the newspaper the cost of the project has been estimated at roughly $1 million.
The conservancy’s website says restoration of the locomotive to its 1956 appearance will likely involve both volunteers and professional contractors, and will see the organization “further investigate and document the mechanical condition of No. 3463.” Building a roof over the 4-6-4 will extend the life of the restoration work, and placing the locomotive in a more visible and accessible location will enable the public to “visit and interact” with the engine, the group says.
The group performed a “cosmetic stabilization” of the locomotive in 2012, but volunteers are currently engaged in another repainting effort. Volunteer Brett Perry conceded to the newspaper that the locomotive appears to be in “a terrible state,” with missing parts, but said that some key pieces have been removed for safekeeping.
More information on the group and its efforts are available at the conservancy website.
