LOS ANGELES — Santa Fe No. 5704, the SD45-2 locomotive cosmetically restored to its bicentennial paint scheme, will make its California public debut at Los Angeles Union Station’s Train Festival 2023: A Celebration of Past, Present & Future on September 9-10.
The locomotive, which was donated by BNSF to the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, Calif., was restored to the red, white, and blue scheme in late 2021 and early 2022 at Mid-America Car in Kansas City, Mo. [see “Preserved Santa Fe SD45-2 restored …,” Trains News Wire, March 2, 2022].
Following its first public display in June 2022 at Kansas City Union Station, No. 5704 traveled more than 1,500 miles on a BNSF intermodal train to Commerce, Calif., where the engine has remained in storage for more than a year. The Southern California Railway Museum is working to install a switch off nearby Metrolink tracks in Perris, Calif., so that No. 5704 and other donated equipment can be brought onto the museum grounds by rail.
The SD45-2 will join other historic rail equipment at the September event including Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 3751 and the private railcars Tioga Pass (ex-CN business car) and the National Forum (ex-UP sleeping car). Modern equipment from Amtrak, Metrolink, BNSF, and LA Metro will also on display, while a wide variety of model train layouts, interactive booths, and more will be found inside the station.
This will be the first large-scale, railroad-themed event at Los Angeles Union Station since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Share this article
