| About the Train Passenger Cars | Southern Pacific 786 | Alco Diesel 442 | Rail Line History 
Related link: Where's the Steam Engine? The 786 was completed by the American Locomotive Company's Brooks Works of Dunkirk, New York in August of 1916. The locomotive was one of the group of 20 Southern Pacific Mk-5 class 2-8-2 Mikados (numbers 775 to 794). 786 was placed in service on the Houston & Texas Central subsidiary of the SP in September of 1916. The locomotive received several upgrades throughout
its career, including: 786 was retired from service and donated to the City of Austin in March of 1956. It was placed on display near the firehouse on Trinity between 4th and 5th streets. It would remain there for 34 years. In 1989 the 786 was leased to the newly-formed Austin Steam Train Association and was removed from display the following year. Restoration of the locomotive began in June of 1990 at the Westinghouse Motor Co. shops in Georgetown, Texas. A team of both professional and volunteer crews completed the intense restoration in a relatively brief amount of time. For three days in December 1991 the operational 786 and one coach car were at the center of a celebratory festival in downtown Austin. The first passenger excursion pulled by the restored 786 arrived in Burnet on July 25, 1992. After seven years of reliable service, 786 was temporarily sidelined in July 1999 following the discovery of cracks in a key component of the locomotive. The cracks, which had apparently started decades ago and worked their way to the surface, will require replacement of the cylinder saddle casting -- a task which has not been undertaken in the United States in more than 50 years. Learn more on the "Where's the Steam Engine?" page. SP 786 technical specifications, present day Engine Tender |
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