Historic Florida steam train will become tourist attraction

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A 101-year-old steam locomotive that once plied the steel ribbons between Jacksonville and Virginia, then was displayed downtown before its move to the Prime Osborn Convention Center’s parking lot, has another journey to make.

The City Council approval for the move came despite a local historian’s efforts to stop what he called “the great train robbery,” which will now see Atlantic Coast Line No. 1504 go to Clewiston to become the U.S. Sugar Corp.’s historic Sugar Express tourist train attraction.

Wayne Wood called the council’s 16-to-2 vote last Tuesday to transfer title to the National Railway Historical Society’s local chapter so the locomotive could be moved to Clewiston’s Sugar Express for passenger excursions “a terrible idea.” Calling No. 1504 one of our city’s great landmarks with National Register of Historic Places designation, Wood said the locomotive is one of the last great railroad engines in the South.

He sees no way to appeal the vote.

“Literally this train is down the track and it’s sad because it is an icon and it belonged to the public,” Wood said.

But after years of tending to the 80-foot-long train, including a 2015 exterior restoration, railway society chapter president John Holmgren said his board readily agreed to a chance to get it running again when U.S. Sugar called a few months ago.

“We were excited about the possibility of the locomotive being restored and returning to operation,” Holmgren said. “We all knew that the locomotive was essentially sitting there rusting away. For 22 years the city had really not paid any attention to it. ... We are pleased that it’s going to be preserved, restored and operational.”

The American Locomotive Co. in Richmond, Va., built the 471,000-pound engine and tender in 1919, and it...