The Alex Gillman Collection

July 25, 2021 / "Unfinished Business"

For the first time since 1953, Santa Fe 2926 moves under her own power after more than 20 years of work by the dedicated volunteers of the New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railroad Historical Society (NMSL&RHS).

Taking the title now as the largest operating 4-8-4 in the country, the nearly 1 million pound locomotive was delivered to the Santa Fe in 1944 as America continued its quest to close out World War II and bring back peace.

Doing her part to carry men, women and supplies related to the war effort, 2926 and her sisters of the 2900-class where the pinnacle of steam power on the Santa Fe. With the delivery of the early diesels, however, 2926's service ceased in 1953 when she was retired. Three years later, the locomotive was placed in a park in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Fast forward to 1999, the NMSL&RHS purchases the locomotive from the City of Albuquerque for $1. The following year, the engine is moved 12 blocks to what is known by the non-profit as "world headquarters." Since then, the crew of the 2926 has totaled more than 200,000 hours of labor restoring the locomotive down to the smallest details.

This massive amount of work culminated on July 24, 2021 as steam charged through the cylinders and moved the engine under its own power for the first time in 68 years.

Fellow photographer and good friend Elrond Lawrence messaged me this past weekend and used the phrase "unfinished business" in regard to the massive northern looking to return to the high iron. I thought that was the perfect way to sum up this past weekend's operations.

You can support the NMSL&RHS and Santa Fe 2926 today by visiting www.2926.us - check them out! 
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