Texas & Pacific No. 610Texas & Pacific No. 610, a 2-10-4 built in Ohio by Lima Locomotive Works in 1927, was brought out of the the Texas State Railroad shops and fired up for patrons of a Lerro Productions charter on April 28th, 2019. The locomotive, however, did not move very far, as the idling plumes were the effects created with a handful of smoke bombs for photographers.
No. 610 is the sole survivor of the T&P's fleet of seventy 2-10-4's (designated as a "Texas" type) and one of only two original T&P survivors, the other being 4-6-0 No. 316, which is also at the Texas State Railroad. A 3rd T&P survivor, 2-8-2 No. 400 is on display in Marshall, TX though it was originally built for the Fort Worth & Denver City Railway. The T&P presented No. 610 to Amon Carter Sr, a prominent Fort Worth businessman and civic leader on January 27th, 1951 and placed the locomotive on display at the Will Rogers Coliseum. Seventeen years later, slowly deteriorating, the locomotive was purchased by David Pearson in 1968 and the 610 Historical Foundation was chartered the following year for the purpose of preserving and restoring the locomotive back to operating condition. It was moved to the Fort Worth Army Depot for storage where it remained until 1975. An agreement was made in 1974 which saw No. 610 restored to pull the American Freedom Train across Texas. Following that event, the locomotive was leased for several years to the Southern Railway for excursion until 1981 when it was returned to its owner. In 1986, No. 610 was formally donated and shipped to the Texas State Railroad where it continues to be maintained, protected and - as seen above - showcased.