Southern Pacific No. 982 is a 2-10-2 "Santa Fe"-type
steam locomotive built by
Baldwin in 1919 for the
Southern Pacific Co. as #3651. The
locomotive spent most of its life hauling heavy freight trains on the
Southern Pacific Railroad until November 1922, when it was transferred to the
Texas & New Orleans Railroad and renumbered as No. 982. In May 1957, it was donated to the
City of Houston,
Texas, where it used to be on static display at the Hermann Park Conservancy. Later on, the
City of Houston would transform the area near the lake into the Hermann Park Culural Plaza, with a café, a covered plaza, and public art pieces. It was then moved to the site of
Houston's former
Union Station, now the
Minute Maid Park, where it remains today. Recently it was displayed without its tender, which had been moved to the
Heber Valley Railroad in
Utah.[1] In 2017, the Texas Railway Preservation Association and the
Houston based
vacation venture startup, Gold Standard Travel Lines began a collaborative effort to use the engine in tourism efforts in the midwest and south
United States. Selling affordable vacation packages versus in cooperation with events and local businesses. In 2019, the TRPA was awarded No. 982 with support of the
Houston Astros and the
City of Houston.[2] In 2022 the TRPA acquired the former Great Northern 2100's tender, which was a larger more long distance Vanderbilt tender that was not only historic but accurate to the class of
locomotive by Baldwin for SP long distance.[3] The group is currently preparing to relocate to permanent more public enticing home, and has found interest from local railroads in Texas.
